More than just a Hollywood star and Oscar winner, Nicolas Cage is the heir to a rich artistic tradition with deep roots in Italy.
Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, the actor carries in his baptismal name the heritage of one of the most influential families in American cinema — the Coppolas — whose origins date back to the small towns of Bernalda, in the region of Basilicata, and Nápoles, the campania.
Cage is the son of university professor August Coppola and choreographer Joy Vogelsang. His father's side is entirely Italian, a direct descendant of immigrants who crossed the Atlantic in the early 20th century.
Your great-grandparents, Agostino Coppola (born in Bernalda) and Maria Zasa, were born respectively in Italy and Tunisia, where there was a significant Italian-Tunisian community. They married in New York in 1908, according to official records, and settled in Brooklyn. His paternal grandmother, Pennine Italy, was the daughter of the Neapolitan composer Francesco Pennino, reinforcing the family connection with southern Italy.
An artistic legacy that spans generations
In the Coppola family tree, talent seems to be hereditary. Nicolas' grandfather, Carmine Coppola, was an award-winning composer, while his grandmother, Italia, worked as an actress and lyricist. His father, August Coppola, dedicated his life to literature and university teaching. And, of course, his uncle is none other than Francis Ford Coppola, director of classics such as The Godfather, and her cousin is the filmmaker Sofia Coppola.
Despite his family influence, Nicolas decided to follow his own artistic path. To avoid accusations of favoritism due to his surname, he adopted the stage name “Cage”, inspired by the superhero Luke Cage and in the composer John Cage. “I love my family and all their achievements, but as a young actor, there was pressure because of my name. Adopting a new name gave me the freedom to become who I wanted to be in my dreams,” he said in an interview with the magazine. The Talks.
Pride of origins
Cage has never denied his origins. In interviews, he has shown pride in his Italian heritage and has shared memorable memories of Italy. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, recalled being looked after by nuns as a child while visiting the country with his family. “They gave me a liquorice-flavored drink – I think it was Sambuca – and a stew made from fox meat,” he said, with a mixture of nostalgia and amazement.
His bond with Bernalda, in particular, remains to this day. It was there that his uncle Francis restored the Palazzo Margherita, transforming it into a luxurious boutique hotel that celebrates the Coppola family’s roots. The 19th-century building symbolizes not only the rescue of Italian heritage, but also the permanence of a cultural legacy that transcends borders.
Heritage and identity
Nicolas Cage’s connection to Italy is more than a biographical curiosity — it is a constituent element of his identity. He was born in the United States, grew up between Long Beach and San Francisco, faced adversity in his childhood, and found in art a form of expression and survival. But it is in his ancestry that he finds part of his north.
This Italian heritage, coming exclusively from his father's side, shapes not only his past, but resonates in his artistic choices and in the sensitivity he imprints on his characters.
Between blockbusters and independent films, Cage preserves something that goes beyond the screen: the continuity of an Italian-American legacy that remains alive in each generation of the Coppola family.
This article is part of the series “Made in Italy: World Stars”, in Italianism, celebrating international personalities with Italian roots.
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