Francis Ford Coppola

1939 – present · age 87^[1][2]

Film & Entertainment

Fun Facts About Francis Ford Coppola

• Francis Ford Coppola's middle name honors Henry Ford: he was born at Henry Ford Hospital while his father worked on The Ford Sunday Evening Hour, a radio series sponsored by Ford.^[1][3][4]
• Coppola had polio as a boy and was bedridden for long stretches of his childhood, which he spent putting on homemade puppet theater productions.^[1]
• As a child, Coppola's interest in technology earned him the nickname "Science." He attended 23 schools before graduating from high school.^[1]
• Early in his career, Coppola earned extra money in "nudie-cuties": at 21 he wrote The Peeper, a short comedy starring Playboy Bunny Marli Renfro.^[1]
• Coppola claims The Godfather Part II was the first major motion picture to use "Part II" in its title. Paramount opposed the name, but the film began Hollywood's tradition of numbered sequels.^[1]
• Apocalypse Now was plagued by typhoons and Martin Sheen's heart attack, and Marlon Brando arrived overweight and unprepared. It was delayed so often it was nicknamed Apocalypse When.^[1][5][6]
• Francis Ford Coppola was alive at the same time as Leon Trotsky — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1939–1940).^[1][2][7][8]
• Francis Ford Coppola shares a birthday with Billie Holiday: both were born on April 7.^{[1][2][9][10]}

Francis Ford Coppola is an American filmmaker. One of the leading figures of the New Hollywood, Coppola is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Coppola is the recipient of five Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Palmes d'Or, in addition to nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. Coppola was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2024, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2025.^[1]

Contemporaries

Noam Chomsky

87 yr overlap

Wole Soyinka

87 yr overlap

Dalai Lama

87 yr overlap

Woody Allen

87 yr overlap

Tu Youyou

87 yr overlap

Yoko Ono

87 yr overlap

Jack Nicholson

87 yr overlap

James Watson

86 yr overlap

Jane Goodall

86 yr overlap

Pope Francis

86 yr overlap

Bob Dylan

85 yr overlap

Jimmy Carter

85 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Francis Ford Coppola

When was Francis Ford Coppola born?

Francis Ford Coppola was born on April 7, 1939, and is alive today.

How old is Francis Ford Coppola?

Francis Ford Coppola was born on April 7, 1939, and turned 87 on April 7, 2026.

What is Francis Ford Coppola known for?

Francis Ford Coppola is known for: The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now. Francis Ford Coppola is an American filmmaker. One of the leading figures of the New Hollywood, Coppola is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Coppola is the recipient of five Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Palmes d'Or, in addition to nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. Coppola was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 2010, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2024, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2025.

Who was alive at the same time as Francis Ford Coppola?

Francis Ford Coppola's closest contemporary was Noam Chomsky. Their lives overlapped for 87 years.