Many people are familiar with Sofia Coppola’s role as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III, but few know that she actually made an appearance in the first movie of the trilogy long before that.
According to ScreenRant, Sofia, who later received harsh criticism for her acting in the third film, had a much smaller role in the first Godfather installment. She portrayed a very young Michael Francis Rizzi, the baby son of Connie Corleone. Fans may recall the iconic scene where Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, stands as godfather at Michael Francis’ baptism. As this sacred event unfolds, the audience also sees Michael’s enemies being eliminated by his assassins in one of the film’s most memorable sequences.
Interestingly, Sofia Coppola, who went on to direct acclaimed films like Lost in Translation, was born around the time the first Godfather movie was being shot, which is why she made this brief cameo.
As for The Godfather Part III, Sofia’s performance received a lot of criticism. However, she wasn’t originally cast in the role of Mary Corleone. According to ScreenRant, Wynona Ryder was the first choice for the part but had to drop out due to a nervous breakdown. On her doctor’s advice, she left the project, and since Sofia had already been rehearsing for the role as a stand-in, she ended up taking on the part in the final film.