The Godfather Nephews
When we look at any of The Godfather Trilogy (1972-1990) or the first five Rocky movies (1976-1990), it really is impossible to imagine anyone else in the roles of Connie Corleone or Adrian Pennino: Talia Shire was the one for the job. Being the younger sister of Francis Ford Coppola herself, it is easy to see that talent runs in their family and has done so for many generations. In this blog, I’d like to tell you about another generation of Coppolas, Talia Shire’s sons, Jason and Robert, whom you might recognize from live-action Disney movies.
Jason Schwartzman played the role of Richard M. Sherman, Oscar-winning composer of Mary Poppins (1964), in Saving Mr. Banks (2013). Jason Schwartzman was born in Los Angeles, California on June 26th, 1980. He began his career as a drummer and formed the band “Phantom Planet,” at the age of 14. At age 17, he made his film debut cast by Wes Anderson in Touchstone Pictures’ Rushmore (1998). He was given the lead role of Max Fischer in the film as a result of being spotted by casting agent at a party in Los Angeles where he was “dressed to the nines,” according to lwlies.com, in a tuxedo. He is also quoted as having said “Rushmore was probably the best time of my life.” Jason left “Phantom Planet,” to pursue acting full-time in 2003, though he never completely shied away from his music roots, composing the theme song for the sit-com Cracking Up (2004) and the original score for the Adam Sandler comedy, Funny People (2009). He also acted in Touchstone’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
He acted in the films CQ (2001) which was directed by his cousin Roman Coppola and he played King Louis XVI of France in Marie Antoinette (2006) which was written and directed by his other cousin, Sofia Coppola. When he was hired by Disney to play Richard M. Sherman in “Saving Mr. Banks,” he and B.J. Novak, who was hired to play Robert B. Sherman, visited the real Richard Sherman at his house where they learned how to play the “Mary Poppins,” songs and score. His real-life half-brother, John Schwartzman, was also the cinematographer for the film. Since “Rushmore,” Jason Schwartzman frequently continues to appear in Wes Anderson Films, including Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). He also lent his voice to Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Isle of Dogs (2018) and will next be seen in Anderson’s upcoming flick, The French Dispatch (2020).
Robert Schwartzman played the role of Michael Moscovitz, Mia’s love interest in The Princess Diaries (2001). Robert was also born in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, 1982. Like his brother, he shares a passion for music and he formed a band called “Rooney,” at the age of 17. He also enjoyed a brief stint as an actor, appearing in the short film Lick the Star (1998) and the feature, The Virgin Suicides (1999), both of which were written and directed by Sofia Coppola. When he was cast as Michael in “Princess Diaries,” Rooney’s song “Blueside,” was written into the film. In the scene where that song is performed, Robert is seen playing keyboard and vocals with M&M’s on top of the keyboard, though in reality he plays guitar and vocals.
After wrapping “Princess Diaries,” Robert attended attend Eugene Lang College in New York City, but realized that he missed his band and wanted to pursue a career as a professional. Ultimately, he returned to LA and signed “Rooney” with Geffen/Interscope Records. They recorded their very first self-titled album in 2002 and Schwartzman continues as a member 20 years later. Although he did not appear in Disney’s sequel to “Princess Diaries,” The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), because he was touring with his band at the time, he acted in films like the comedy Look (2007) and most recently in the drama Lost Transmissions (2019). He also began making movies. He wrote, co-produced, and directed the drama/comedy Dreamland (2016), featuring performances by both his mother and his older brother, and he created his own production company, Utopia Media, in 2018.
The Schwartzman brothers are both extremely talented actors and musicians. Their skills helped make both “Saving Mr. Banks,” and “The Princess Diaries,” endearing Disney classics. And combined with their musicality, they are well-equipped to continue the legacy of their extraordinary family.
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