John Cage (character)
| John Cage | |
|---|---|
| Ally McBeal character | |
| First appearance | "Compromising Positions" |
| Last appearance | "Bygones" |
| Created by | David E. Kelley |
| Portrayed by | Peter MacNicol |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | The Biscuit |
| Gender | male |
| Occupation | attorney |
| Title | Senior Partner, Cage and Fish |
| Nationality | American |
John Cage is a fictional character in the television show Ally McBeal, played by Peter MacNicol.
Cage is one of only five characters to have appeared as a regular in all five seasons of the show. The other four characters are Ally McBeal, Richard Fish, Vonda Shepard, and Elaine Vassal.
John Cage founded the law firm Cage & Fish along with his best friend Richard Fish (played by Greg Germann). John is initially a shy and reclusive person who isn't seen around the office much. However, when Richard hires new associate Ally McBeal, the two become friends and John slowly becomes a more easy-going, social person. John first meets Ally when she has to defend him in court for hiring a prostitute. After this, the two forge a close personal relationship with Ally often turning to John concerning her insecurities, relationships, and more often than not her hallucinations. It soon turns out that John and Ally both have very vivid imaginations which is the main reason why they 'get' each other.
John also proves himself to be an excellent litigator. Although John Cage was famous for using courtroom theatrics and tricks, he demonstrates that he is very knowledgeable about the law, can think quickly and adapt in courtroom proceedings and legal hearings. He is a gifted courtroom speaker, able to pick apart witnesses when cross-examining them and to deliver well-crafted closing arguments to trial juries (or, less often, judges). Like many intelligent, talented but introverted people, John is often nervous, uncomfortable and awkward in ordinary social situations, but tends to be (or at least appear) confident and in control in the courtroom or in legal proceedings because he has confidence in his legal abilities. John is often contrasted with his close friend, Richard Fish, who has a very loose interpretation of both legal ethics and ethics governing interpersonal behavior and acted most of the time as though he had very little conscience, and thus tended to be far more comfortable than John in social situations (even when he said the most embarrassing things, such as suggesting to a woman interested in John that John was too nervous to begin a relationship, but that he, Richard, would be happy to have sex with her,) but who is far more interested in making money than in the technicalities of the practice of law, which he seems to have little knowledge of; John is a superior litigator, and he takes pride in his superiority in the court room as it is one of the few places he feels comfortable and confident, proclaiming it to be one of the only places where he knows for certain he won't be ridiculed.
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