Bringing together a legendary ensemble to translate Mario Puzo’s glorious novel to life was no cakewalk; being a part of the iconic star cast of The Godfather was perhaps even more complicated a feat to achieve. But even out of those who did get to work in Francis Ford Coppola’s crime classic, not everyone felt exhilarated about the opportunity.
In fact, there was one star who felt anything but elated for the most endearing reason, though.
The Rocky Star Who Didn’t Wish to Be Cast in The Godfather
If Talia Shire could go back in time and extricate herself from the colossal blockbuster that her brother helmed, she probably would.
Shire, 78, who happens to be Francis Ford Coppola’s younger sister, was cast as Connie Corleone – the tenacious and only daughter of the formidable patriarch of the Corleone family. But as sublime as it was to be a part of the Academy Award-winning film, the Prophecy star felt that her presence only made it more grueling for Coppola who was already struggling from Paramount’s end (via New York Post).
“It was really tough for Francis. And I think the last thing he needed was his sister at that time … It added one more tension for him … I wouldn’t have had me on the set.”
Coppola, 85, was forced to confront quite a few plights while directing The Godfather and even came close to being fired by the production company. So, Shire, being the thoughtful and caring sister that she is, didn’t wish to make things any more onerous than they were for her brother.
Nevertheless, she still relished “a collaborative professional relationship on that movie” with Coppola.
Talia Shire & Francis Ford Coppola Share An Adorable Bond
While the Oscar-nominated actress was trying her utmost best to look after her big bro under duress, both she and Coppola had a gala time working together on The Godfather. In an interview during the 50th anniversary of the famed movie, Shire reminisced about the “joy” of engaging with the Bram Stoke’s Dracula creator on a professional level (via ScreenRant).
“We meet each other, obviously, with our childhood memories, with our childhood dreams, and our childhood was filled with the love of art and beauty and theater […] And also, we had from our father, who was a great musician, the sense of discipline and being a professional and what that meant. There’s no screwing around if you’re a musician. So we met each other as professionals, and that’s a joy.”
The Windows star acknowledged Coppola for being a commendable “collaborator,” who, despite the challenges he faced at the time, managed to deliver one of the most astronomical hits that forever lodged itself within fans’ hearts.
The Godfather can be streamed on Paramount+ or rented on Apple TV+.
