Featured Image Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, US News, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Celebrity, US News, TV And Film
He might have been a firm face in Hollywood for several decades now, but did you know Nicolas Cage is considered a 'nepo baby'?
No? Well, it's true. And apparently, it's taken until a social media trend went viral - which 'outs' the actor as being part of a very famous family - for others to make the same realisation.
If anyone needs a reminder of Nicolas' achievements then, firstly, shame on you. I mean, the man is on-screen veteran.
Advert
He has an Oscar, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe under his belt, and in recent years, he's amassed a cult following after his obscure facial expressions became the subjects of several knee-slapping memes.
The 61-year-old is also famed for his genre-less content. He's done everything from romantic-comedies (Moonstruck), to eerie horrors (Longlegs); from tomb-raiding adventure series (National Treasure series), to serious Scorsese dramas (Bringing Out the Dead).
However, for some of the California star's long-time fans, his success has been somewhat tainted by the revelation that he's a 'nepo baby', and the possibility that his high-profile ancestors might have had a part to play in his fame.
FYI, a 'nepo baby' is the term often used to describe celebrities accused of having used the success of their family members to forge their own career. Think Emily In Paris front-woman Lily Collins, who just so happens to be the daughter of legendary musician Phil Collins, model Kaia Gerber, famously the daughter of 90s icon Cindy Crawford, or actor Jaden Smith, the son of Fresh Prince star Will Smith.
Father-of-three Nicolas has recently been thrown into this category after a TikTok trend saw him name-dropped as part of the notorious Coppola family of film-makers.
The chant - seemingly known as a 'Nepo Baby Vocal Warm Up' - sees partakers recalling the family tree of the high-profile brood, starting with legendary movie director Francis Ford Coppola.
As the rhyme - which has since received mass praise for being both random and educational - explains, multiple Academy Award winner Francis had three children - Gian-Carlo, Roman and Sofia Coppola.
An acclaimed producer, Gian-Carlo went on to welcome much-loved Palo Alto director Gia Coppola. Filmmaker Roman had no children. Sofia had two daughters, Romy and Cosima Mars.
Going back slightly, however, Francis actually had a brother called August Floyd Coppola, who himself had three sons.
The first is actor and renowned DJ, Marc Coppola. The second is director and producer Christopher Coppola. And the third is Nicolas Kim Coppola, also known as Nicolas Cage.
That's right, the actor actually comes from one of the most affluent filmmaking families in Italian-American history.
Aware how his familial connections might look, however, while starting out in the entertainment industry, Nicolas opted to change his name specifically to avoid nepotism allegations.
Speaking about the name change, he previously told The Talks: "I had to reinvent myself.
"I am still legally Nicolas Coppola, but I am Nicolas Cage. I love my family and all of their accomplishments, but as a young actor going into casting offices, I couldn’t get that off of me. I had to focus on the character and the audition, and there was pressure because of my name."
This hasn't stopped some fans from being left blown away by Nicolas' famous family.
In the comments of one couple taking part in the TikTok trend recently, one noted: "Is this how I find out nick cage is actually a coppola???"
"Nicolas caaaaage," another penned in shock.
"Nicolas Cage is a Coppola??" a third seemingly needed confirmation.
Someone else went on to joke: "I'm not entirely sure if Nicholas Cage has cursed by entire lineage after listening to this, but I'm here for it."