Before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Winona Ryder Worried Francis Ford Coppola Didn’t Like Her

By all accounts, the production of “The Godfather Part III” was not a breezy one, and that was apparent as early as the film’s development. While Coppola struggled to lock down the film’s script and locations, he tried to cast the movie, finding trouble even with actors who seemed like sure things: Robert Duvall, who portrayed the role of Tom Hagen in the first two “Godfather” movies, left the production after a salary dispute, causing his part to be rewritten and recast.

Although the characters of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), Kay Adams-Corleone (Diane Keaton), and Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia) are highly important in the movie, the key role is arguably Michael and Kay’s daughter (and Vincent’s eventual lover), Mary Corleone. Coppola originally cast Julia Roberts in the part, but scheduling issues prevented her involvement. Madonna apparently lobbied for the role, but neither Coppola nor Paramount Pictures thought she was right for it.

Attempting to balance Paramount’s desire for a rising young star and his own interest in someone who seemed appropriate for the part, Coppola settled on Ryder, and the actress even arrived in Rome to begin shooting on December 28th, 1989. Yet she suffered from nervous exhaustion and was forced to leave the shoot suddenly on little to no notice. Coppola ended up casting his own real-life daughter, future director Sofia Coppola, and while he was very happy with the results, Ryder understandably wondered if this incident soured the director on her.