It’s official: Nicolas Cage is no longer called Coppola

“It’s better to be the patriarch of your own little family than the clown cousin on the fringes of everyone else’s…”

There is one less Coppola in Hollywood.

Nicolas Cage revealed that he legally changed his name last year in order to permanently erase the famous surname associated with one of the greatest dynasties of American cinema.

Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, the 62-year-old actor explained in an interview with Variety why he had decided to cut the last administrative link with his family, which includes Francis Ford Coppola (his uncle) and Sofia Coppola (his cousin).

“No it’s not strange. I’m Nick Cage” he replies when asked if it seems weird to him to be known by the name he chose for himself, inspired by the Marvel character Luke Cage.

“I changed my name legally last year. In life, I am Nick Cage, and on camera too. Better to be the patriarch of your own little family than the clown cousin on the fringes of that of others..”

An identity as well as an artistic choice for someone who has always wanted to build his career far from the shadow of the Coppolas. The name “Cage” comes both from the comics he read when he was younger and from the experimental composer John Cage, an important reference in his childhood spent in a very arty and avant-garde family. The actor also explains that he was looking for a short and immediately memorable name, like “James Dean”.

“I still wanted to keep Nicolas because it’s the first name my father gave me, with the French spelling which always frustrated me because everyone adds an “h”.”

Before becoming Nicolas Cage, the actor had started under his real name. He was credited as Nicolas Coppola in Things are heating up at Ridgemont High School (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) in 1982.

His father, August Coppola, was the older brother of Francis Ford Coppola, director of the Godfather.

But the strategy clearly worked. By refusing to capitalize on his family heritage, Nicolas Cage ended up imposing a completely separate career in Hollywood. Twice nominated for the Oscars, he won the Best Actor statuette for Leaving Las Vegas in 1996, before being nominated again for Adaptation.

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