Actor Nicholas Cage (originally Nicholas Coppola) was born on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, California, to choreographer Joy Vogelsang and professor August Coppola. At 15, Cage fell in love with acting during summer classes in San Francisco and dropped out of Beverly Hills High School to pursue his career. The Oscar-winning actor isn't the first member of his family to find fame in the movies, his uncle is film director Francis Ford Coppola. (Cage changed his name, however, to separate his identity from his famous relative.) The critically-acclaimed actor, who went from Hollywood outsider to box-office star in Moonstruck and Leaving Las Vegas, is well-known for choosing challenging roles and for his offbeat personality.