After returning to Los Angeles, he attended Beverly Hills High School, during which he made his professional acting debut in the 1981 telefilm "The Best of Times" before getting his start on the big screen in a pair of acclaimed teenage comedies - a small role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and a starring role in the hit romantic comedy "Valley Girl". That same year he played the supporting part of Smoky, Matt Dillon’s lieutenant, in Francis Ford Coppola’s "Rumble Fish", followed by larger roles in Richard Benjamin’s romantic drama "Racing With the Moon" and Coppola’s 1984 gangster epic "The Cotton Club".

Cage’s portrayal of a tortured Vietnam vet in "Birdy" established his place as one of the industry’s new dramatic talents. Directed by Alan Parker, "Birdy" won the Jury Prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. Cage next reunited with Coppola on the Oscar-nominated comedy "Peggy Sue Got Married", then went on to earn his first Golden Globe