Seeing as he has nine films coming out in the next two to three years, Nicolas Cage is still a prominent actor in Hollywood. Or is he?

If I were to measure an actor's worth in film credits, Nicolas Cage would be a God among men. Since the early 1980s, Cage has seen himself in comedy, drama, action and animation films. The man even received an Academy Award in 1995 for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “Leaving Las Vegas.” Yet, at the mention of his name, snickers and jeers follow. Today, he is seen as a joke; a man who takes any job and is the unfortunate placeholder for many a meme. Whether a laughing stock, or a genuine talent, the man is enormously interesting.

Born Nicholas Coppola, the nephew of famed director Francis Ford Coppola, Nic decided to drop the Coppola (and the H in his first name) to become his own person, capable of his own success. 1987 could be considered his first big break, with the Coen Brothers’ “Raising Arizona,” followed nicely by the Italian romantic comedy “Moonstruck.”

His career was doing well, and then he made “Vampire’s Kiss.” You know, the one where he runs down a street shouting “I’m a vampire, I’m a vampire!” Or where he recites the alphabet in as upset a tone one can take when reciting the alphabet. The film is a joke, but an amazing one. It seems like you would have to be insane to either take on the role, or perform it as well as he does.

Cage became a household name in the '90s, with his roles in “The Rock,” “Con Air,” “Face/Off,” “Snake Eyes” and “8MM,” to name a few. His often eccentric, yet badass characters led to immediate stardom. In fact, from 1996 to 2011, Cage was one of the highest paid actors of all time, making over $150 million from his films.

So, what's changed? Why is the star now degraded to laughable performer rather than revered actor? Well, he had a penchant for buying luxuriously, and found himself in debt. That led to his seeming inability to decline a role turned his way.

Nic Cage outbid Leonardo DiCaprio over a dinosaur skull. He owned a crocodile, a shark, an octopus and two albino king cobras. These crazy buying binges, a pyramid tomb in New Orleans and an island south of Nassau, have led the actor to have some major financial problems.

That leads us to now, the era of the Nic Cage straight-to-video movies. It seems like the poor guy, no pun intended, is taking every role available to either climb out of the hole he found himself in or to maintain a certain lavish lifestyle.

The old days of Nic Cage blockbusters like “National Treasure” were great, but this new era may be even better. If you check Netflix right now, I bet you there will be at least 10 of Cage’s films ready for instant viewing. Highlights of the list include “Left Behind," “Outcast" and “Next," though none of the movies listed are what one might deem “good."

Some of his worst films are some of the most fun to watch. Sit a few friends down, pop on “Left Behind” or “The Wicker Man” and prepare yourselves for a genuinely hilarious time. His high-octane energy and unpredictability make light in some truly dreadful movies.

While it is believed that Cage takes on so many roles because of his money problems, I like to believe that he does it for the work. I see a man who genuinely loves the art of filmmaking, and is a real talent. I have the utmost respect for this man, and truly love the work he does. Late film critic Roger Ebert agreed, going so far as to list him among film legends Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Ebert is also quoted as saying, "Cage is a good actor in good movies, and an almost indispensable actor in bad ones."