Gian-Carlo Coppola

Coppola was born in Los Angeles, California, to set decorator/artist Eleanor Coppola (née Neil) and film director Francis Ford Coppola. As the eldest Coppola sibling, he was the older brother to Roman and Sofia. Gian-Carlo began his professional film-making career at the age of sixteen, working closely with his father. Like his brother and sister, Gian-Carlo—known to his family and friends as Gio—often featured in his father's movies as background characters (The Godfather, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now Redux and Rumble Fish), later acting as associate producer for Rumble Fish and The Outsiders, and second unit director on The Cotton Club.

In The Godfather, he appeared with his brother Roman as the two sons of Robert Duvall's Tom Hagen character, and they can be seen during the street fight and Vito Corleone's funeral right behind Duvall and Al Pacino.

During the pre-production phase of Gardens of Stone, Gian-Carlo was given the responsibility of filming the rehearsals and supervising the electronic cinema staff. There was also potential for Gian-Carlo to intern with director Steven Spielberg to work on the television series Amazing Stories before his death. Director Penny Marshall had also hired him to work on the second unit for her feature film Jumpin' Jack Flash.