Emmy-winning filmmaker Eleanor Coppola, wife of Hollywood veteran Francis Ford Coppola, died on Friday at her home in Rutherford, California, at the age of 87, her family announced in a statement.
Coppola won an Emmy award in 1992 for documenting the making of her husband’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now in the documentary Hearts of Darkness. It emerged as one of the most popular documentaries on filmmaking and was also published as a book in 1979 titled Notes: On the Making of Apocalypse Now, chronicling Coppola's intimate journey through the chaos and creativity behind The Godfather director’s legendary film.
She is also known for directing romantic comedies like Paris Can Wait (2016) starring Diane Lane and Love Is Love Is Love (2020) featuring Maya Kazan, Cybill Shepherd and Rita Wilson.
Coppola is also known for her photography and sketches, which have been showcased in several art galleries including the Sonoma Valley Art Museum in 2014. She met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut Dementia 13 (1963).
The couple got married in Las Vegas in February 1963 after months of dating. All their children — Gian-Carlo, Roman and Sofia — started appearing in their father’s films and ventured into filmmaking.
However, Gian-Carlo died at the age of 22 in a boating accident in 1986. Roman, who is the president of his father’s San Francisco-based company, has collaborated several times with Wes Anderson. Sofia, on the other hand, is well-known for writing and directing films like Lost in Translation and 2023’s Priscilla, which she dedicated to her mother.
Coppola is survived by her husband, her son Roman, daughter Sofia, granddaughter Gia and brother William Neil.
