Nicolas Cage (Joe Ransom)

Academy Award®-winner NICOLAS CAGE (Joe Ransom) is one of the most versatile actors of all time, equally known for his poignant portrayals in both drama and comedy. Cage most recently lent his voice to the DreamWorks animated film THE CROODS, which follows a family through their prehistoric era adventures. The film also features voices from Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, and Cloris Leachman. Last year he starred in STOLEN, which reunited him with CON AIR director Simon West, the 1997 blockbuster action thriller.

In 2011, Cage was seen in the comic book sequel, GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE, as well as DRIVE ANGRY with Amber Heard, SEEKING JUSTICE with January Jones, TRESPASS with Nicole Kidman, and the Charles Roven produced epic, SEASON OF THE WITCH, which filmed on location in Prague. He also starred in THE SORCEROR’S APPRENTICE, Cage’s seventh collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer. In addition, Cage starred in the action comedy, KICK-ASS, produced by Matthew Vaughn.

In the 2009 critically acclaimed film BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, Cage plays a drug and gambling addicted detective in post-Katrina New Orleans. Prior to this film, Cage lent his voice to two animated features: the Jerry Bruckheimer produced family adventure G-FORCE, and the Summit Entertainment family adventure, ASTRO BOY. Cage also starred in Summit Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller KNOWING, and the Pang Brothers directed BANGKOK DANGEROUS, an action thriller.

Cage starred in the worldwide box office success NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS. It marked Cage’s fifth collaboration with producer Jerry Bruckheimer following THE ROCK, CON AIR, GONE IN 60 SECONDS and NATIONAL TREASURE. His memorable performance as an alcoholic drinking himself to death in the drama, LEAVING LAS VEGAS, directed by Mike Figgis, earned him an Academy Award® as well as Golden Globe® and Best Actor awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Chicago Film Critics and the National Board of Review. Cage further solidified his leading man status when he received Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominations for his dual role as twin brothers ‘Charlie’ and ‘Donald Kaufman’ in Spike Jonze’s quirky comedy, ADAPTATION, which also co-starred Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper.

In addition, Cage portrayed ‘Johnny Blaze’ in GHOST RIDER based on the Marvel Comic book character, directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson. The film immediately set a new record as the highest-grossing opening film for the President’s Day weekend in 2007. Cage’s other starring roles include that of Neil LaBute’s THE WICKER MAN and Oliver Stone’s WORLD TRADE CENTER, both released in 2006, and Gore Verbinski’s THE WEATHER MAN and Andrew Niccol’s LORD OF WAR, released in 2005. He was also heard as the voice of ‘Zoc’ in the animated film THE ANT BULLY.

In fall of 2002, Cage made his film directorial debut with SONNY, where he cast an impressive group of actors, including Golden Globe winner James Franco, Mena Suvari, Brenda Blethyn and Harry Dean Stanton. The film was accepted at the 2002 Deauville Film Festival.

Cage’s many other films include NEXT, MATCHSTICK MEN, WINDTALKERS, CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN, THE FAMILY MAN, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, EIGHT MILLIMETER, SNAKE EYES, CITY OF ANGELS, FACE OFF, KISS OF DEATH, GUARDING TESS, IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, RED ROCK WEST, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, JOEL AND ETHAN COEN’S RAISING ARIZONA, VAMPIRE’S KISS, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, VALLEY GIRL, RACING WITH THE MOON, THE COTTON CLUB and RUMBLE FISH.

It was Cage’s portrayal of a tormented Vietnam vet in BIRDY that first established him as a serious actor. Directed by Alan Parker, Birdy won the jury prize at Cannes. Cage then received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor for his role as Cher’s lover in MOONSTRUCK. David Lynch’s WILD AT HEART, starring Cage and Laura Dern, won the Palme d’Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Some of Cage’s other honors include a 1993 Golden Globe nomination for his role in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montreal World Film Festival in 1996, the first ever Distinguished Decade in Film Award at ShoWest in 2001, and the prestigious American Cinematheque honored him in 2001.

In 2009, Cage was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Global Justice for the United Nations. He traveled to Africa to undertake a mission with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime in Gulu, Uganda, Mombasa, Kenya and Nairobi, Kenya. Here he met with child soldiers, gang members, inmates, Kenyan judges and magistrates to help stop human trafficking, child slavery and kidnapping. Cage is also a Luminary for Amnesty International and helps with their focus on human rights.