Sofia Coppola forgot she was in The Phantom Menace
As everyone knows, Sofia Coppola played Saché Adova in Star Wars: Episode I
Aux News Sofia Coppola
Ahead of the release of her new movie, Priscilla, Sofia Coppola has made a grievous admission. Speaking to Rolling Stone in a career-spanning interview, Coppola admitted that she forgot she was in Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace. We’re not kidding. Coppola did not remember playing Saché Adova, one of Queen Amidala’s handmaidens on Naboo, not to be confused with Sabé, who is played by Kiera Knightly. What is she, chopped liver? Saché was once considered a favored successor to Sio Bibble!
When asked by Rolling Stone about her small part in the film, she responds by laughing—laughing—and says, “I forgot about that.” Saché, a war hero who engaged in covert ops against the Galactic Empire and refused to name names when facing interrogation before being elected to the planetary legislative assembly (per Wookiepedia, obviously—why the hell would anyone know that sort of thing off the dome), has no lines in the film. Nevertheless, Coppola used the opportunity on set to learn about filmmaking to write her debut The Virgin Suicides.
“When I heard he was doing a Star Wars movie, since I was so little the first time, I said, ‘I want to come hang out.’ So they said I could be in it, and that was the best way to be on set,” she said. “That was such a funny experience — I was actually writing the script for Virgin Suicides while I was doing it!”
Though she insists, “I love George like an uncle,” and claims to “share a birthday with him,” she clearly didn’t use his knowledge for the role, which probably consisted of him pointing at her and saying, “Uh, yeah, you’re Saché, um, Adova.” Still, she proudly uses Lucas to influence her own film Somewhere.
“There was a birthday book where you look up everyone’s birthday, and it said ‘the day of the forward thinker,’ and I like to align myself with him that way. He made a short film about race cars going around a track [1966’s 1:42.08] and that actually inspired the opening scene in Somewhere. George is very sincere about what he does, and I love it.”
Alright, we admit that it’s okay not to know who Saché is. Even Sir Alec Guinness thought Star Wars was “fairy-tale rubbish.”
The Rolling Stone interview also goes in some non-Star-Wars-related directions for some reason, including the fact that she almost quit directing after Marie Antoinette. No, it wasn’t because Star Wars fans kept begging for a six-episode Saché series on Disney+, but rather because making movies is really difficult. She also finally explains why she didn’t make the final Twilight movie:
We had one meeting, and it never went anywhere. I thought the whole imprinting-werewolf thing was weird. The baby. Too weird! But part of the earlier Twilight could be done in an interesting way. I thought it’d be fun to do a teen-vampire romance, but the last one gets really far out.
Priscilla opens in theaters on November 3. Saché premieres on Disney+ never.
29 Comments
claims to “share a birthday with [George Lucas],”I realize you guys are overworked and underpaid, but 15 seconds of research would have let you get rid of the word “claims.” They were both born May 14th, just 27 years apart.
I guess you can claim something that is true, though it implies that the piece of information is disputed by others. The “techically true/accurate but mind-bogglingly worded” use of the language on this site is truly something to behold.
They could have said that she mentioned that she shares a birthday with Lucas and that would have sounded a lot less awkward. Or “pointed out.” Or a lot of other possible phrases.
In the special edition Lucas changed it so Sophia was born first.
Then he changed it to Mrs. Coppola giving birth to a walkie-talkie instead of a baby girl.
And then she says “Macoppolunkey.”
So you claim.
Should have had a speaking role. Her no-dad-I-love-him style of line reading would have been a perfect fit for Phantom Menace.
She didn’t bother me nearly as much as Andy Garcia. Jesus, that fucking movie is a hot mess.
“JoEY!!! Zsa zsa!!” I thought the Coda cut did improve it. Lipstick on a pig but, you know, high quality lipstick.
I had almost managed to kill off the last brain cells that held a memory of that film. Just when I thought I was out…
I too forgot that I was in The Phantom Menace and was so confused as to why I didn’t see Picard and Riker anywhere!
Let’s be honest; who wouldn’t want to forget having a part in The Phantom Menace?
We had one meeting, and it never went anywhere. I thought the whole imprinting-werewolf thing was weird. The baby. Too weird!I worked with a woman who loved those books / movies (I think they were still coming out at the time), even going so far as getting the “lion loved the lamb” line tattoo’d on her arm.
During a very long and boring shift with just the two of us she told me the story of the entiiiiiiiiiiiiiire saga… I can’t remember every reason and explanation she gave for why “dibs on that baby” wasn’t just every bad adjective, but yeah… I guess that’s a pretty good reason for not being part of a movie.Related, she also wanted to be a movie producer… which I thought you had to be well connected, extremely talented, or rich to do. I don’t remember her name, but I assume she didn’t make it. Although if there IS a talented movie producer out there with a twilight tattoo, I might know her and boy am I embarrassed.
“Coppola has made a grievous admission.”Was it a grievous admission or a General Grievous admission?I’ll see myself out………..
No, don’t leave – this is an important question, because one of them is sadder than the other. (Full disclosure: to me, the idea of a droid having a chronic cough is one of the stupidest ideas Lucas ever had, and this is the guy who came up with Jar-Jar.)
I wish I could star this more than once. Everyone else in the theater is wondering when Skywalker is going to turn and what trade routes have to do with any of it, and I am screaming: “WHY DOES THAT MACHINE HAVE A COUGH? SOMEONE GET HIM SOME ROBITUSSIN!”
There is simply no logic whatsoever to that choice. It’s like Lucas said to himself, “What if this droid had a COMPUTER VIRUS?” and laughed so hard that his turkey neck flipped up and slapped him in the forehead.Although the whole thing would have been 100% redeemed if, during Anakin’s quiet moment with Padme at the palace, when Anakin said, “I hate sand. It gets into everything,” Grievous would have popped up from out of shot and said, “YOU SHOULD TRY BREATHING IT! *cough cough*” and then scampered away to the tune of “Yakety Sax.”
Isn’t he actually a cyborg with organic organs inside though? I recall he at least has a heart, maybe lungs though I guess I can’t swear to it. I mean look, I don’t want to defend it – I hate the prequels as much as anyone. But in this case I think the cough was meant as a clue to his gooey center.
We have all seen the Godfather 3. It’s best she didn’t have any lines. She’s a great director, but let us never speak of her acting again
I look forward to her next movie, which is about how hard it is being a rich, hot white girl.
“We are brave, your highness!”
lucky you
Nepotism is a hell of a thing.
What does the accent mark over the “e” do? Is that a French accent mark? If so, is she French? I really need to know this so I can pronounce Saché correctly. Or perhaps it’s Sach’e? Anyway, French girls are hot.
i love the idea of a Sofia Coppola Star Wars movie. Kristen Dunst, Scarlett Johannson, and Elle Fanning are a trio of Jedis!Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson, and Cailee Spaeny as Siths!
Hey I forgot I was in the prequels too. I’m such a hipster.
lol… sure she did.
Her appearance in this movie is also a good example of why the Razzies are stupid – they nominated her for Worst Supporting Actress, even though she’s just an extra who literally does nothing but stand there. She just has a famous name and she’s in a bad movie so “ha ha, she’s one of the worst!”