Nicolas Cage has Italian roots: an unexpected connection that many do not know, also because few know that Nicolas Cage is actually a stage name. Specifically, for the actor there is a connection with the Basilicata and with Naples.
Nicolas Cage: Great Grandparents Were Italian
Not everyone knows, therefore, that Nicolas Cage, famous Hollywood actor, has deep Italian roots. His real name, in fact, is Nicolas Kim Coppola: a surname that reveals a lot about his family history.
His great-great-grandparents, on both his maternal and paternal sides — Francesco Pennino, Anna Giaquinto and Augustino Coppola — emigrated to the United States from two places in Italy: Bernalda, a small village in the province of Matera (Basilicata), and the city of Napoli.
Deep connection with Italy
The connection with Italy does not stop there. Cage is part of the famous Coppola dynasty of cinema: he is the grandson of the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola and cousin of the talented director Sofia Coppola. A fascinating backstory that adds an all-Italian touch to the career of one of the most iconic stars of American cinema.
In 1996, Cage received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film 'Leaving Las Vegas.' Some of the most famous films, we remember “Gone in 60 Seconds” (2000), “National Treasure” (2004), “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” (2009), “Indianapolis” (2016), but these are just a few examples in his immense cinematography. He himself also made other names, interviewed on TV by The Late Show Stephen Colbert was asked what his top 5 favorite movies were and he answered like this: “I’ll start with Pig. It’s my favorite movie, the best I’ve ever done. I love Mandy, the movie directed by Panos Cosmatos. I love Bringing Out the Dead directed by Martin Scorsese. I loved Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and then Joe directed by David Gordon Green."
Main photo source: Lega Nerd.
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