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Nicolas Cage Is Now Officially Nicolas Cage

May 29, 2026 10:09 am in by

From Coppola To Cage

Turns out Nicolas Cage is now officially Nicolas Cage — legally.

The Hollywood icon revealed he quietly changed his name last year, dropping his birth surname “Coppola” for good as he doubled down on the identity the world already knows him by.

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Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, the Oscar-winning actor comes from one of Hollywood’s most famous families, with legendary director Francis Ford Coppola as his uncle and filmmaker Sofia Coppola as a relative.

File:Francis Ford Coppola (5979851131).jpg
By Gerald GeronimoFrancis Ford Coppola, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

Stepping Out Of The Shadow

But Cage says he spent years trying to step out of that shadow.

Speaking recently, the actor explained he never wanted to be viewed as “the clown cousin” of the Coppola dynasty and instead wanted to build his own legacy. He said, “I’m Nick Cage in life,” while explaining why making the name change official felt important.

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The actor originally chose “Cage” early in his career, inspired partly by Marvel character Luke Cage and avant-garde composer John Cage.

Still One Of Hollywood’s Most Unique Stars

And honestly, it’s hard to imagine him as anything else. After decades starring in cult classics like Face/Off and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage is still booked and busy, with new projects including Spider-Noir and the upcoming John Madden biopic Madden.

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