Nicolas Cage is an American actor and producer who has an estimated net worth of $25 million as of 2024.
Nicolas Cage is known for his intensely dramatic performances in various films. He has been nominated for numerous major acting awards, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Nicolas Cage Net Worth
Nicolas Cage has an estimated net worth of $25 million as of 2024. Though he earned millions for significant blockbuster films like National Treasure, Face/Off, and Con Air, Cage encountered financial troubles due to extravagant spending habits and unpaid taxes.
At the height of his career in the 1990s and 2000s, his net worth peaked at around $150 million. However, he purchased multiple lavish homes, exotic animals, sports cars, yachts, and rare memorabilia like dinosaur skulls and shrunken pygmy heads, costing him millions.
Cage also had to pay the IRS $6.3 million in back taxes in 2009. He took many low-budget direct-to-video films to pay off his debts and sold most of his real estate and possessions.
Early Life and Education
Nicolas Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, California. He is the son of comparative literature professor August Coppola and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang. His father is the brother of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola.
Cage attended Beverly Hills High School and aspired to act from an early age. He changed his last name to Cage to avoid nepotism, inspired by Marvel comics hero Luke Cage.
Cage studied acting with his famous uncle Francis and started landing small parts in television shows and films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982. However, he got his first leading role playing a troubled teen in the 1983 romantic drama Valley Girl.
His uncles, Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire, discouraged Cage from pursuing an acting career, but he was determined to follow his passion.
Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
Cage starred in Moonstruck alongside Cher and won a Golden Globe Award for his eccentric performance as Ronny Cammareri. The critical success of the romantic comedy helped cement Cage as a talented young actor on the rise.
He continued choosing offbeat roles like the dark comedy Vampire’s Kiss (1989) and David Lynch’s thriller Wild at Heart (1990), which won the Palme d’Or. In 1995, Cage starred in the Michael Bay action comedy film The Rock, playing an FBI chemical weapons expert opposite Sean Connery.
Cage’s career reached new heights when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, playing a suicidal alcoholic in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas.
Blockbuster Action Films and Mainstream Success
Cage starred in a series of highly successful big-budget action films. In 1996, he played a rescue swimmer in the disaster flick The Rock. Then, in 1997, he starred as an arms dealer chasing down nerve gas stashed in a Hawaiian penthouse in Con Air.
Cage reached global superstar status playing thief John Banning trying to steal the Declaration of Independence in the 2004 adventure film National Treasure. It became one of Cage’s highest-grossing movies, earning over $347 million worldwide.
He continued starring in popcorn flicks like Ghost Rider (2007), Knowledge (2011), and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010). Cage also did dramatic turns playing twin brothers in the psychological thriller Adaptation (2002), which earned him his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Sources of Income
The primary source of Nicolas Cage’s net worth is his lucrative salary as an actor in films. He reportedly earned $20 million alone for his role in the 2004 hit National Treasure. His usual per-film rate is estimated at $8 to $20 million for major studio movies.
Cage also earns back-end compensation through box office bonuses and residuals. He collects residual payments for mega-hits like Con Air, Face/Off, and National Treasure every time the films get significant airtime on cable networks or streaming platforms.
Though his paydays are smaller now, Cage takes on numerous direct-to-video features every year, enabling him to continue earning income through the sheer volume of work.
Outside of acting, Cage has earned money through real estate investments and his production company, Saturn Films. He owns an 11,000-square-foot home in Las Vegas worth around $8 million. However, the real estate helps diversify his income streams beyond Hollywood.
Business Ventures and Financial Issues
Cage has invested in real estate and owns multiple properties. He bought a castle in Germany and an island in the Bahamas in 2004.
In 2009, he owned 15 residences and eventually ended up in financial trouble with the IRS and lawsuits against him due to unpaid loans. Cage sold off many assets, including a dinosaur skull, shrunken heads, and a share of his comic book collection, to pay off his debts.
However, his financial issues forced him to take roles in numerous direct-to-video films in the 2010s to earn money. In 2016, he was able to pay off his $6.3 million tax lien.
Successes and Achievements
Nicolas Cage won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his acclaimed performance in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas. He earned strong praise from critics for his committed portrayal of a suicidal alcoholic.
He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his dual role in the 2002 film Adaptation. Playing overweight twin brothers, Cage demonstrated his impressive acting range and versatility.
Cage starred in a string of commercially successful big-budget action films like The Rock, Face/Off, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure, and Ghost Rider, grossing over $2 billion worldwide.
He earned Golden Globe nominations for his performances in Moonstruck, Honeymoon in Vegas, and Leaving Las Vegas, winning for Moonstruck. However, Cage co-founded the film production company Saturn Films in 1996, which has produced films like Shadow of the Vampire.
Personal Life
Cage has been married five times and has two children. His first wife was actress Patricia Arquette from 1995 to 2001. He then married Lisa Marie Presley briefly in 2002 before filing for divorce. In 2004, Cage married restaurant owner Alice Kim, and they had a son, Kal-El, in 2005. Cage and Kim divorced in 2016.
That same year, he married Erika Koike but filed for annulment four days later. In 2021, Cage married his fifth wife, Riko Shibata, and they welcomed a daughter in 2022.
Philanthropy
Nicolas Cage has been involved in charitable giving and philanthropy work throughout his career.
He has donated millions of dollars to various causes and non-profit organizations. In 2005, he gave $1 million to the Red Cross to support victims of Hurricane Katrina. However, he made a $2 million donation to Amnesty International for their work defending human rights.
Cage has also supported organizations that work with underprivileged children. Also, he gave $1 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, he donated $2 million to build homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Louisiana.
FAQs on Nicolas Cage Net Worth
Why did Nicolas Cage change his name?
Nicolas Cage changed his name from Nicolas Kim Coppola to avoid the appearance of nepotism as the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola.
What is Nicolas Cage’s most iconic role?
Many consider Cage’s role as thief Benjamin Franklin Gates in the adventure film National Treasure to be his most iconic. Released in 2004, it cemented his status as a bankable action movie star and became his highest-grossing film commercially.
What is Nicolas Cage best known for as an actor?
Cage is best known for his intensely dramatic, off-kilter performances. He is widely praised for his commitment to every role, whether eccentric or over-the-top.
How much is Nicolas Cage worth in 2024?
Nicolas Cage has an estimated net worth of $25 million. He has recovered from financial issues through acting work and selling off many assets he acquired during lavish spending sprees.
Bottom Line
Nicolas Cage has had an eventful Hollywood career. He has demonstrated his ability to succeed in big-budget blockbusters and intense, dramatic roles.
Though known for his lavish spending and unusual lifestyle, Cage has cemented his place as one of his generation’s most popular and versatile actors. However, his continued work in various projects illustrates his lifelong passion for his craft.
