18 Years Before ‘The Godfather Part III,’ Sofia Coppola Had a Secret Role in 'The Godfather’ You Probably Didn’t Know About

Sofia Coppola has had a successful career as a director and writer of films like gothic horror The Beguiled and the biopic Priscilla, winning Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for the former. However, her acting career certainly didn’t have people as complimentary, with her acting in The Godfather Part III as Michael’s (Al Pacino) daughter Mary being criticized as wooden. In fact, the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola described, in an interview with The Guardian, her most embarrassing moment as “Being on the cover of a magazine at 18 with the slogan: “Did she ruin The Godfather?””

That is certainly an overly harsh critique, blaming the failure of a decent film on a young woman, and one that, really, most can see is untrue. Especially when one acknowledges that Sofia Coppola’s role in The Godfather Part III wasn’t even her only role in the trilogy. She is not only in one of the best scenes of the entire trilogy, but presents a fascinating bit of trivia that helps to summarize Michael’s arc from powerful to isolated. In doing so, she joins a list of actors who have the privilege of appearing in all 3 of The Godfather films.

Sofia Coppola Appeared as an Infant in ‘The Godfather’

Image via Prime Video

Sofia Coppola regularly joined her father, Francis, on sets throughout her childhood, describing it to The Daily Mail as a “circus,” so it should not come as a surprise that Coppola’s role in Part III was not the first or even the second time she was in the brilliant trilogy; she starred in The Godfather a good 18 years before Part III. In this role, she played Connie’s (Talia Shire) baby during the iconic baptism scene in which Michael has the heads of the Five Families executed. We can’t say Coppola gave a fantastic performance in this scene; she’s a baby, of course, but it is her crying, coupled with the organ’s score, that heightens the tension and helps to juxtapose the innocence of Michael’s current activity with the massacres occurring on his orders. We can’t focus only on her poor performance and ignore where she made a positive impact, especially if certain sects of the media want to blame her for ruining the entirety of The Godfather.

The 10 Best Female Directors Whose Every Movie Is a Must-See

These female directors consistently push boundaries and deliver exceptional films.

Whilst it is a bit of a change, from niece to daughter, it is a fascinating meta-theme to look into. In a way, Sofia Coppola was there for Michael’s highest and lowest moments of the trilogy, when he becomes most powerful during the baptism in The Godfather and loses that which he holds most dear when Mary is accidentally murdered in his place at the end of Part III. She gives us a literal through line for Michael’s arc and also summarizes the consequences his actions have for those he loves most. Sometimes, art and life mix in the oddest of ways, and it was that baptism scene that set up a fascinating sequel by creating a new power dynamic to explore, with Michael being able to focus his efforts on a national scale rather than only on New York, and would lead to Sofia Coppola eventually playing his daughter and being killed for his power-hungry efforts.

Sofia Coppola Is One of the Only Actors To Be In All 3 Films in ‘The Godfather’ Trilogy

Sofia Coppola also played a role in The Godfather Part II, where IMDb lists her as playing an uncredited role as a “Child on Ship,” most likely during Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando/Robert De Niro) immigration to New York as a young boy. Because of this, Sofia Coppola is one of the only actors to be in all 3 films in the trilogy, joining the list with Al Pacino, Talia Shire, and Richard Bright, who played Al Neri. This kind of involvement in Hollywood from such a young age explains her love of film and arguably made it almost inevitable she would successfully enter the industry, even if acting wasn’t meant to be.

Sofia Coppola certainly isn’t the best part of The Godfather Part III, nor is she of any detriment, but it certainly wasn’t her only role in the trilogy. Her role as Connie’s infant daughter is perhaps one of the youngest beginnings we have seen of a successful career in Hollywood, and for fans of the trilogy, it is a great bit of trivia to sum up Michael’s descent into the criminal underworld that would eventually cost him everything he cared about. Furthermore, her appearances in all 3 films make her an unexpected member of a prestigious list of actors.

The Godfather is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.