Sofia Coppola is an American film director, screenwriter and producer whose quiet, observant films have made her one of the most distinctive voices in modern cinema. Best known for Lost in Translation and Priscilla, she turned a childhood spent on her father Francis Ford Coppola’s film sets into an Academy Award-winning directing career, becoming the first American woman ever nominated for the Best Director Oscar.
| Full Name | Sofia Carmina Coppola |
| Date of Birth | May 14, 1971 |
| Age | 55 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Profession | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Known For | Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides, Priscilla |
| Husband | Thomas Mars (married 2011) |
| Children | Two daughters, Romy and Cosima |
| Net Worth | Approx. $50 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025) |
Who Is Sofia Coppola?
Sofia Coppola is a film director and screenwriter celebrated for intimate, beautifully composed stories about loneliness, privilege and young women finding their place in the world. Born into one of Hollywood’s most famous film families, she could easily have stayed in her father’s shadow. Instead, she built a career entirely her own, with a visual style so recognisable that her films are often described simply as Coppola-esque: soft light, long silences, pop-music soundtracks and characters who say as much in a glance as in dialogue.
Her breakthrough came with Lost in Translation in 2003, a gentle, funny and melancholy film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as two Americans drifting through Tokyo. The film won her the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and made her the first American woman nominated for Best Director. More than twenty years later, she remains a rare figure in Hollywood: a director whose name alone tells audiences exactly what kind of film they are about to see, and a filmmaker who has never chased franchises or trends, preferring small, personal stories told with patience and precision.
Early Life & Background
Sofia Carmina Coppola was born on May 14, 1971, in New York City, the youngest child of director Francis Ford Coppola and documentary filmmaker Eleanor Coppola. She grew up largely in California, moving between the family’s homes in Napa Valley and Los Angeles, and spent much of her childhood on film sets, watching her father work on films that would become classics. Her older brother Gian-Carlo died in a boating accident in 1986, a loss that shaped the family deeply, while her brother Roman Coppola also became a filmmaker.
As a child, Sofia appeared in small roles in her father’s films, including as an infant in The Godfather and later, most famously, as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III in 1990. That performance was widely criticised, and the experience pushed her away from acting. She studied painting at the California Institute of the Arts and later attended Mills College, while also exploring fashion, photography and music videos. Those interests never left her work: her films are often praised for their painterly framing, their careful use of colour and their soundtracks, which mix classic pop with contemporary indie music.
Before directing features, she worked as a costume designer, directed short films and made music videos, learning her craft quietly and away from the spotlight. It was a deliberate, slow apprenticeship, and it gave her a confidence in her own taste that has defined her career ever since.
Career
Coppola made her feature directing debut with The Virgin Suicides in 1999, adapting Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel about five sisters in 1970s Michigan. Starring Kirsten Dunst, the film was a critical success and announced a new, unmistakably personal voice in American cinema. Its dreamy, hazy look and its Air-composed score set the template for much of what followed.
Lost in Translation followed in 2003 and changed everything. Made for a modest budget and shot on location in Tokyo, it earned more than $100 million worldwide, won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and earned Coppola nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. She then directed Marie Antoinette in 2006, a lush, deliberately anachronistic portrait of the French queen, again starring Dunst, and Somewhere in 2010, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
Later films confirmed her range. The Bling Ring in 2013 satirised celebrity-obsessed Los Angeles teenagers, The Beguiled in 2017 won her the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and On the Rocks in 2020 reunited her with Bill Murray in a warm father-daughter comedy. In 2023 she directed Priscilla, an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir about her marriage to Elvis Presley, which was praised for its tender, clear-eyed view of a young woman growing up inside fame. Alongside directing, Coppola has produced films, directed commercials and worked in fashion, but cinema has always remained her centre.
Facts About Sofia Coppola
- Sofia Coppola won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation in 2004.
- She was the first American woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director.
- She won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 for The Beguiled.
- Her husband is Thomas Mars, lead singer of the French band Phoenix, whom she married in Bernalda, Italy, in 2011.
- She directed the music video for the White Stripes song “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Sofia Coppola?
Sofia Coppola was born on May 14, 1971, which makes her 55 years old as of November 2026.
How tall is Sofia Coppola?
Sofia Coppola is 5 feet 6 inches tall (1.68 metres).
Who is Sofia Coppola married to?
Sofia Coppola has been married to Thomas Mars, lead singer of the French band Phoenix, since 2011. They have two daughters together.
What is Sofia Coppola’s net worth?
Sofia Coppola’s net worth is estimated at approximately $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth in 2025.
What is Sofia Coppola best known for?
Sofia Coppola is best known for directing Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette and Priscilla, and for winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.