There aren’t many actors working today whose careers have had the longevity ofNicolas Cage. With a career that has spanned over four decades, Cage has starred in many massive commercial hits and received numerous award nominations for his impressive work. While he’s now often associated withhis over-the-top performancesand strange acting choices, Cage can often take audiences by surprise with his dramatic work, such as his Academy Award-winning role in the 1995 addiction dramaLeaving Las Vegas. Although he has no shortage of experience working on films across many different genres,Cage had an extremely negative experience filmingFast Times at Ridgemont High, which changed the direction of his career.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
A group of Southern California high school students are enjoying their most important subjects: sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
Nicolas Cage Didn’t Get the ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ Role He Wanted
Based on a screenplay byCameron Crowe,Fast Times at Ridgemont Highexplores a year within the lives of the shy high school freshman Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her older brother, Brad (Judge Reinhold). Althoughthe film was first offered toDavid Lynch, directorAmy Heckerlingwas essential in crafting a cheeky, raunchy story about the realities of the adolescent experience that spoke to a youthful audience.Compared to other high school comedies,Fast Times At Ridgemont Highstood out because of its realism. Crowe’s screenplay was highly specific in tracking teenage relationships and the challenges presented by the social hierarchy.
Fast Times at Ridgemont Highwas filled with iconic performances, includingSean Penn’s breakout role as the goofy stoner Jeff Spicoli. However,the character of Brad is perhaps the most important ingredient in the film’s success. Brad is an emphatic protagonist who struggles to make friends and express his desires to his crush, Stacy (Phoebe Cates). WhileHeckerling is unafraid to undercut Brad’s innocenceby showing his wild fantasies, the film authentically depicts teenage masculinity. Reinhold’s endearing yet oafish performance was perfectly suited for the unusual qualities that Brad had as a protagonist.
While it’s hard to imagine anyone but Reinhold in the role,Cage auditioned to play Brad but wasturned down because of his age. At only 17 years old, Cage would have been unable to earn a leading role due to the restrictions placed on the amount of time underage actors were able to spend on set. Cage was frustrated, as he had “auditioned for the Judge Reinhold part 10 or 11 times.” Considering the boost that Reinhold’s career received in the aftermath ofFast Times At Ridgemont High’s success, Cage can be forgiven for being bitter. The film became one of the most instantly iconic teen comedies of the decade and made a dent at the box officeduring the packed summer of 1982.
‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ Made Nicolas Cage Change His Name
While he wasn’t able to star as the lead,Cage received his first acting role inFast Time At Ridgemont Highin the supporting role of one of Brad’s friends who works with him at the restaurant All American Burger. Although the experience certainly taught him what it was like to work on the set of a major motion picture, Cage cited the experience as “terrible” due to the bullying he experienced. Cage is the nephew of the famous directorFrancis Ford Coppola,whose filmography included some of the greatest films ever made. Given Coppola’s prominence in the industry, many of the cast members ofFast Times At Ridgemont Highassumed that Cage had been cast purely out of nepotism.
Cage was harassed throughout the production ofFast Times at Ridgemont High, with many people quoting lines directly fromApocalypse Now, one of his uncle’s most famous films, to his face. Cage admitted that the experience “made it very hard for me to believe in myself,” as he had worked hard during the audition process and had initially wanted to participate in the film. The experience indicated to Cage that despite the work that he put into a film, he would always be judged based on his last name.
Although the production itself was a negative one,Cage’s experience on the set ofFast Times At Ridgemont Highwas instrumental in his decision to change his name. He was determined to build a career based on his own merits and took the last name “Cage” so that he wouldn’t be associated with the Coppola family. Thankfully, Cage was soon given the opportunity to show his merits as a leading performer, ashis performance inAlan Parker’s coming-of-age dramaBirdysignified that he was an actor who should be taken seriously. In addition to the emotional rigor that the role required, Cage made a complete physical transformation that involved removing two of his teeth.
Nicolas Cage Got His Breakout Roles in the 1980s
While he chose to sever his official connections to his family,Cage got a leg up in the industry thanks to his roles in several films directed by his uncle.While it didn’t have the same seismic impact on the popular culture landscape asThe GodfatherorThe Conversation,Coppola’s 1983 coming-of-age dramaRumble Fishgave Cage one of his breakout roles as the teenage loner Smokey. While Cage subsequently appeared in his uncle’s infamous box office disaster,The Cotton Club,and his earnest romantic comedyPeggy Sue Got Married,he soon established an independent career that didn’t require any assistance from his family.
Whilehe cemented himself as an action starin the 1990s,Fast Times At Ridgemont Highserves as a reminder of how good Cage is at comedy. Even in his limited capacity in the film, Cage’s chemistry with Reinhold demonstrated his knack for comedic timing and physical eccentricities. He would soon get the opportunity to show these merits with his wacky role in the cult classicVampire’s Kiss, a bizarre horror comedy that established Cage’s complete commitment to absolutely absurd material.
Fast Times At Ridgemont Highis available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
