Sofia Coppola
The talented, witty, and soft-spoken Sofia Coppola sat down with Fandango for a short but sweet interview on her latest film project, Somewhere. The movie stars Stephen Dorff as Johnny Marco, a prominent Hollywood actor living a fast-paced life with plenty of girls, sex and alcohol to go around. The thirty-something must face the music, though, when his young daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) pays him a surprise visit at his lavish pad at the Chateau Marmont Hotel.
Here, director Sofia Coppola tells us about the creation of Somewhere, her love for the Chateau Marmont, winning the Oscar and a few candid moments she experienced with her own father, acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
Fandango: What came first—the character of Johnny Marco, or the Chateau Marmont setting?
Sofia Coppola: I started out with the lead character [Johnny Marco] - someone who is lost and at a critical point in his life. I indulged in [his character], and then I brought in the daughter and focused on the significance of their relationship. He’s based on a bunch of people, [although] there were people that I talked to that thought the character was based on them.
I always had Stephen Dorff in mind for the role, and when I started writing the character, I knew I wanted him to be living at the Chateau Marmont. [The hotel] was an essential element. [It's] the third character in the movie. Fortunately, the owner, Andre Balazs, allowed us to film there.
Fandango: Growing up, the Chateau was your hangout spot, right?
Coppola: In my 20s, I used to hang around there for fun. It had a different feeling then. It used to be more of a private world.
Fandango: The love story in the film is really about a father and daughter. How much of yourself did you interject into Cleo’s character?
Coppola: In everything I do, there’s some sort of personal connection. With Cleo, I sort of tried to put myself in the character, [but] she is based on a friend’s daughter [who's] about the same age. My childhood was obviously very different from Cleo’s, but there are things [taken] from my childhood.
I remember one time when I was a kid, my dad was taking care of me, my mom was away, and I think I had the flu or something. He was trying to make me feel better, so he ordered a million ice cream sundaes. So, in the film, when they order an assortment of ice cream flavors, it’s a fun moment that I shared with my father. Even taking trips, I remember as a child going with him on trips that normally a young child wouldn’t get the chance to experience, just like Johnny and Cleo’s trip to Italy.
Fandango: At what point did you realize that you were the daughter of an iconic film director?
Coppola: I don’t think I was fully aware of him as a figure; he has always just been my dad. I remember going to award ceremonies as a child, and that’s how I started realizing who he was. I admire who he is, but he’ll always be my dad.
Fandango: How has motherhood changed you?
Coppola: This is the first movie I’ve made since the birth of my daughter. I’m still trying to figure it all out. The thing about making movies is that you work really intensely, and then you have time off where you can go back and do all the mommy-related stuff. I’m always asking working moms how they do it.
Fandango: With the Academy Awards fast approaching, can you share with us what it was like win the Oscar?
Coppola: It was very surreal. Actually, I was kind of relived. There was just so much pressure, everyone was saying, “You’re going to win, you’re going to win,” so I was just relieved when I did win. It was exciting, but at the time it was overwhelming. The Oscar definitely helps [your career]—you’re not viewed as a first-time filmmaker, so you’re able to take some risks that maybe [you wouldn't be able to take] without the Oscar.
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