Francis Ford Coppola

Profession: Filmmaker

Nationality:

Biography: Francis Ford Coppola is a hugely influential film director, producer and scriptwriter responsible for such films as The Godfather trilogy and "Apocalypse Now".

Coppola, educated at UCLA film school, was part of the "New Hollywood" group of directors, along with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg who came to the fore in the 1970s.

Coppola's first success came with "Patton" (1970) for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In 1972 he released "The Godfather" starring Marlon Brando. The film's depiction of an American mafia family won Coppola 3 Academy awards and is regularly ranked as one of the best films ever made.

Further success followed with "The Godfather Part II", often considered superior to its predecessor, and which help start the sequel trend in cinema. "Apocalyse Now" (1979) later followed and gained similar praise, however the film remains notorious for its arduous and controversial production.

Later films included "The Outsiders (1983), "The Godfather Part III" (1990) and "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992), but have not been as influential.

Born: April 7, 1939
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Age: 85 years old

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rabbit
Star Sign: Aries