Eleanor Coppola, wife of director Francis Ford Coppola, dies at age 87

Eleanor Coppola, who raised a family of filmmakers by chronicling the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola's iconic films, including the infamously tortured Apocalypse Now, has died. She was 87 years old.

Coppola died Friday at his home in Rutherford, California, surrounded by his family, his family said in a statement. A family representative also confirmed the death in an email to CBS News.

The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Eleanor, who grew up in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an art assistant on Roger Corman's 1963 horror film Dementia 13, her directorial debut. She studied design at UCLA. Within a few months of dating, Eleanor became pregnant, and the couple married in Las Vegas in February 1963.

Their firstborn, Gian Carlo, soon began appearing regularly in his father's films, as did their subsequent children, Roman (born 1965) and Sofia (born 1971). All of them started acting in movies after appearing in their father's movies and growing up on set.

“I don't know what my family has done for me, but I hope they set an example of encouraging each other to be creative in whatever way they can,” Eleanor told The Associated Press in 2017. he said. ”

Gian-Carlo had appeared in the background of many of his father's films and had begun second unit photography, but died in a boating accident in 1986 at the age of 22. He died aboard a boat operated by Griffin O'Neal, the son of Ryan O'Neal, who was convicted of negligence.

Roman has directed several films of his own and regularly collaborates with Wes Anderson. He is the president of his father's San Francisco-based film company, American Zoetrope.

Sophia has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of her generation, writing and directing films such as Lost in Translation and 2023's Priscilla. Sophia dedicated her film to her mother.

In joining the family business, the Coppola children not only followed in their father's footsteps, but also their mother's. Starting during Apocalypse Now in 1979, Eleanor frequently recorded behind-the-scenes footage of Francis' films. Filming for Apocalypse Now, set in the Philippines, lasted 238 days. The set was destroyed in a typhoon. Martin Sheen has a heart attack. One of the construction workers was killed.

Eleanor documented much of the chaos in 1991's Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which would become one of the most famous making-of films about filmmaking.

Eleanor told CNN in 1991: “I'd been out for so long that I was obsessed with doing something. They said they needed five minutes for a TV promo or something, so I thought I could do it sooner rather than later. ” I shot a five-minute film and it turned into 15 minutes. ”

“I just kept filming and I didn't understand anything…my own evolution as I saw it on camera,” Eleanor continued, adding that she ended up filming 60 hours of footage. “So it was a surprise and a life-changing experience for both of us.”

Eleanor also published Notes: On the Making of Apocalypse Now in 1979. While the movie focused on her on-set turmoil, the book depicted some of Eleanor's inner turmoil, including the challenges of marriage to her larger-than-life husband. shape. She writes that her year in Manila was “a woman isolated from her friends, work, and projects.” She also spoke candidly about Frances' infidelity.

“There's a part of me that's waiting for Frances to leave me or die so I can have the life I want,” Eleanor wrote. “Do I have the courage to do what I want in his presence?”

However, they were together throughout her life. And Eleanor continued to search for an outlet for her own creativity. She also recorded a few more of her husband's films, including Romain's CQ and Sofia's Marie Antoinette. She wrote her memoir “Notes on a Life” in 2008.

In 2016, at the age of 80, Eleanor made her debut as a narrator in the romantic comedy Paris Can Wait, starring Diane Lane. She then released Love Is Love Is Love in 2020. Initially, she only planned to write the screenplay for Paris Can Wait.

“One morning at breakfast, my husband said, 'Well, you should direct it.' I was totally taken aback,” Eleanor told The Associated Press. “But I said, 'Well, I've never written a screenplay or directed a screenplay before, so why don't I do it?' ” he said. ”

Eleanor's death came just as Francis was preparing to make his long-planned, self-funded blockbuster, “Metropolis,'' which is scheduled to premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival.

She is survived by her husband. her son Roman and his wife Jen and their children Pascal, Marcello and Alessandro; her daughter Sophia and her husband Thomas, children Romy and Cosima; her granddaughter Gia and her husband Honor and their child Beaumont; and by her brother William Neal and his wife Lisa.

According to her family, Eleanor recently completed her third memoir. In her manuscript she wrote:

“I am grateful for how many surprising ways my unexpected life has stretched and pulled me and taken me in different directions beyond my imagination.”

Summarize this content to 100 words Eleanor Coppola, who raised a family of filmmakers by chronicling the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola's iconic films, including the infamously tortured Apocalypse Now, has died. She was 87 years old.Coppola died Friday at his home in Rutherford, California, surrounded by his family, his family said in a statement. A family representative also confirmed the death in an email to CBS News. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Film director Francis Ford Coppola and his wife Eleanor Coppola attend the 94th Oscar Awards Ceremony held at the Dolby Theater on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Eleanor, who grew up in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an art assistant on Roger Corman's 1963 horror film Dementia 13, her directorial debut. She studied design at UCLA. Within a few months of dating, Eleanor became pregnant, and the couple married in Las Vegas in February 1963.

Their firstborn, Gian Carlo, soon began appearing regularly in his father's films, as did their subsequent children, Roman (born 1965) and Sofia (born 1971). All of them started acting in movies after appearing in their father's movies and growing up on set.”I don't know what my family has done for me, but I hope they set an example of encouraging each other to be creative in whatever way they can,” Eleanor told The Associated Press in 2017. he said. ”

Gian-Carlo had appeared in the background of many of his father's films and had begun second unit photography, but died in a boating accident in 1986 at the age of 22. He died aboard a boat operated by Griffin O'Neal, the son of Ryan O'Neal, who was convicted of negligence.Roman has directed several films of his own and regularly collaborates with Wes Anderson. He is the president of his father's San Francisco-based film company, American Zoetrope.Sophia has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of her generation, writing and directing films such as Lost in Translation and 2023's Priscilla. Sophia dedicated her film to her mother.In joining the family business, the Coppola children not only followed in their father's footsteps, but also their mother's. Starting during Apocalypse Now in 1979, Eleanor frequently recorded behind-the-scenes footage of Francis' films. Filming for Apocalypse Now, set in the Philippines, lasted 238 days. The set was destroyed in a typhoon. Martin Sheen has a heart attack. One of the construction workers was killed.

Eleanor documented much of the chaos in 1991's Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which would become one of the most famous making-of films about filmmaking.Eleanor told CNN in 1991: “I'd been out for so long that I was obsessed with doing something. They said they needed five minutes for a TV promo or something, so I thought I could do it sooner rather than later. ” I shot a five-minute film and it turned into 15 minutes. ””I just kept filming and I didn't understand anything…my own evolution as I saw it on camera,” Eleanor continued, adding that she ended up filming 60 hours of footage. “So it was a surprise and a life-changing experience for both of us.”Eleanor also published Notes: On the Making of Apocalypse Now in 1979. While the movie focused on her on-set turmoil, the book depicted some of Eleanor's inner turmoil, including the challenges of marriage to her larger-than-life husband. shape. She writes that her year in Manila was “a woman isolated from her friends, work, and projects.” She also spoke candidly about Frances' infidelity.”There's a part of me that's waiting for Frances to leave me or die so I can have the life I want,” Eleanor wrote. “Do I have the courage to do what I want in his presence?”However, they were together throughout her life. And Eleanor continued to search for an outlet for her own creativity. She also recorded a few more of her husband's films, including Romain's CQ and Sofia's Marie Antoinette. She wrote her memoir “Notes on a Life” in 2008.In 2016, at the age of 80, Eleanor made her debut as a narrator in the romantic comedy Paris Can Wait, starring Diane Lane. She then released Love Is Love Is Love in 2020. Initially, she only planned to write the screenplay for Paris Can Wait.

“One morning at breakfast, my husband said, 'Well, you should direct it.' I was totally taken aback,” Eleanor told The Associated Press. “But I said, 'Well, I've never written a screenplay or directed a screenplay before, so why don't I do it?' ” he said. ”Eleanor's death came just as Francis was preparing to make his long-planned, self-funded blockbuster, “Metropolis,'' which is scheduled to premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival.She is survived by her husband. her son Roman and his wife Jen and their children Pascal, Marcello and Alessandro; her daughter Sophia and her husband Thomas, children Romy and Cosima; her granddaughter Gia and her husband Honor and their child Beaumont; and by her brother William Neal and his wife Lisa.According to her family, Eleanor recently completed her third memoir. In her manuscript she wrote:”I am grateful for how many surprising ways my unexpected life has stretched and pulled me and taken me in different directions beyond my imagination.”

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eleanor-coppola-wife-of-francis-ford-coppola-dies-age-87/ Eleanor Coppola, wife of director Francis Ford Coppola, dies at age 87