Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-winning filmmaker, and wife of director Francis Ford Coppola has died at the age of 87. Coppola passed away at her home in Rutherford, California, on Friday, surrounded by her loved ones, her family disclosed in a statement to the Associated Press. The cause of her death was not provided.
Eleanor, a native of Orange County, California, met Francis serving as an assistant art director on his first directorial venture, the 1963 horror movie Dementia 13, produced by Roger Corman. After a few months of dating, Eleanor became pregnant, leading the couple to marry in Las Vegas in February 1963.
Their eldest child, Gian-Carlo, swiftly established himself as a fixture in his father’s cinematic works, a tradition that continued with their later children, Roman (born in 1965) and Sofia (born in 1971). Having spent their childhood acting in their father’s films and being immersed in movie sets, all of them eventually pursued careers in the film industry.
Eleanor Coppola Directed a Hallmark Documentary on Filmmaking Itself
Eleanor Coppola became a lifelong collaborator with her husband Francis. She ventured into filmmaking during the challenging production of the Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now. Expected to follow The Godfather: Part II, the shoot in the Philippines was planned for five months. However, it stretched to more than double that time. Challenges included replacing Harvey Keitel with Martin Sheen, typhoons that destroyed sets, a revised ending, and Sheen’s hospitalization after a heart attack.
Eleanor Coppola’s behind-the-scenes footage culminated in the 1991 documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse. It debuted 12 years following the theatrical release of Apocalypse Now. The latter film, having garnered eight Oscar nominations, was further illuminated by this documentary. Hearts of Darkness won an Emmy. It was also nominated for the Directors Guild of America’s documentary award. It’s now considered a seminal documentary on filmmaking and the struggle of artists.
Coppola wrote and directed her first narrative film, Paris Can Wait with Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin, and Arnaud Viard. It premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Her second film, Love Is Love Is Love, an ensemble drama, followed in 2020.
Coppola leaves behind her husband, Francis, their children, Sofia and Roman, along with three grandchildren. Their eldest son, Gian-Carlo, passed away in 1986 at 22, following injuries from a speed-boating accident.