Talia Shire Reflects on Working With Marlon Brando in The Godfather: 'He Really Wanted You To Be Great In a Scene'
The Godfather is notable for many famous lines and scenes. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino may steal the show in The Godfather, but a few other members of the Corleone family deserve our attention. For example, Talia Shire notably portrayed Don Vito Corleone's youngest child and only daughter, Connie, in all three movies, earning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination along the way for her role in The Godfather II.
“I love the movie because it’s a very Shakespearean drama,” Shire says. The actress, 75, shares more of her memories of The Godfather, how she got the part, what it was like working with Marlon Brando and how close she is the with cast today.
Did you have to audition, or did Francis Ford Coppola, your brother, just cast you?
The first time I asked him to audition, he said, “No, no, no.” Then about a month later, [author] Mario [Puzo] said [to Coppola], “Why not just audition her?” I remember flying to New York and doing the scene where Connie gets beaten up. I could hear Francis crying behind me.
What did you think of the Connie character? She takes a lot of abuse in the first movie.
She interested me because she was somebody who stays in the kitchen. I knew I could find my way in there. But look what happens to her: She marries a guy who murders her brother, and he gets murdered by another brother. She can’t be a total weepy character, but she’s the agent of a kind of female victimhood. She changes a lot by the third movie.
Related: The Godfather Turns 50: See the Behind-the-Scenes Changes That Could Have Ruined the Movie
What was Marlon Brando like on the set?
He was a breathtaking man and brought tremendous elegance to the character. Look at the way he dances with me in that wedding scene. But what I found was that he was also incredibly charismatic, generous and disciplined. He really wanted you to be great in a scene.
Did you have a siblinglike relationship with the actors who played your brothers?
Yes, yes. And JohnCazale needs to be highlighted because he was so joyous, and that joy was infectious. He was what I would call a great acting partner.
Do you stay in touch with the cast?
I am a shy person and don’t live in a big world. But I love Diane [Keaton]. And when I see Al [Pacino], of course, he’s [still] my brother. Also with Jimmy [JamesCaan]. It’s a kinship.
Related: 60 of the Most Famous Quotes from The Godfather
How often do you watch the movie?
There was a 45th anniversary screening at Radio City Music Hall [in 2017]. I made sure my [three] kids were there because they needed to see it that way. And Francis sat behind me. But I don’t see it too much on television.
Will the Coppolas do something special to mark the milestone?
I don’t know. All the family members are involved in writing and doing and creating, so we come together anyway. My children [RobertSchwartzman, 39; JasonSchwartzman, 41; and MatthewOrlandoShire, 46] spent a huge amount of time during this pandemic up with Francis in Napa [California]. We’re always interested in the next creative thing. We can’t help ourselves.
