King of the Meme! These Are Some of Nicolas Cage’s Most Iconic Roles

Raising Arizona

This 1987 American crime comedy film was directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, and written by the famous duo. It starred Nicolas as H. I. “Hi” McDunnough, an ex-convict who, with an ex-cop, “decide to help themselves to one of another family’s quintuplets,” according to IMDB.

Sound weird? Well, it’s one of the actor’s more iconic roles, so there must be something to it, right?

Adaptation

Nicolas earned his second Academy Award nomination for his performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman in Adaptation.

Leaving Las Vegas

Nic received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who decides to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death in this 1995 romantic drama.

Matchstick Men

This 2003 black comedy crime film starred Nicolas as a con artist with severe Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His portrayal received generally positive reviews.

Kick-Ass

The 2010 comic adaptation Kick-Ass got mixed reviews and faced some controversy, but Nic’s performance was generally praised.

Face/Off

Face/Off starred both John Travolta and Nicolas. John played an FBI agent and Nic took on the role of a terrorist, and they acted as enemies who assumed each other’s physical appearances. It was the 11th highest-grossing film of 1997.

Moonstruck

Now for something a little … softer in nature. Moonstruck is a 1987 American romantic comedy film that starred Nicolas as Ronny Cammareri and Cher as Loretta Castorini.

Con Air

This 1997 thriller film starred Nicolas as Army ranger Cameron Poe. While it was a box office success, it received mixed reviews, but the actor was lauded for his portrayal.

Gone in 60 Seconds

Nic starred in this 2000 action movie about “a retired master car thief must come back to the industry and steal fifty cars with his crew in one night to save his brother’s life.” It has since become a minor cult classic.

Valley Girl

One of Nicolas’ earlier roles, Valley Girl is a 1983 teen romantic comedy loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The actor and Deborah Foreman were the main couple in the movie and dated during its filming.

Ghost Rider

Yes, there was a 2007 superhero film called Ghost Rider based on the Marvel comics character but no, it is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nicolas played Johnny Blaze A.K.A. Ghost Rider in the first film and the sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

City of Angels

Another romance, City of Angels is a 1998 fantasy film that starred Nicolas and Meg Ryan. It tells the story of an angel, played by Nic, who falls in love with a mortal woman and wants to become human so they can be together. Sounds like a good date night choice?

National Treasure

National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets may be the butt of a lot of jokes about things like stealing the Declaration of Independence, but it’s hard to argue that it’s not one of Nicolas’s more well-known roles. Anyway, National Treasure was a box office hit, so who really had the last laugh?

Rumble Fish

Rumble Fish was Nic’s film debut. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola — in fact, Nicolas is his nephew. Nic played Smokey in the movie.

Vampire’s Kiss

The movie that birthed a meme, Vampire’s Kiss is about a mentally ill literary agent who believes he was bitten by a vampiress. Nic played the agent, and it’s now considered a cult film.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Last but not least, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Nicolas played Spider-Man Noir in this critically acclaimed 2018 animated feature, which won Best Animated Feature Film at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.

But more importantly, Nicolas won the hearts of the internet for his darker, 1930s version of the beloved Peter Parker.