Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola

Born Sofia Carmina Coppola
May 14, 1971
New York City, New York, U.S.
Other names Domino Coppola
Occupation Director, producer, screenwriter, actress
Years active 1972–present
Spouse(s) Spike Jonze (m. 1999–2003)
Thomas Mars (m. 2011)
Children 2
Parent(s) Francis Ford Coppola (father)
Eleanor Coppola (mother)
Family Gian-Carlo Coppola (brother)
Roman Coppola (brother)
Jason Schwartzman (cousin)
Robert Schwartzman (cousin)
Nicolas Cage (cousin)
Marc Coppola (cousin)
Christopher Coppola (cousin)
Talia Shire (aunt)
Gia Coppola (niece)

Sofia Carmina Coppola (/ˈkoʊpələ/ KOH-pə-lə; born May 14, 1971)[1] is an American screenwriter, director, producer and actress. In 2003, she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama Lost in Translation, and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. In 2010, with the drama Somewhere, she became the first American woman (and fourth American filmmaker) to win the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.[2] Her father is director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola.

Early life

Sofia Coppola was born in New York City, New York, the youngest child and only daughter of set decorator/artist Eleanor Coppola (née Neil) and director Francis Ford Coppola. At 15, she interned with Chanel.[3] Coppola is a 1989 graduate of the St. Helena High School. She later attended Mills College and the California Institute of the Arts.[4] After dropping out of college, Coppola started a clothing line called Milkfed, which is now sold exclusively in Japan.[5]

Career

Early career

Coppola's acting career, marked by frequent criticisms related to nepotism,[6][7][8] began while she was an infant, as she made background appearances in seven of her father's films. The best known of these early roles is her appearance in The Godfather as the infant Michael Francis Rizzi in the baptism scene.[9][10] Coppola returned to her father's trilogy in both the second and third Godfather films, playing an immigrant child in Part II and playing Michael Corleone's daughter in Part III, after the originally cast actress Winona Ryder discontinued her involvement with the film.[11][12] Coppola responded to a question about her role in The Godfather Part III in a 2013 interview:

Let's see. Did I not wanna do it? Um. I was game. I was trying different things. It sounded better than college. I didn't really think about the public aspect of it. That took me by surprise. The whole reaction. People felt very attached to the Godfather films. I grew up with them being no big deal. I mean, I understand they're great films but... I dunno. I'm not surprised. It makes sense that people would have an opinion about it but I got a lot of attention I wasn't expecting. I was going to art school anyway so I was able to get back to what I was doing. It was before the Internet so magazines would come out but then the next month they were gone. There wasn't even as much paparazzi around then.[11]

Coppola also acted in her father's films The Outsiders (1983), in a scene where Matt Dillon, Tommy Howell, and Ralph Macchio are eating at a Dairy Queen, Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and as Kathleen Turner's sister Nancy Kelcher in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986).[12]

Frankenweenie (1984) was the first film that she performed in that was not associated with her father; however, it often goes unnoted due to her stage name "Domino", which she adopted at the time because she thought it was glamorous.[13] The 1989 short film, entitled Life Without Zoe, was released as part of a tripartite anthology film New York Stories, and was co-written by a teenage Coppola with her father, who also directed the film.[14]

After she was critically panned for her performance in The Godfather Part III, for which she was named "Worst Supporting Actress" and "Worst New Star" at the 1990 Golden Raspberry Awards, Coppola ended her acting career; although, she appeared in the 1992 independent film Inside Monkey Zetterland, as well as in the backgrounds of films by her friends and family; for example, she appeared as Saché in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999.[11] She has since been quoted as saying that she was not hurt by the criticism from her role in The Godfather Part III, because she never especially wanted an acting career.[15]

Coppola also appears in several music videos from the 1990s: The Black Crowes' "Sometimes Salvation"; Sonic Youth's "Mildred Pierce"; Madonna's "Deeper and Deeper"; the Chemical Brothers' "Elektrobank", which was directed by her future husband Spike Jonze; and later Phoenix's "Funky Squaredance".[11]

Filmmaking

Coppola's first short-film was Lick the Star (1998). It played many times on the Independent Film Channel. She made her feature-film directing debut with The Virgin Suicides (1999). It premiered in North America at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was released later that year.

Her second feature was Lost in Translation (2003). Coppola won the Academy Award for her original screenplay and three Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture Musical or Comedy. After Lina Wertmüller and Jane Campion, Coppola became the third female director to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing and the second to win the Original Screenplay award, after Campion in 1994 (Wertmüller was also nominated), thus making a pattern for the female directors to be nominated for both awards. Her win for best original screenplay in 2003 made her a third-generation Oscar winner. In 2004, Coppola was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[16]

Coppola in 2003.

Her third film was the biopic Marie Antoinette, adapted from the biography by British historian Antonia Fraser. Kirsten Dunst plays the title character, who marries King Louis XVI, played by Jason Schwartzman, Coppola's cousin. It debuted at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival[17] where, despite boos in the audience, it received a standing ovation.[18] Critics were divided.

Her fourth film was Somewhere (2010). The movie was filmed at Chateau Marmont. The plot focuses on a "bad boy" actor portrayed by Stephen Dorff who is forced to reevaluate his life when his daughter, played by Elle Fanning, arrives unexpectedly.[19] In November 2010, Coppola was interviewed by Joel Coen, who professed his admiration of Coppola's work, at the DGA screening of Somewhere in New York City.[20]

Coppola's most recent film is The Bling Ring. It is based on actual events centered around the Bling Ring, a group of California teenagers who burgled the homes of several celebrities over 2008 and 2009, stealing around $3 million in cash and belongings.[21] Emma Watson,[22] Taissa Farmiga,[23] Leslie Mann,[24] Katie Chang, Claire Julien and Israel Broussard are starring in the film. The film opened the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[25]

An announcement in mid-December 2013 stated that American Zoetrope had successfully attained the screen rights for the memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father and that Coppola will adapt the book with Andrew Durham. Coppola will also produce the film with her brother Roman.[25]

In March 2014, it was reported that Coppola was in negotiations to direct a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid from a script by Caroline Thompson.[26]

Television

In the mid-1990s, she and best friend Zoe Cassavetes helmed the short-lived series Hi Octane on Comedy Central which spotlit performers in underground music. The show was cancelled after four episodes.[27]

In December 2008, Coppola's first commercial premiered during an episode of Gossip Girl. The advertisement which she directed for the Christian Dior fragrance Miss Dior Chérie which was shot in France with model Maryna Linchuk was very well received and continues to be popular on YouTube.[28]

In October 2014, Bill Murray announced on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he and Coppola were working on a Christmas special.[29] He stated that they were in the early stages of planning and no network was involved at the time. Later that same month, Coppola launched a series of Christmas ads for the clothing chain Gap.[30]

Modeling

At the beginning of the 1990s, she was often featured in girl-oriented magazines like Seventeen and YM. In 1998, she cofounded the clothing line Milk Fed in Japan with friend Stephanie Hayman in cooperation with Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon.

In 2002, fashion designer Marc Jacobs chose the actress/director to be the 'face' of his house's fragrance. The campaign involved photographs of her shot by photographer Juergen Teller in his signature over-exposed style.

In the July 2013 issue of Elle Magazine, photographs shot by Coppola of Paris Hilton at her Beverly Hills mansion (which makes a cameo in The Bling Ring) were featured.[31]

Awards

Coppola was nominated for three Academy Awards for her 2003 film Lost in Translation, in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay. She would go on to win for Best Original Screenplay, but lost the other two nominations to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Her nomination for Best Director made her the first American woman in history to be nominated in that category, and the third overall, after Lina Wertmüller and Jane Campion. In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the fourth woman to be nominated, and the first to win the award. Coppola, however, remains the youngest woman to be nominated in the Best Director category.

Her win for Best Original Screenplay resulted in her family becoming the second three-generation Oscar winning family, her grandfather Carmine Coppola and her father Francis Ford Coppola having previously won Oscars. The first family to achieve this feat was the Huston family: Walter, John, and Anjelica.

For her work on Lost in Translation, Coppola also won a Best Screenplay Golden Globe and received a BAFTA nomination.

On September 11, 2010, Somewhere won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the 67th Venice Film Festival.[32]

Personal life

In 1999, Coppola married director Spike Jonze, whom she had first met in 1992, and they divorced in 2003. It is widely believed that a minor character in Lost In Translation is based on Jonze, as Coppola stated after the film's release, "There are elements of Spike there, elements of experiences."[33][34] In an official statement, Coppola's publicist explained that the divorce decision was reached "with sadness."

Coppola lives in Paris, France with her second husband Thomas Mars (lead singer of the French band Phoenix), and has described her love for the city and her favorite places there: "The Palais-Royal, the Tuileries Garden, the Musée d'Orsay. You can tell I love the city, right? It's a filmmaker's dream there; the colors are beautiful!"[35] On November 28, 2006, Coppola gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Romy, who is named in honor of her brother Roman.[36]

Coppola first met Mars while producing the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides.[37] They have since collaborated on Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette and Somewhere.[38]

A second daughter named Cosima was born to Coppola and Mars in New York City, U.S. in May 2010.[39] Coppola and Mars were married on August 27, 2011 at her family's villa ex "Palazzo Margherita"[40] in Bernalda, Italy.[41]

Filmography

Director

Films

Short films

Music videos

Advertisement

Actress

Films

Year Film Role Director Notes
1972 The Godfather Michael Francis Rizzi (infant) Francis Ford Coppola Uncredited
1974 The Godfather Part II Child on ship Francis Ford Coppola Uncredited
1983 The Outsiders Little Girl Francis Ford Coppola Credited as Domino
Rumble Fish Donna Francis Ford Coppola Credited as Domino
1984 Frankenweenie Anne Chambers Tim Burton Credited as Domino
The Cotton Club Child in Street Francis Ford Coppola Credited as Domino
1986 Peggy Sue Got Married Nancy Kelcher Francis Ford Coppola
1986 Faerie Tale Theatre: The Princess Who Had Never Laughed Gwendolyn Mark Cullingham Credited as Domino
1987 Anna Noodle Yurek Bogayevicz
1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream (uncredited) Francis Ford Coppola
1990 The Godfather Part III Mary Corleone Francis Ford Coppola Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress
1992 Inside Monkey Zetterland Cindy Jefery Levy
1999 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Saché George Lucas Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress
2001 CQ Enzo's Mistress Roman Coppola

Music videos

See also

References

  1. ↑ Some sources give May 12, per "Sofia Coppola Biography (1971-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  2. ↑ Silverstein, Melissa. "Sofia Coppola Wins Top Prize at Venice Film Festival". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  3. ↑ Lisa Armstrong (June 4, 2008). "Sofia Coppola: I'm more interested in looking than being looked at". London: The Times. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  4. ↑ Menkes, Suzy (October 14, 2008). "Sofia Coppola: Discreet, chic and grown-up". New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  5. ↑ Lee, Helen (November 5, 2007). "Did you know Sofia Coppola has a fashion line called MilkFed?". Sassybella.com. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  6. ↑ "EXTRA: Nepotism in the Director's Chair". Hollywood.com. April 21, 2000. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Sofia Coppola from Marie Antoinette – Celebrity Biographies at". Film.com. November 21, 2006. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  8. ↑ Patterson, John (January 12, 2008). "If only... we could confine all nepotism to Los Angeles". London: The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Fresh Air. December 20, 2010. Event occurs at 19:25.
  10. ↑ The Godfather.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Ryan Gilbey (July 4, 2013). "Sofia Coppola on The Bling Ring: 'What these kids did really took ingenuity'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Sofia Coppola Biography". tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ "FFWD Weekly Interview - May 18, 2000". FFWD Weekly. May 18, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ Dennis Lim (December 10, 2010). "It's What She Knows: The Luxe Life". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Out of the Godfather's shadow". The Independent. April 30, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  16. ↑ Academy Invites 127 to Membership
  17. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Marie Antoinette". Cannes. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Marie Antoinette - a Quotational Reference Guide". Big Screen Little Screen. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  19. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (April 16, 2009). "Sofia Coppola books Marmont film". Variety.
  20. ↑ Rome, Emily. "Sophia Coppola and a Cohen Brother talk Somewhere at DGA Screening". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Sofia Coppola Reportedly Planning Movie On The Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch; Tess Taylor Apparently Stars & The Playlist". Indiewire. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Emma Watson To Star In Sofia Coppola's Next Film 'The Bling Ring' & The Playlist". Indiewire. February 29, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  23. ↑ "AMERICAN HORROR STORY Star Taissa Farmiga Joins Sofia Coppola's THE BLING RING and JAMESY BOY". Collider. March 1, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  24. ↑ Kit, Borys. "Leslie Mann, Israel Broussard Cast in Sofia Coppola's 'Bling Ring' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Bling Ring 2013 Un Certain Regard Opening Film". Deadline. April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Sofia Coppola to Direct Universal and Working Title's "Little Mermaid"". Variety.
  27. ↑ Daddy's girl (ThisIsLondon, 2004)
  28. ↑ Miss Dior Chérie Commercial (Director's Cut). YouTube. 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  29. ↑ Hughes, Jason (October 21, 2014). "Bill Murray Talks Christmas Special With Sofia Coppola: I Guess I'll Do It' (Video)". Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  30. ↑ Nudd, Tim. "Ad of the Day: Sofia Coppola Directs 4 Oddly Charming Holiday Spots for Gap Love, but not understanding". Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  31. ↑ http://www.elle.com/fashion/celebrity-style/paris-hilton-home-fashion#slide-1 Elle. June 13, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  32. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (September 11, 2010). "Coppola's 'Somewhere' wins Golden Lion". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze to divorce". USA Today. December 9, 2003. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  34. ↑ Vanessa Thorpe (December 6, 2009). "Spike Jonze: Master of the Wild Things". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  35. ↑ Chen, Eva (March 2009). "Beauty Blogger". Teen Vogue. p. 113. Though this explanation has often baffled journalists, it is generally believed that Coppola does, in fact, live in Paris, despite her superficial responses to questions about the city.
  36. ↑ "People: Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, Michael Richards". International Herald Tribune. March 29, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Exclusive! Sofia Coppola Gives Birth!". E! Online. November 28, 2006. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  38. ↑ Gaston, Peter (October 1, 2009). "DOWNLOAD: Phoenix Remixed by Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart". Spin Magazine.
  39. ↑ "Sofia Coppola & Thomas Mars Welcome Baby Cosima". The Huffington Post. August 25, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Palazzo Margherita". Daily Mail. November 2, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Oscar-winner Sofia Coppola weds Thomas Mars in Italian town of her ancestors". Daily Mail. August 29, 2011.
  42. ↑ "Sofia Coppola Adapting "Fairyland"". NewNowNext. December 28, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sofia Coppola.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Alexander Payne
for About Schmidt		 Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
for Lost in Translation
2004 		Succeeded by
Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
for Sideways
Preceded by
Clint Eastwood
for Mystic River		 César Award for Best Foreign Film
for Lost in Translation
2005 		Succeeded by
Clint Eastwood
for Million Dollar Baby