Sofia Coppola’s distinguished career as a screenwriter and director came much later. Well before her fame with several acclaimed titles including The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, she made an unexpected Star Wars debut.
Star Wars— an immaculate creation of George Lucas— went on to become one of the most celebrated and most popular franchises of all time. Coppola’s father, legendary filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola has been a good friend of Lucas, and she had the opportunity to hang out on the set.
Sofia Coppola’s Star Wars Debut
For any star, it would be a dream to be a part of the Star Wars franchise. It is huge and still standing and enduring the test of time. Sofia Coppola, although she almost forgot, Coppola appeared in George Lucas’ The Phantom Menace in a minor role as one of Padmé’s handmaidens. “I forgot about that!” Coppola told Rolling Stones about her Star Wars role.
“When I heard he was doing a Star Wars movie, since I was so little the first time, I said, ‘I want to come hang out.’ So they said I could be in it, and that was the best way to be on set. That was such a funny experience — I was actually writing the script for Virgin Suicides while I was doing it!”
Coppola also shares the same birthday with Lucas— Coppola was born on 14 May 1971 and Lucas’ birthday falls on 14 May 1944. “But I love George like an uncle, and I’m proud to share a birthday with him,” she told the outlet.
“There was a birthday book where you look up everyone’s birthday and it said ‘the day of the forward thinker,’ and I like to align myself with him that way. He made a short film about race cars going around a track [1966’s 1:42.08] and that actually inspired the opening scene in Somewhere. George is very sincere about what he does, and I love it.”
Despite the minor role, it was an immaculate experience for the director who also appeared in her father’s movie The Godfather Part III. Coppola carried the essence of her father’s legacy in Hollywood with most of the critically acclaimed movies collaborating with legendary stars including Bill Murray.
Sofia Coppola Reflected On Her Relationship With Bill Murray
Coppola’s collaboration with Murray in Lost in Translation has to be one of the finest outputs of her career. The director revealed that she has a good relationship with the legendary star. “It’s so romantic, and Bill [Murray] is so touching and he puts so much heart into it,” Coppola said of her movie and the lead star Murray.
“There’s that longing and the romantic melancholy when you connect with someone but you’re not going to be with them. It’s that bittersweet feeling you get from certain music, romantic and melancholy at the same time.”
Still, several actors have found Murray hard to work with (per Rolling Stones) but he has always been respectful to Coppola. “He’s always been so respectful and helpful to me,” she told the outlet.
“[He’s] a great collaborator, but I know he’s clashed with some people. I think he has different sides, like anyone, and he’s not for everyone.”
Lost in Translation also stars Scarlett Johansson and the movie was a critical darling claiming an astonishing 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. The movie went on to earn $117 million (per The Numbers) worldwide.
The Phantom Menace is available to stream on Disney+. Lost in Translation can be streamed on Max.
