If you’re a fan of quirky,and sometimes over-the-top, acting then you’re no stranger to the work ofNicolas Cage. But when Cage gets into his roles, is he really overacting? Or is he giving us exactly what he knows we love about his performances. Leave it to Nicolas Cage to leave gold nuggets in even the most critically panned films, because he’s aconsummate professional, and he knows he has to deliver. An actor as prolific as Cage has countless moments where his personality and spirit shine through, so we’re only hitting the tip of the iceberg with this list. Think of this list of essential Nic Cage moments as a primer for his decades-long career.
Related:10 Underrated Nicolas Cage Movies Nobody Talks About
12One Last Job - Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
When Randall “Memphis” Raines gets dragged back into one last heist inGone in 60 Seconds, he has a miniature moment of Zen before saying “okay, let’s ride.” This scene is a perfect moment of classic cool. He knows he’s about to get into some sticky situations, and with a flat face he brings his hands in a strange combination of jazz hands and devil horns while the soundtrack is playing “Low Rider"by the band War. We encourage everybody who’s about to go on a road trip, or even just to a drive-thru to use this line before embarking on whatever journey is before them, because it’s just so unironically cool.
11Not the Bees! - The Wicker Man (2006)
Listen, nobody likes bees. Scratch that… maybe some people like bees, but nobody likes them when they’re poured into a wicker face helmet, so they could eat your face like they are inThe Wicker Man. Some will say this scene is gratuitously overacted, and we may be inclined to agree with them, but “no, not the bees!” is such a great line to yell out of context with your friends, that we consider this scene to be a keeper.
10I’m a Vampire! - Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
Vampire’s Kisshas many classic Nicolas Cage moments, from eating a live cockroach, screaming the alphabet dramatically, and of course, running through the city streets screaming “I’M A VAMPIRE, I’M A VAMPIRE, I’M A VAMPIRE!” repeatedly for all bystanders to witness in bemused horror. Cage is very self-aware though, so maybe he was just sharpening his teeth forhis role in Renfielddecades later.
What do you get when you cross a midlife crisis, an unknown and possibly airborne infection that makes parents want to murder their offspring? You get Nicolas Cage singing the most menacing version ofThe Hokey Pokeyyou’ve ever heard while destroying his man-cave to be with a sledgehammer. Not a lot of actors could pull this scene off well, or even at all, but Cage delivers an appropriately over-the-top performance in the black comedyMom and Dad.
8"What Are You Doing Here, Dave?” - The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
When Balthazar (Cage) escapes from a cursed urn after a ten-year sentence, he urges Dave not to meddle in his affairs. But Dave gets sucked into a bathroom brawl with Maxim Horvath, and Balthazar has to come to the rescue to wear it off. After several slams against the tiles and toilets, an irritated Balthazar looks up and says “What are you doing here, Dave?” This is exactly the kind of deadpan delivery we expect from Cage.The Sorcerer’s Apprenticewas widely considered a critical flop, but most of us stuck around for Cage’s performance in this particular Disney action fantasy film.
7Breaking Out of Prison - Face/Off (1997)
Okay, so this one’s a little tricky, but it can inspire an amazing Halloween costume. Think about it. You can dress up like John Travolta, and say that you’re Nicolas Cage fromFace/Off, or in the case of the scene we’re about to get into, you can do the opposite! In this film, Sean Archer (Travolta) switches bodies with Castor Troy (Cage) and has to take on his identity to get information, so he can avenge his son’s murder. Not knowing that Troy is a calm, cool, and collected villain, Archer dials it to eleven in a prison fight in an attempt to establish dominance, which is out of character for Troy. This scene unfolds with some classic Cage over-the-top ness, but is it really Cage? Or is it Cage playing himself as if he were played by John Travolta? Really makes you think. But there is one thing we know for sure, and thatFace/Offwas one of those weird summer action blockbusters that only Cage could pull off, and a little birdy told us that there have beenhints of an upcoming sequel!
6Suiting Up - Kick-Ass (2010)
Every superhero movie has a “calm before the storm scene,” andKick-Assis no exception. Big Daddy (Cage) suits up alone in his bathroom, without dialogue to solemn music, knowing that he’s preparing for war. It’s a play on the classic suit-up scenes that you’d be familiar with in a Batman movie, but there is a subtle layer of comedy when Big Daddy takes time to glue on his fake mustache and goatee.
5Final Showdown - The Rock (1996)
Is there anything more epic than Dr. Goodspeed (Cage) jamming a ball of glowing green thermite plasma (nerve gas) into an adversary’s mouth before injecting himself in the heart with intracardiac atropine (the antidote to said nerve gas), disarming a ton of rockets, signaling to the marines that the threat has been neutralized, but only before running from an explosion in a nick of time and getting blasted into San Francisco Bay? We’ll wait patiently for your answer, and hopefully you’ll come up with one before we reach our twilight years. If you’re a fan of action flicks, but not a fan of Cage,The Rockwill have you reconsidering your viewpoint, we promise.
4Diaper Heist - Raising Arizona (1987)
New dads can relate to H.I. McDunnough inRaising Arizonain a lot of ways. Maybe the kidnapping plot and subsequent bank robbery heists by proxy aren’t what makes it relatable, but making sure your child has a fresh pair of Huggies no matter the cost comes with the territory of being a new dad. In McDunnough’s case, he just finished robbing a convenience store, and realized he needed a new sack of swaddlers for Arizona. He runs back in for the diapers before running full tilt from the law, and a shotgun wielding store clerk in a series of events that are comical as they are heartfelt.
3Gift Shop Switcheroo - National Treasure (2004)
Zoos, theme parks, and Museums all encourage you to exit through the gift shop, and that’s exactly what Benjamin Franklin Gates does inNational Treasureso he could walk out with The Declaration of Independence without suspicion. Sure, Indiana Jones does that cool thing with a bag of sand and a golden idol, but Cage’s performance inNational Treasureis a little more cool and collected. The con was simple: steal The Declaration of Independence; buy a copy of The Declaration of Independence at the gift shop, switch them quickly before anybody detects any foul play, and walk out the front door cool as a cucumber with the historical artifact in plain sight. There’s a reason theNational Treasurefranchiseis such a national treasure, and that reason is Nicolas Cage.
Related:Nicolas Cage’s Favorite Movies, Ranked
