When you get right down to it, there is only one true rule in cinema: never underestimate Nicolas Cage.

For nearly four decades, Cage delivered eccentric and exciting performers. His success at the box office has never diluted his fearlessness or his willingness to experiment with acting. As a result, Cage boasts one of the greatest filmographies out there. He has played action heroes, romantic leads, and dramatic powerhouses, all while keeping true to his strange and unpredictable style.

So it makes perfect sense that he’s now playing himself in an action/comedy that finds "Nick Cage" taking on a drug kingpin. Who else could do such a thing? As we anticipate the surefire insanity of THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, let’s take a look at some of the best roles in Nicolas Cage’s career, which is so legendary that we'd need three of these articles to truly do it justice.

This Coen Bros comedy introduced Cage to the world. It wasn’t his first role, but it was his first true showcase. And what a showcase it is. The hapless but well-meaning H.I McDunnough is an iconic creation, not only one of Cage’s biggest signature characters, but one of the best in the Coen Bros entire roster, which is saying a lot.

As a melodramatic, opera-loving baker with one hand, Cage shines opposite Cher in the story of a widow who agrees to marry a man, only to fall in love with that man's brother (Cage). Cage doesn't actually have too much screen time in MOONSTRUCK, which makes the impression he leaves all the more significant.

Cage likes to work with the coolest directors out there. Even early in his career, he was getting with some amazing people. WILD AT HEART brought him into the weird and surreal world of David Lynch, and this movie is perfectly tuned to Cage’s penchant for unexpected comedy in a world gone insane.

Kicking off Cage’s action phase, this early Michael Bay film casts Cage as a weak dork opposite Sean Connery’s aged tough guy. But Cage certainly gets his share of gunplay as well, while also giving the film (almost) all of its best lines.

Cage followed up THE ROCK with CON AIR. Instead of playing the nerd, here he is full-on action hero beefcake, with denim jeans and long flowing hair to match. If you want to see Cage as an action hero, look no further.

Finishing off Cage’s ‘90s action trilogy, FACE/OFF lets him loose in a totally unhinged villain role, playing to the cheap seats at every moment. For a while anyway. It’s sort of the best of both worlds because, after all his bombast, he spends the rest of the film pretending to be John Travolta.

With all of his crazy performances, it’s easy to lose sight of Cage’s real dramatic talent. But let’s not forget that he’s an Oscar winner thanks to this performance as a man determined to drink himself to death. No jokes or action here, just a sad man slowly diminishing until nothing’s left.

When it comes to great directors, it’s hard to top Martin Scorsese. BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is a showcase for both Cage and the famed director. Tired, tortured, and tragic, Cage journeys through the film as a central point amid a world of chaos. There’s a reason this is one of his favorite performances. It’s a great illustration of his capabilities as a dramatic lead.

For a while, it seemed like Cage knew what people wanted from him and that he was willing to deliver that insanity in one tiny-budget film after another. But you can never count Cage out. His most recent comeback began with this wild, heavy metal horror film in which Cage gets revenge on the people who murdered his wife. Funny, scary, and sad all at the same time, MANDY is a perfect starting point for Cage’s current resurgence.

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT opens on April 22.

All images courtesy of 20th Century Studios, Buena Vista Pictures, Disney, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, RLJE Films, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Touchstone, United Artists.