Eleanor Coppola, matriarch of a filmmaking family, dies at 87
Eleanor Coppola, who documented the making of some of husband Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic films, including the infamously tortured production of Apocalypse Now, and who raised a family of filmmakers, has died. She was 87.
Coppola died Friday surrounded by family at home in Rutherford, California, her family announced in a statement. No cause of death was given.
Eleanor, who grew up in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut, the Roger Corman-produced 1963 horror film Dementia 13. (She had studied design at UCLA.) Within months of dating, Eleanor became pregnant, and the couple were wed in Las Vegas in February 1963.
Their firstborn, Gian-Carlo, quickly became a regular presence in his father’s films, as did their subsequent children, Roman (born in 1965) and Sofia (born in 1971). After acting in their father’s films and growing up on sets, all would go into the movies.
"I don’t know what the family has given except I hope they’ve set an example of a family encouraging each other in their creative process whatever it may be," Eleanor told The Associated Press in 2017. "It happens in our family that everyone chose to sort of follow in the family business. We weren’t asking them to or expecting them to, but they did. At one point Sofia said, ‘The nut does not fall far from the tree.’"
Gian-Carlo, who’s seen in the background of many of his father’s films and had begun doing second-unit photography, died at the age of 22 in a 1986 boating accident. He was killed while riding in a boat piloted by Griffin O’Neal, son of Ryan O’Neal, who was found guilty of negligence.
Related articles
Music and martial arts witness China
French martial arts enthusiasts practice traditional Chinese Qigong breathing exercises at the Mount2024-04-30Xi Focus: Key Takeaways from Xi's Diplomacy at Chengdu FISU World University Games
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-04-30Zhangjiakou is ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics
Aerial photo taken on Dec. 19, 2020 shows the National Ski Jumping Center in Chongli District of Zha2024-04-30China arrests over 1,500 for illegal acts related to cyberspace rumors
China has arrested over 1,500 suspects for starting or spreading online rumors since the start of a2024-04-30Chemical and biological methods help restore ancient books in north China
Gao Xuemiao binds a restored ancient book at Tianjin Library in north China's Tianjin Municipali2024-04-30Super Bowl to host 22,000 fans
Patrick Mahomes (Top R) of Kansas City Chiefs passes the ball during the NFL Super Bowl LIV football2024-04-30
atest comment