Nicolas Cage asked Francis Ford Coppola for a role in The Godfather: Part III

It’s fairly well known that Nicolas Cage’s uncle is The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, but the actor never used his famous relative to his advantage, even changing his surname from Coppola to Cage early in his career. Nicolas Cage obviously went on to chart his own iconic career, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t have loved the opportunity to appear in The Godfather franchise.

Nicolas Cage recently took part in a THR roundtable interview with Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Majors, Peter Dinklage, and Simon Rex. When asked whether there was a movie they would love to make but didn’t think anyone would let them, Nicolas Cage recalled the time he begged his uncle for the chance to appear in The Godfather: Part III.

This is a very embarrassing answer to your question, OK, because it involves family. So Uncle [Francis Ford 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.” He was going to cast Andy Garcia, and 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.” It just wasn’t going to happen. Nope, not going to happen. So that was a movie I didn’t get let in that I really wanted to be in.

At the time Francis Ford Coppola was developing The Godfather: Part III, Nicolas Cage was already an established star thanks to his roles in Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, and Vampire’s Kiss. He had even worked with his uncle on Peggy Sue Got Married, but it seems that Coppola just didn’t think that Cage would be right for the part of Vincent Corleone. What do you think, did Francis Ford Coppola make a mistake not giving Nicolas Cage a role in The Godfather: Part III?

Nicolas Cage was recently seen in Pig (you can check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray right here) and will next be seen in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which will hit theaters on April 22, 2022.