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01
Coppola made a commercial for Suntory whiskey with Akira Kurosawa in the 1970s, an event that later influenced a plot point in his daughter Sofia’s film Lost in Translation 2003.
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02
George Lucas based the character Han Solo from Star Wars on Coppola.
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03
As a child, Coppola’s bedroom was covered with pictures of Jane Powell; he tore them down when he learned she married Geary Steffin.
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04
Coppola is one of seven directors to win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay for the same film — The Godfather Part II 1974.
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05
Three generations of Oscar winners exist in the Coppola family: Francis, his father Carmine, his nephew Nicolas Cage, and his daughter Sofia.
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06
George C. Scott and Marlon Brando refused their Best Actor Oscars for Patton 1970 and The Godfather 1972, both written by Coppola.
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07
Coppola names Elia Kazan as his greatest directorial influence.
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08
He is uncle to Nicolas Cage, Christopher Coppola, Marc Coppola, Robert Schwartzman, Jason Schwartzman, John Schwartzman, Matthew Shire, and Stephanie Schwartzman.
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09
Coppola won five Oscars in four years: one for Patton 1971, one for The Godfather 1973, and three for The Godfather Part II 1975.
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10
Among his 1970s New Hollywood peers, Coppola is perhaps the only one still married to his first wife Eleanor, until her death.
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11
Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg presented Martin Scorsese with his first Best Director Oscar for The Departed 2006.
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12
Coppola is the first major American film director to earn a master’s degree in filmmaking from a major university UCLA, 1968.
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13
He is the only director to direct a sibling in an Oscar-nominated performance: sister Talia Shire in The Godfather Part II 1974.
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14
Polio as a child allowed Coppola time for puppet theater and home movies, like Martin Scorsese.
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15
Coppola and Mario Puzo were developing a fourth Godfather film about the early lives of Sonny, Fredo, and Michael, but abandoned it after Puzo’s death in 1999.
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16
Coppola co-owns the Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams.
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17
In 1975, he accepted the Best Supporting Actor Oscar on behalf of Robert De Niro, who was absent for The Godfather Part II.
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18
His wife arranged for him to meet Jane Powell as a 40th birthday present.
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19
His middle name Ford honors Henry Ford, as Coppola was born at Henry Ford Hospital and his father met Henry Ford.
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20
Coppola wrote and rewrote Megalopolis from the early 1980s, finally filming it in 2021 and releasing it in 2024.
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21
He directed 12 actors in Oscar-nominated performances, including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire.
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22
Entertainment Weekly voted him the 21st Greatest Director of all time.
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23
He contracted polio as a child and practiced puppetry during quarantine.
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24
Coppola was president of the Official Competition jury at the 15th Marrakech International Film Festival in 2015.
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25
His favorite films from his own career include The Rain People 1969, The Conversation 1974, Apocalypse Now 1979, Rumble Fish 1983, and Youth Without Youth 2007.
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26
Coppola began his winery by buying part of the historic Inglenook estate in 1975.
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27
He is a huge fan of Diane Lane, casting her in The Outsiders 1983, Rumble Fish 1983, The Cotton Club 1984, and Jack 1996.
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28
His ten favorite films include Ashes and Diamonds, The Best Years of Our Lives, I Vitelloni, and Singin’ in the Rain.
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29
The two actors who turned down their Oscars — George C. Scott and Marlon Brando — won for films written by Coppola.
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30
Coppola is the only director to direct two actors to Oscar-winning performances as the same role: Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone.
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31
His legal drama The Rainmaker 1997 is considered the best John Grisham adaptation, according to Grisham himself.
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32
Son of composer Carmine Coppola and Italia Coppola.
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33
Coppola always engages his cast in lengthy rehearsals before filming, a holdover from his theater days.
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34
Since 1978, he has owned and operated a Rutherford, California vineyard making Rubicon wine.
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35
Griffin O’Neal was found guilty of negligently operating a boat in the death of Coppola’s son Gian-Carlo in 1986.
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36
Coppola received his M.F.A. in Film Production from UCLA in 1967.
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37
He is one of ten directors to have won the Palme d’Or twice at Cannes.
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38
As of May 2002, thirteen Coppola family members across three generations have contributed to filmmaking.
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39
Coppola briefly attended New York Military Academy with Troy Donahue, then dropped out and took a taxi away.
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40
Four of his relatives have been involved in George Lucas’s Star Wars films; his son Gian-Carlo was the namesake for the Gian Speeder in Star Wars: Episode I.
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41
Coppola and Bob Fosse competed for Oscars multiple times: in 1972 Fosse won Best Director over Coppola, and in 1974 Coppola won over Fosse.
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42
He was named after his grandfather Francesco Pennino.
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43
Coppola’s hands and feet were pressed into the cement outside TCL Chinese Theatre on April 29, 2016.
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44
He has directed his sister Talia Shire in four films: The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, New York Stories, and The Godfather Part III.
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45
Coppola is the middle brother of Talia Shire and August Coppola.
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46
He was plagued with demeaning nicknames as a child, such as Ichabod in military school, among 24 schools he attended.
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47
Father of Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola, and Gian-Carlo Coppola died 1986.
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48
John Milius called Coppola the best of their generation, with the most talent and daring.
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49
Four of Coppola’s directed films are in the National Film Registry: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now. He also wrote Patton, which is in the registry.
