Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and Adrian Pennino Balboa in the Rocky series. For her work in The Godfather Part II and Rocky, Shire was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress, respectively, and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama for her role in Rocky.

Talia Shire
Shire in 1977
Born
Talia Rose Coppola

(1946-04-25) April 25, 1946 (age 78)[1]
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1968–present
Spouses
  • (m. 1970; div. 1980)
  • (m. 1980; died 1994)
Children3, including Jason and Robert Schwartzman and Matthew Orlando Shire
Parent(s)Carmine Coppola
Italia Coppola
RelativesAugust Coppola (brother)
Francis Ford Coppola (brother)
Nicolas Cage (nephew)
Roman Coppola (nephew)
Christopher Coppola (nephew)
Sofia Coppola (niece)
Gia Coppola (great niece)
FamilyCoppola

Early life and family

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Shire was born Talia Rose Coppola in the Woodhaven section of Queens, New York,[2] in 1946. Her maternal grandparents came to the United States from Bernalda, Basilicata.[3] Her maternal grandfather, popular Italian composer Francesco Pennino, emigrated from Naples, Italy.[4]

Shire is the only daughter of Italia (née Pennino) and arranger/composer Carmine Coppola. She is the sister of director and producer Francis Ford Coppola, and of the academic August Coppola, the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage, and of director Sofia Coppola, and the niece of composer and conductor Anton Coppola.[5]

At a young age her family moved to Lake Success on Long Island, New York, where she lived through high school.[6]

She has three children. Her son Matthew Orlando Shire is the child of her first marriage to composer David Shire, and is an accomplished TV writer and film producer. Her other sons, actors/musicians Jason and Robert, are from her second marriage, to the film producer Jack Schwartzman.[7]

Career

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Shire portrayed Connie Corleone in The Godfather and its sequels and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Godfather Part II (1974).[6] For her portrayal of Adrian Pennino, the love interest of Rocky Balboa in Rocky (1976),[8] she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was nominated for both the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress. In addition to reprising her Adrian role in four Rocky sequels,[9] Shire has appeared in such films as Kiss the Bride (2002), I Heart Huckabees (2004), and Homo Erectus (2007).[10]

Filmography

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Films
Year Title Role Notes
1968 The Wild Racers 1st Girlfriend As Talia Coppola
1970 The Dunwich Horror Nurse Cora Credited as Talia Coppola
The Butchers Sandy
1971 Gas-s-s-s Coralee
The Christian Licorice Store Last Party Guest
1972 The Godfather Connie Corleone
The Outside Man Make-Up Girl
1974 The Godfather Part II Connie Corleone
1976 Rocky Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino
1979 Old Boyfriends Dianne Cruise
Prophecy Maggie Verne
Rocky II Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino
1980 Windows Emily Hollander
1982 Rocky III Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino
1985 Rocky IV
1986 Rad Mrs. Jones
Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star Dr. Tedra Rosen
1989 New York Stories Charlotte Segment: Life Without Zoe
1990 Rocky V Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa
The Godfather Part III Connie Corleone
1991 Cold Heaven Sister Martha
1992 Bed & Breakfast Claire
1993 Deadfall Sam
1997 A River Made to Drown In Jaime's Mother
She's So Lovely Restaurant Owner Uncredited
1998 Divorce: A Contemporary Western Lacey
Can I Play? Robert Short film
Caminho dos Sonhos Ida Stern
The Landlady Melanie Leroy
1999 Lured Innocence Martha Chambers
Palmer's Pick Up Mr. Price
The Black and the White Tulip Clayton
2000 The Visit Parole Board Member Marilyn
2001 The Whole Shebang Countess Bazinni
2002 Kiss the Bride Irena Sposato
2003 Family Tree Patricia Short film
Dunsmore Mildred Green
2004 I Heart Huckabees Mrs. Silver
2005 Pomegranate Aunt Sophia
2006 Rocky Balboa Adrianna "Adrian" Balboa Archival footage
2007 Homo Erectus Ishbo's Mother
2008 Looking for Palladin Rosario
Dim Sum Funeral Viola Gruber
My Father's Will aka My Secret Billionaire
2009 The Deported Dina
2010 Minkow Carole Minkow
Scratching the Surface Mrs. Shifman
2011 The Return of Joe Rich Gloria Neiderman
2013 Palo Alto Mrs. Ganem
2016 Dreamland Victoria
2019 Working Man Iola Parkes
2024 Megalopolis Constance Crassus Catilina
TBA Nonnas TBA Post-production
That's Amore! Post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Foster and Laurie Adelaide Laurie CBS Television film
1976 Doctors' Hospital Episode: "Lullabye"
Rich Man, Poor Man Teresa Santoro ABC Television miniseries
1977 Kill Me If You Can Rosalie Asher NBC Television film
The Godfather Saga Connie Corleone
1978 Daddy, I Don't Like It Like This Carol Agnelli CBS Television film
1987 Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife Gina NBC Television film
Faerie Tale Theatre Wilma Van Winkle Episode: "Rip Van Winkle"
1991 Mark Twain and Me Jean Clemens Television film
1992 For Richer, for Poorer Millie Katourian HBO Television film
CBS Schoolbreak Special Mrs. Leland Episode: "Please, God, I'm Only Seventeen"
1993 Chantilly Lace Maggie Showtime Television film
1995 Blossom Herself Episode: "A Star Is Bared"
1997 Born Into Exile Donna Nolan NBC Television film
2007 Blue Smoke Bianca Hale Lifetime Television film
Christmas at Cadillac Jack's Peg Television film
2017 Kingdom Annette Kulina Episodes: "Old Pueblo" and "Cactus"
2018 Grace and Frankie Teddie Episodes: "The Pop-Ups" and "The Hinge"
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Meryl Frumpkis Episode: "Rule #149: Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"
2024 Abbott Elementary Teresa Schemmenti Episode: "Winter Break"

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1974 Academy Award Best Supporting Actress The Godfather Part II Nominated
1976 Academy Award Best Actress Rocky Nominated
Golden Globe Award Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Won
National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress 2nd Place
National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Talia Shire". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Talia Coppola in New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965
  3. ^ Cowie, Peter (1988). Coppola: a biography. Da Capo Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-306-80598-1.
  4. ^ Cabanatuan, Michael (January 23, 2004). "Italia Coppola – mother of filmmaker". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  5. ^ Morrison, Angela (June 25, 2017). "If Hollywood Royalty Exists, It Begins With The Coppola Family". Film School Rejects. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Klmesrud, Judy (November 22, 1976). "Talia Shire: No Longer the Kid Sister". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Crandell, Ben (October 26, 2016). "In Fort Lauderdale, the maternal instincts of Talia Shire and Robert Schwartzman". Sun Sentinel. Ft Lauderdale. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  8. ^ Canby, Vincent (November 22, 1976). "Film: 'Rocky,' Pure 30's Make-Believe". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  9. ^ Maslin, Janet (November 16, 1990). "REVIEW/FILM; Rocky, Buffeted by Fists and Life, Returns to His Roots". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  10. ^ "Talia Shire". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
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