How Coppola Became Cage

by Zach Schonfeld

An in-depth look at one of the film industry's most audacious working actors

In 1982, a gangly teenager named Nicolas Coppola made his film debut and changed his name to Nicolas Cage, determined to distance himself from his famous family. Once he achieved stardom as the rebel hunk of 1983's Valley Girl , Cage began a career defined by unorthodox risks and left turns that put him at odds with the stars of the Brat Pack era. How Coppola Became Cage takes readers behind the scenes of the beloved cult movies that transformed this unknown actor into an eccentric and uncompromising screen icon with a wild-eyed gift for portraying weirdos, outsiders, criminals-and even a romantic capable of seducing Cher.

Author Zach Schonfeld traces Cage's rise through the world of independent cinema and chronicles the stories behind his career-making early performances, from the method masochism of Birdy to the operatic torment of Moonstruck and abrasive expressionism of Vampire's Kiss , culminating with the astonishing pathos of Leaving Las Vegas . Drawing on more than 100 new interviews with Cage's key collaborators--including David Lynch, Martha Coolidge, John Patrick Shanley, and Mike Figgis-- How Coppola Became Cage offers a revealing portrait of Cage's wildly intense devotion to his performances behind the scenes and his creative self-discovery as he drew on influences as far-flung as silent cinema and German Expressionism. These were all crucial ingredients in the creation of a singular acting style that rejects the limits of realism.

Brimming with previously untold stories and insights, How Coppola Became Cage both revels in and demystifies Cage's onscreen eccentricities. No other modern actor has explored such profound creative extremes while bending the boundaries of good taste. Here is the origin story of an actor who truly is wild at heart and weird on top.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Film, Media Tie In

392 pages, Hardcover

Published November 10, 2023

Reviews

[Sarah Paolantonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! Well researched, written with the reader in mind (despite being a University Press Book nothing about this book is floury or overwritten), and best of all, Schonfeld knows and loves his movies. The passion is here. And it's not just a deep dive on Cage but also a conversation with the Coen brothers' early movies (what's it like to go from Blood Simple to Raising Arizona), talking with (!!) David Lynch about Cage's obsession with Elvis, another chapter on THE famed uncle and his lesser known pictures, quotes from Cher, and a beautifully detailed chapter on the background of Leaving Las Vegas and how John O'Brien's novel came to the big screen (and the backstory of Cage meeting and connecting with the O'Briens).

I skipped the chapters of movies I haven't seen yet in order not to completely spoil them for myself. I have big plans for Vampire's Kiss and Rumble Fish--sign me up for the weird stuff. I found myself pulling up Cage's IMDB and counting: I have seen 15 of the 100+ Nick Cage movies. And I had thought I'd seen a lot! Coincidentally in my movie-watching experience, I've stumbled upon The Rock and Con Air as classics I just hadn't seen yet. Those movies are discussed in passing (with Face/Off, the three are considered his classic trilogy--I had no idea!) along with many dozens of other Cage movies I have and haven't seen. This book is specifically about the rise of Nick Cage. And if you're thinking about reading this book before seeing Valley Girl, go watch it first. Not only because it will make the book more interesting, but because it's a GREAT movie. John Hughes saw it and said, I want one.

Schonfeld had fun with this. It's one of those books that acts as proof that if you love a subject enough, you can work towards a greater manuscript. Write through the idea, map it out, see it through, and research, research, research. Got it from the library but might be buying it to support the UP and to have it in my own library because it's so much fun. Time to revisit Raising Arizona!

[Shona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has added so much fuel to the fire of my unhinged rants about how the memeifying of Nic Cage just doesn't get what he's doing. The book focuses on his work up to around 1995, and I've been compiling a list as I went along of films I need to watch or rewatch.

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and well researched book about the early phase of Nicolas Cage’s career. I found it fascinating! Would recommend to fans of his films or those looking to know more about where he came from. My watchlist got longer…

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's watched every single Nic Cage film out there, has the 7" of his rendition of Love Me from Wild at Heart framed on the wall, and wears the exact same watch the man wore in the shamefully mediocre Willy's Wonderland, it was pretty much impossible for me to not like this book.

How Coppola Became Cage explores the first part of Cage's filmography (up to and including 1995's Leaving Las Vegas), delivering backstories to some of his most interesting early films. Conversations with dozens of directors/screenwriters/co-stars/producers have provided the author with intimate, detailed insights in the actor thespian's early performances, his behavior on set and the machinations that inspired his career choices and led to such a strangely versatile body of work.

Fortunately, the book only delves into Cage's personal life when it's relevant to his career, and I was especially moved by how much of the final chapter was devoted to the late John O'Brien, author of the novel Leaving Las Vegas. While it probably won't happen, part of me hopes the author will one day pick up where he left off and write about Cage's blockbuster era, followed by his descent into and, eventually, re-emergence from VOD hell. I for one would love to hear from the creatives behind gems like Face/Off, Mandy and Pig.

[Jackie Stargrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Furthers my belief that every single choice made in bringing Vampire’s Kiss to life was absolutely brilliant. I just love this oddball of a man and his zest for the craft.

[Bob Box · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and entertaining look at the early films that helped shape Nicolas Cage's career. I've decided to re-visit many of his early works starting with Valley Girls and finishing with Leaving Las Vegas. Most of theses films I haven't seen in decades.

[Chris Ingalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a standard bio by any means, Schonfeld focuses on the first dozen or so years of Cage’s film career (1982-1995) and gets to the heart of this method actor and his curious arc. Definitely a cut above your average actor biography.

[Ronnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Got any butthole?"

In the same way Cage as Stanley Goodspeed in The Rock matter of factly declares himself a "Beatlemaniac," it would seem most people who pick up this book might already be Cagemaniacs and thus aware of at least some of the more colorful tales that have added mystique to his weird and fascinating career. The story behind this book's title is really the very least of it, and for anyone who does come to these pages with a blank Cage slate, both the how and why Coppola became Cage is answered within the first 30 pages (which surely it's not a spoiler to divulge that Nick deliberately christened himself Cage to forge his own identity and escape the shadow of his family's name), the remaining 330+ pages making deep dives into most of Cage's first 25 films, from 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High (which he was barely in) through 1995's Leaving Las Vegas, for which he won that year's Best Actor Academy Award. Along the way, Schonfeld does at least mention Cage films from other eras, none more than 1997's Con Air and Face/Off, 2021's Pig, and especially in the Epilogue, 2022's self-reflexive The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, but these come up mostly only in passing (and, much to my chagrin, do not include mention of, much less behind-the-scenes stories from, his turn as Big Daddy in 2010's Kick-Ass, which I would've liked to read; maybe Schonfeld is saving up some of that material for another Cage chronicle covering his next 30 years in the biz?).

The book is clearly well-researched (it includes more than 700 source notes and a healthy index), and it's mostly well-written (though how words such as "cinemfatography" and phrases such as "they feel like origin myths, peaks into the damaged psyche of someone who grew up hungry" survived all rounds of editing is curious). Some of my favorite lines are these:

[On Cage's first leading role:] "Watching Cage's performance in Valley Girl forty years later is like seeing an egg hatch in slow motion."

[on Racing with the Moon:] "Inevitably, [Sean] Penn's Method intensity began rubbing off on Cage like pot fumes from Spicoli's bedroom."

"Some of the oddest performance decisions Cage makes in Wild at Heart make sense when you view them through Elvis-colored glasses."

[On Cage's decision to star in Leaving Las Vegas instead of alongside Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber:] "Two roads diverged in a Hollywood; one pointed the way to a diarrhea sequence in a Farrelly brothers movie, and the other led to an Oscar."

And so on.
The book's 11 chapters mostly, but not completely, follow the chronology of Cage's filmography, but each is written essentially as a standalone essay, with Cage being introduced by full name each time as if on first reference. The main fallout of this setup is that there tends to be a lot of repeated info--e.g., especially in early chapters, pertaining to his Method experiments and relationship to his uncle and, throughout, pertaining to his deliberately bizarre accents and vocal affects--as if none of it hadn't already been brought up, if not already pretty thoroughly explicated, in previous chapters. That's a relatively minor complaint, but it is noticeable. Taken as whole, though, the inside info regarding Cage's driving motivations, relationships with co-stars, eccentricities, and utter preparedness for each role is illuminating and fun to read.

First line [from the Introduction]:
"Nicolas Cage's first great performance took place on a school bus in the fourth grade."

[Zachary Houle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to be upfront and give full disclosure: I know the author of this book as an acquaintance. I worked with Zach Schonfeld as an editor while we were both volunteering at the popular pop culture webzine PopMatters 10 years ago, and he reached out to me to ask about my interest in reviewing his latest book, a biography of the early career of Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage. I had previously liked and reviewed Schonfeld’s earlier book, about an oft-sampled but obscure soul record from the ’70s. So I said sure again. I’m being upfront about all of this because I want my objectivity to not be questioned. Now, I’m not going to say anything that would embarrass the author of How Coppola Became Cage given that I know the individual, even if we haven’t met in person, although I can also admit that a biography of Nicolas Cage — an actor who will now seemingly take any role, A-list movie or not, for the money — is something that is exactly on my must-read list. However, having said that, I can be charitable and say that, with this book, Schonfeld has crafted a work that is something of a thriller: he makes the idea of Nicolas Cage seem interesting, even if you’re not interested in his performances, and this book should be read if you want to see how you can write a 300-plus page book where the principal character does not provide a primary interview to the journalist writing it.

Instead, Schonfeld talked to about 125 or so other people for this book, and that’s what makes it an unqualified success — even for those who do not like Cage’s acting. This is, in some ways, less a book about Nicolas Cage than a book about the directors, producers, casting agents, and other technicians who worked on Cage’s 80s and early ’90s classics such as Wild at Heart and Moonstruck. This is truly the story of all the people who came together to make films with a superstar (no matter what your feelings about that star may very well be). However, this is also a book about Cage: it works as a tome that details how Cage shed his family name of Coppola — being sensitive to charges of nepotism as an actor because his uncle is world-famous director Francis Ford Coppola — and gradually worked his way into the Oscar-winning role of Leaving Los Vegas, which is where the book ends. Along the way, various myths are either verified or untangled: such as that Cage had two front teeth pulled without anesthesia to simulate the pain his character felt from war injuries in Birdy (a false story as the teeth had to be pulled anyway and Cage’s mouth was frozen during the procedure). We even get a different origin story around the use of the surname Cage. Not only was it chosen based on the comic book character Luke Cage, which has been widely reported, but it was also chosen based on experimental musician John Cage. That I didn’t know. And I doubt that you would have known, too.

Read the rest of the review here: https://medium.com/@zachary-houle/boo...

[A Cesspool · Rating 4 out of 5]

unauthorized talent bio for Cage fandom -- Definitive deep-dive filmography. Albeit through mid-1990s -- with plenty of flash-forward commentary-threads referencing contemporary Cage properties.

Once-and-for-all affirms Fast Times at Ridgemont High's (1982) baby brains casting decision after Nic Coppola's audition overwhelmingly blew out the competition (according to those present); Everyone insisted the role of Brad belong to Cage, the casting director repeatedly called him back only for director Amy Heckerling to refuse him again. Heckerling reportedly hemmed and hawed, after her bosses got involved -- srsly? such a small part & performance to pick that hill to die on ...for first-time director! Ultimately dismissing his performance (with broad, nonsensical tropes about intensity or passion -- only to flip-flop later saying what was initially too much, now lacked enough of). Overruling longtime casting director, producer, and studio executives, who all preferred Nicolas-"actual teen-aged"-Coppola; Instead, Heckerling gifted Judge-"pushing 30"-Reinhold with the teen-sibling part of Brad.
Heckerling totally denies this happened (in contemporary interviews, feature commentary track), feigning empathy for Cage's missed opportunity, laying off the unfortunate decision on timing and obtrusive studio oversight.

...thanks to How Coppola Became Cage...

We now know she's full of shit -- Reinhold lived in the same apartment complex as Heckerling; He was also her close friend and assistant's, Carrie Frazier's side piece. mediocre!

[Margot Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only seen about 5 movies with Nicolas Cage but because I was enthralled with Zach Schonfeld's previous book, Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth from which I learned about music sampling and now listen to 24-Black Carat all the time, I decided to read this one. I paused after every chapter to absorb the detailed story of Cage's iconic and complicated career, not to mention life. I became immersed with how Cage chooses such diverse roles and why directors chose him. Schonfeld makes any cinephile, aka film geek, grateful for the chance to go behind the scenes and then some. I even put this book cover on my Christmas card to 100 friends and family along with other not to be missed cultural offerings!

[John Schorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very surprising book that doesn't fall into the easy way out in looking at Nicolas Cage's career. Yes, his eccentricities are covered, but the author also takes the time to try and understand the motivations that caused Cage to approach many of his roles in the way he did. The book ends right after his greatest success in Leaving Las Vegas, so the rise to major budget action films and his descent to hordes of low-budget oddities gets scant attention. But this account is so good that I hope the author does a follow-up on that second period.

[Scott Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I found myself wanting to watch all of the early Cage films I haven't seen yet. That says a lot. So, well done, book! It kept my interest and gave some great tales on the famous actor. If you're a fan of Cage's or even just a casual fan, this is a good read. It follows his career up to his Oscar win, so don't expect much talk about his work after "Leaving Las Vegas" in here.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great biopic look at the works of Nicolas Cage’s early years up to his Oscar win for Leaving Las Vegas. This is incredibly detailed so probably more for super fans of film and Cage specifically. Nicolas Cage did not speak with the author but the author did a ton of research and used many of Cages words from other sources. The author also interviews many of the other folks who were involved in all aspects of making these films from the 80s to mid 90s.

[Christopher Dalla Riva · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for information on Nicholas Cage’s early career, this is the place to go. Schindler interviewed well over 100 people to try to understand how Nicholas Cage became the actor he is today.

[Katie Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars
(Audiobook)

[Thom Downie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written and thorough. Can see me revisiting this a lot.

[Derek Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cage is never perfect, rarely has he strived for perfection. But his failures are often more interesting than other actors’ successes.” - Zach Schonfeld

[DD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

No spoilers here; Cage (formerly Coppola) is neurotic and it makes him a unique and great actor. We don’t need hundreds of pages to learn that. It was interesting to learn about his early days and what choices have shaped his long career. Again, could have used much more editing (IMO).