The youngest member of a distinguished clan of actors, composers
and directors, SOFIA COPPOLA has accomplished the incredible feat
of making a name for herself as a filmmaker, actress, photographer
and designer.
Coppola, the third child and only daughter of acclaimed director
Francis Ford Coppola and his wife Eleanor, was born in Manhattan
on May 12, 1971, during the production of her father's
masterpiece, "The Godfather." It was in that film that Coppola
made her first screen appearance, as the infant in the
christening scene during its violent climax. She would continue
to appear in bit parts in several of her father's films, mostly
under the screen name 'Domino', including "The Godfather Part II,"
"The Outsiders," "Rumble Fish," "The Cotton Club" and "Peggy Sue
Got Married." In 1987, she ventured outside the clain with a role
in "Anna."
At the age of 18, Coppola co-wrote and costume designed for the
"Life Without Zoe" segment of "New York Stories," a 1989
anthology of three short films directed by Martin Scorsese, Woody
Allen and her father. That same year, she designed costumes for
the cult classic "Spirit of '76," co-written by her brother
Roman. In 1990, at the age of 19, Coppola returned to the
"Godfather" series by playing Mary Corleone in "The Godfather
Part III," replacing an ailing Winona Ryder. Taking the part
mostly as a favor for her father, Coppola drew attention when
her performance received negative reviews. She would act again
after two years, playing a supporting role in the 1992 offbeat
comedy "Inside Monkey Zetterland."
Coppola entered the fine arts program at the California
Institute of the Arts. There she began to nurture her interests
in photography as well as costuming and experimented with video
shorts. As their first post-graduate effort, she and friend Zoe
Cassavetes created the pop-culture magazine show "Hi-Octane,"
that aired on Comedy Central in 1994.
After the show was discontinued, Coppola concentrated on making
a name for herself as a photographer and designer. Her photos
have been seen in Interview, Paris Vogue, and Allure and at an
exhibit at Tokyo's Parco Gallery. Her 'Milk Fed' clothing line
was named by Harper's Bazaar as one of 1997's best in
independent fashion.
After establishing herself in several fields, Coppola wrote and
directed the short film "Lick the Star." She also returned to
the screen after several years of absence with a barely-seen
cameo role as Saché, one of Queen Amidala's cloaked and hooded
handmaidens in George Lucas' blockbuster "Star Wars Episode I -
The Phantom Menace," which was released in 1999.
In 2000, ten years after the negative publicity she received for
"The Godfather Part III," Coppola again drew attention, albeit
the positive kind. Critics lauded her feature
film debut as writer and director of "The Virgin Suicides"
starring Kirsten Dunst, James Woods and Kathleen Turner. She
adapted the screenplay from Jeffrey Eugenides' best-selling
novel. Coppola was again seen onscreen as a mistress in her
brother Roman's feature directing debut "CQ," released in 2002.
Coppola grew up spending time on her father's sets, including
"Apocalypse Now," a three-year project that began filming in
the Philippines when she was 5 years old. Her mother Eleanor
Coppola directed the acclaimed 1991 documentary "Hearts of
Darkness" about the making of "Apocalypse Now." Her brother
Roman, who is a music video director, appeared with her in "The
Phantom Menace."
In June 1999, Coppola introduced yet another filmmaker into her
distinguished clan of filmmakers when she married Spike Jonze,
an actor-director who played 'Conrad Vig' in "Three Kings" and
directed the critically hailed "Being John Malkovich." They met
through music industry friends.
Music video fans may recognize Coppola from her appearances
in The Black Crowe's "Sometime Salvation" and Madonna's
"Deeper and Deeper."
![[Sofia Coppola]](sofia.jpg)