In this world, if you look too happy, people think you’re stupid.

On July 13th, 1981, a star was born. Almost 40 years ago, on ABC, a television pilot was released. The pilot, titled The Best of Times was not picked up for more episodes. Despite the ambitions of this variety show falling short, there was a resounding success to stem from the ashes. Being credited under the name Nicolas Coppola, a 17-year old Nicolas Cage made his acting debut.

The show has a decent enough premise: It showcases life as a teenager as portrayed and narrated by actual teenagers. There’s canned studio reactions, breaking of the fourth wall, and even some musical numbers. More than anything, the teenagers plead to adults to be understood as they leave adolescence and prepare for adulthood. In the opening scene, a young Crispin Glover introduces the rest of the crew. The first images on screen of young Nic are priceless: he is doing one-armed push-ups on the beach. And boy is he toned, which we can see clearly because he is topless and only wearing jean shorts.

It’s crazy how much of adult Nicolas Cage can be seen in a teenaged Nicolas Coppola in terms of acting method and style. As he is talking to the nerd character, he is shadow boxing on the beach, recounting a scene from one of the Rocky movies. The foreshadowing contained in this brief clip is incredible. He’s semi-yelling his dialogue, giving it his all. It’s easy to see the seeds of the matured actor we have come to know as Nicolas Cage begin to take root. This scene establishes Nic as the jock of the cast. This is furthered in his next scene, where he gives dating advice to a nerdy guy (a nerdy guy who wears a pinky ring).

While on the beach, the nerdy kid asks Nic if he is attractive. “Not to me you’re not!” yells Nic, fiercely leaving no doubt about his heterosexuality. He goes on to give tips to the nerd regarding how to flirt with women, constantly referring to his muscles as the ultimate object of desire for women. Which, fair enough, a muscley Nic Cage is dangerous for women to be around. And in case there was any doubt about Nic’s masculinity, the next scene is an ensemble musical number at a car wash. Singing “9-5,” the entire cast is bouncing around, tickling each other, and just having a good time. Nic is wearing overalls, miming his way through the number. It’s an impressive piece of acting.

Up until this point, Nic has been painted as the meathead of the group. Apparently not owning a shirt, he is either hitting on girls or working out, with some occasional mentoring of a nerd. He even gets pulled over by a cop when driving a go-cart (um, allusion to Gone in Sixty Seconds?). He is, however, given the chance to provide his character with some depth in the final act of the pilot. It’s the emotional apex of his character’s arc, and maybe of the whole episode. Nic swings for the fences and hits a home run.

Alone on the beach, Nic is talking to the audience. He opens up, talking about the possibility of a war. He admits he is registered, making him eligible should there be a draft. War frightens him, but his father is quick to remind him it’s his patriotic duty. There’s still the immature Nic here; he tells the audience that if you mention you are going to war it’s a hit with the ladies. He thinks about college and how his bad grades might affect his future. Amidst all the shenanigans and singing and Talking Heads music, there are some real concerns these teenagers are preoccupied with. Nic is the only one brave enough to open up about his plight and bear his soul.

Call me crazy, but I think Nic almost cries in this monologue. He really, really hopes there isn’t a war. It would spoil his future as he envisions it. In this brief two minutes, Nic shows a rough version of the range of emotion and depth he has been showing us for the last 37 years. The final shot in this scene is a lonely Nic walking on the shore of beach as the tides of time lap at his feet. It’s no surprise Nic was the one tasked with carrying the emotional weight of the narrative. Multiple times, Glover pleads with the audience to take into consideration the plight of seniors in high school, but he doesn’t give us a real reason. Nic provides the depth to that request.

This pilot is one of those “sliding doors” moments. If this pilot had been picked up, Nic may have seen steady TV work for a time, limiting his ability to act in movies. It’s easy to say it was for the better that it didn’t work out, but who knows? Can you imagine a world where Nic was beamed into homes across America on a weekly basis? Could be pretty great.

It’s not terribly surprising The Best of Times didn’t work out. It’s pretty hokey. Even in an era of all the mawkish and campy 80s shows, this one manages to stand out. Stereotypical characters with no real narrative thread can only go so far. It’s easy to roll your eyes and laugh at this. In fact, if you laughed in earnest and not jest, I’d be concerned. But rising from the banal and the bland is the making of a true thespian. Even at 17 years old, it’s evident Nic takes his craft seriously. He is already fashioning personas, range, and technique. And so it is out these humble and bizarre beginnings that Nic started his career. You can almost imagine him echoing Esther Blodgett’s line, “Someday you won’t laugh at me! I’m going out and have a real life! I’m gonna be somebody!” And thus Nicolas Coppola became Nicolas Cage.

Where to watch: It’s available on YouTube.