The Godfather trilogy by Francis Ford Coppola has become one of the main treasures of world cinema, but even here, it wasn't without harsh criticism — the most criticism fell on the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola, who played Mary Corleone in the third film. Francis himself was also criticized for nepotism, but at that time, few realized that the third part of The Godfather was not Sofia Coppola's first appearance in the franchise — she played a (literally) minor role in the first film.
Sofia Coppola played the baby in the baptism scene
Towards the very end of the film, there is a scene in which Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, attends the baptism ceremony of Michael Francis Rizzi, the child of his sister Connie. While Michael prepares to become the godfather to his nephew, the Corleone hitmen surround the church — this scene has since become one of the most recognizable in the entire trilogy, and the baby in it was played by Sofia Coppola herself, who was born shortly before filming began.
Mary Corleone was originally supposed to be played by another actress — Coppola was cast at the last minute
For critics and audiences, Sofia Coppola's casting in the third part was reduced to the fact that she was the director's daughter, but in reality, there were more reasons for Coppola's decision. Initially, Winona Ryder, then one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood, was cast for the role, but she soon had to leave the project due to health problems. It was so serious that her doctor advised her to quit filming — according to him, if the actress had continued to work, she would have suffered a complete nervous breakdown.
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