Nic Cage Pays IRS $6 Million

April 4, 2012— -- Nic Cage has paid off $6 million of his massive tax bill.

TMZ obtained a copy of the document showing the federal government released a lien against Cage after he paid the IRS $6,257,005 on Feb. 15. That was the balance of what he owed for the 2007 tax year. In late 2008, the federal government placed a tax lien on Cage's real-estate holdings.

"Everybody makes mistakes. It's part of being human," Cage said on "Good Morning America" last year. "Some people say you have to be a sinner before you can be a saint."

Cage is only half way to solvency. The "Ghost Rider" actor has admitted to owing the IRS a total of $14 million and has said that he is taking steps to repay it, starting with switching business managers.

Despite being one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, Cage has had an avalanche of financial problems in the last few years.

After reportedly purchasing castles, islands, homes, a dinosaur skull, cars and boats, the actor hit the skids.

His finances aren't his only troubles, however. More about Cage's wild world:

In April 2011 Nicolas Cage reportedly went right back to work on his latest film "Medallion" after a weekend bender that could have been plucked out of Cage's Academy Award winning role in "Leaving Las Vegas." The actor was arrested in New Orleans for domestic abuse, disturbing the peace and public drunkenness, but the charges were eventually dropped.

According to police, Cage was heavily intoxicated and violent, arguing with his wife, Alice Kim, in a tattoo parlor and on the street. Later, he punched a few cars. "He was running around and screaming in the street," a bartender at Harry's Corner in New Orleans told People magazine.

Longtime Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman, who does not represent Cage, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that Cage taunted police, saying "Go ahead, arrest me."

"They tried to send him home," Bragman said. "Then, finally, they did arrest him."

Kim has denied that Cage abused her and has declined to press charges.

In what sounds like one of Cage's post-Oscar flops, reality star Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman came to the financially strapped star's rescue, posting the $11,000 bond.

In Dec. 2010, Cage, who flew off the handle in such films as "Moonstruck" and "Adaptation," made news for an off-screen meltdown.

While leaving a night club in Romania where he was promoting "Ghost Rider," the actor exploded into a rage during an altercation with a companion.

Cage was taped screaming: "I thought we were brothers, man," and "I'll die in the name of honor."

Cage has been praised for his wrenching portrayal as a suicidal alcoholic in "Leaving Las Vegas" and his performance in "Adaptation" among other roles, but he has also been panned for big budget movies that may only be considered a good idea by the IRS. One of his recent flops was "Drive Angry 3D," where he plays a guy who departs hell to find the Satanist that killed his child.

During a chat with David Letterman to promote his film "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," Cage told the story of how he and his cat, Louis, did psychedelic mushrooms together.

He said that after a daylong staring contest with the cat he "had no doubt that he was my brother."

Cage is no stranger to drugs.