Nicolas Cage Says He Begged Uncle Francis Ford Coppola to Cast Him in Godfather..

[KingsOfKings]

"Nicolas Cage made his director uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, an offer he was able to refuse.

While in conversation with Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Majors, Peter Dinklage, and Simon Rex for The Hollywood Reporter's Actors Roundtable published Wednesday, Cage said he implored Coppola — his paternal uncle — to cast him in his film The Godfather: Part III — but "it just wasn't going to happen."

The actor had been vying for the role of Vincent Corleone, son of Sonny Corleone (James Caan) and his mistress Lucy Mancini (Jeannie Linero), in the third installment of the franchise. It ultimately went to Andy Garcia, who garnered an Oscar nomination for his performance.


"This is a very embarrassing answer to your question, okay, because it involves family," Cage said. "So Uncle [Coppola] was doing Godfather III, and I said, 'I really think I ought to be in your movie, Uncle. I really think it's a good idea if you would cast me. I think I could play this part.'"

Coppola had already been set on casting Garcia, but "I said, 'But I just see myself more as James Caan's son, and he's playing Sonny's son. He's not playing Michael's son. He's Sonny's son. I just feel a little more James Caan,'" Cage said. "It just wasn't going to happen. So that was a movie I didn't get let in that I really wanted to be in."

Godfather III debuted in theaters on Christmas Day in 1990. At the time, Cage already had memorable turns in Moonstruck and Raising Arizona. He had also already starred in his uncle's Rumble Fish and The Cotton Club. Coppola previously shared that Cage, as well as Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Billy Zane, Matt Dillon, Charlie Sheen, and Val Kilmer, competed for the Vincent role

 

[MenacingMonk]

Never knew they were related until I saw the headline.

Only role I see Nicky doing is Fredo, but I don’t think he woulda been as good as the dude who played him.

 

[beaniemac]

Never knew they were related until I saw the headline.

Only role I see Nicky doing is Fredo, but I don’t think he woulda been as good as the dude who played him.

Yes. His real surname is Coppola.

I'm surprised FFC wouldn't put him in Godfather 3 tho. Nic Cage was already successful in hit movies by then.

 

[beaniemac]

Never knew they were related until I saw the headline.

Only role I see Nicky doing is Fredo, but I don’t think he woulda been as good as the dude who played him.

John Cazale played Fredo. Dude died young of cancer. But his resume is short and impressive. Every movie he did was a classic:

Godfather
Godfather 2
Dog day afternoon
The deer Hunter

That's a in the 70's.

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Nepotism motherfukker./.

ask Talia shire!

 

[Ed MOTHEREFFING G]

That is literally the only way to make Godfather III worse than it already is

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

That is literally the only way to make Godfather III worse than it already is

shyt! no lies told. The film was like 2g's episode of twilight zone.

 

[Ed MOTHEREFFING G]

shyt! no lies told. The film was like 2g's episode of twilight zone.

The helicopter shootout was straight out of a Miami Vice episode

the gnocci incest romance scene

 

[WesCrook]

He wouldn't hire his nephew, but he casted his no acting ass daughter.

She was awful.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

He wouldn't hire his nephew, but he casted his no acting ass daughter.

She was awful.

I was about to say. People forgetting he cast Sofia (who has become a good director but was an AWFUL actress), but Nic who even by then was already good at his craft was a no? Hilarious.

 

[Originalman]

Yes. His real surname is Coppola.

I'm surprised FFC wouldn't put him in Godfather 3 tho. Nic Cage was already successful in hit movies by then.

Yes sir! Check out that italian family tree in hollywood. Family tree looks like the Bill Walsh NFL coaching tree.

 

[Ed MOTHEREFFING G]

I was about to say. People forgetting he cast Sofia (who has become a good director but was an AWFUL actress), but Nic who even by then was already good at his craft was a no? Hilarious.

Both are bad decisions but the difference is, Vincent Corleone is actually a REALLY good character and Garcia does very well in the role with a shytty movie around him.

Mary Corleone as a character straight up sucks in the first place, and Sofia makes it WORSE. MAYBE a good actress could’ve saved it but the character and the performance made it just abysmal.

 

[Formerly Black Trash]

I imagined Nicholas Cage asking his uncle in his voice

 

[Lootpack]

Nepotism? In Hollywood? No way.

 

[Ukbrotha]

tbh it would look bad if he had both his real daughter and nephew in those roles when there would be some incestuous behaviour.