When it comes to imaginative creativity, writing and artistic precision in the world of entertainment, Francis Ford Coppola is one of the first few names mentioned. He is the brain behind epics like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. The most glorious era of Coppola’s film career is considered to be the 70s as that was the decade he made most of his commercial successes.
He was an average student in school but was known for his incredible curiosity. Francis started his film making career while he was still a student at the UCLA film school and he made a few noticeable movies before finally getting his hands on the movie that revolutionized gangster cinema, The Godfather movie franchise.
Date of Birth: April 7, 1939
Zodiac Sign: Aries
The multiple award-winning Coppola is not only a movie entrepreneur; he owns as winery, restaurant, lifestyle resort and a few other business ventures. His siblings, spouse and children are equally famous names in Hollywood but he still remains one of the most successful amongst them all. Read on as we take you through all you need to known about this highly talented Coppola family.
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Carmine Coppola (father)
Date of Birth: June 11, 1910
Date of Death: April 26, 1991 (aged 80)
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Other than being the father to the world famous movie director, Carmine is remembered for being the Academy award-winning composer who contributed original music to the classic movie Godfather II (1974). It will interest you to know that Papa Coppola did not really buy the theatre idea when his son first started talking about it.
Italia Coppola (mother)
Date of Birth: December 12, 1912
Date of Death: January 20, 2004 (aged 91)
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Mammarella (as she was affectionately called) was mostly recognized as the matriarch of the Coppola film-making and acting family. Her father owned a movie theatre and was a composer of Italian songs so she wasn’t exactly in unfamiliar territory when she met her flutist husband.
Italia starred in a few non-speaking roles in her son’s movies but was well known as the Italian author of a pasta cook book. She died at the age of 91 from natural causes and her son Francis said she had a young girl’s style even until the end. He recalls how she brought magic to their family’s creativity and had a childlike love of the make-believe.
August Coppola (elder brother from same parents)
Date of Birth: February 16, 1934
Date of Death: October 27, 2009 (aged 75)
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
August was the only brother to the Apocalypse Now (1979) director. He was a professor of literature and was also known as the father of star actor Nicolas Cage. He died at 75 after suffering a heart attack.
Talia Shire (younger sister from same parents)
Date of Birth: April 25, 1946
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
She is a talented actress and is probably best known for her role as Adrian in the Rocky film series for which she received an Academy award nomination. She is also the mother to actor Jason Schwartzman from her second marriage to the late film producer Jack Schwartzman.
(L-R) August, Talia, Francis
Eleanor Coppola (spouse)
Duration of Marriage: February 2, 1963 till present
Date of Birth: May 4, 1936
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Eleanor met Coppola in 1962 while she was the assistant director on the set of Dementia 13 but the movie was his own directional debut. They became a thing soon after and dated for several months before she discovered she was pregnant for the young starlet and they became an official couple within a few weeks.
As a wife and mother, Eleanor soon became busy with raising their children and being there for Francis as he directed films that required their changing of locations frequently. Over two decades after her last work as a director, Eleanor made a spectacular late-life pivot at the age of 80 when she made a feature directional debut on the movie Paris Can Wait (2016). She explained that she was the housewife who suddenly decided she’ll write a film and actually direct it regardless of the many years she had spent outside the business.
Gian-Carlo Coppola (late son with Eleanor Coppola)
Date of Birth: September 17, 1963
Date of Death: May 26, 1986 (aged 22)
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Gio as he was fondly called was the first son to the controversial filmmaker. At 16, he left school and began working with his dad because he just found himself interested in the filmmaking business. Gian died tragically in a speedboat accident while he was still in the early stages of his film-production career.
At the time of his death, his fiancée Jacqui de la Fontaine was just a few weeks pregnant with their only child Gia Coppola (born January 1, 1987). A non-profit was founded by his mother to honor the memory of the missing and lost loved ones like him.
Roman Coppola (son with Eleanor Coppola)
Date of Birth: April 22, 1965
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Roman, like his father is also a producer and writer known for Moonrise Kingdom (2012). He is probably the most reserved of the Coppolas as he keeps his personal life private.
Sofia Coppola (daughter with Eleanor Coppola)
Date of Birth: May 14, 1971
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Sofia was literally born into Hollywood royalty, she isn’t just the youngest child one of Hollywood’s most applauded filmmakers; she is his only daughter. At just a few weeks old, she was already taking on her first acting role and that was just the beginning of a life under her father’s wings. In 2004, after years of being in her father’s shadows, she became the first American woman to be nominated for Best Director for her movie Lost in Translation (2003).
Her first marriage was to director Spike Jonze whom she met as a student at the California Institute of the Arts. They were together for only four years then she remained unmarried for about 8 years until she tied the knot again with her long-term partner, musician Thomas Mars. She met him while creating the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides (1999) and they have been married since August 27, 2011. Sofia and Thomas are parents to Romy Mars (born November 28, 2006) and Cosima Mars (born May 2010).
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