Coppola Puts Own Career in High Gear : The Daughter of a Famous Director Has a Few Goals of Her Own

When last seen on the big screen, Sofia Coppola was playing the daughter of Don Michael Corleone in “The Godfather III.” Cast in the film’s pivotal role by her father, director Francis Ford Coppola, the then 18-year-old appeared with scant prep time and virtually no formal acting training or experience. A critical firestorm worthy of “Apocalypse Now” ensued.

Somewhat singed but far from devastated, Sofia Coppola has survived, thank you very much. Tonight, the 23-year-old debuts on the little screen in her first television series, “Hi-Octane,” a zippy magazine show inspired by California’s car culture for cable’s Comedy Central Network. Coppola gets to act like her Val Gal self here, sharing hostess duties with Hollywood pal Zoe Cassavetes (daughter of actress Gena Rowlands and the late director John Cassavetes).

“People label me an actress when that’s the least of what I do. I don’t consider myself that at all,” says Coppola, who’s also producer of the new show. (“Sofia’s Dad” gets a thanks at the end of the program and receives an executive producer credit.) “Of course, I’m interested in all parts of filmmaking,” she says. “I grew up with it, but I don’t want to be an actress.”

Other interests include fashion design (her Milk-Fed T-shirt line was unveiled in New York’s Bloomingdale’s this month), journalism (she’s a contributing editor for Details magazine), photography (she has published fashion photographs in Interview magazine), painting (before she dropped out to do “Hi-Octane,” she was studying at CalArts in Valencia) and screenwriting (she shares a credit with her father for a segment of the 1989 feature film “New York Stories”).

“Why am I the only girl in L.A. who doesn’t want to be an actress?” she asks with a sly smile. “I guess I like telling other people what to do instead of being told what to do. (Acting) is not one of my specialties.”

Shot on Hi-8 video, “Hi-Octane” is a kind of fuel-injected home movie--if your home were filled with film, fashion and hot-wheel celebrities. We see Coppola and Cassavetes flunk monster truck school (and not because they misplaced their flame-retardant seats), cousin Nicolas Cage declaiming on cars, Keanu Reeves fixing a motorcycle, Karl Lagerfeld connecting cars to fashion (at age 15, Coppola did a summer internship with the Chanel designer in Paris), Gus Van Sant contemplating the future of cinema from the back of a moving auto and Sofia’s dad discussing the same while up to his well-furred chest in a swimming pool, Zoe and Sofia lazing by his side.

Is it art? Is it a job? Will it go beyond the four episodes they have in the can? “We’re all on hold right now waiting to see what happens,” Coppola demurs.

The idea for the show sprung from Coppola’s student days at CalArts. “It started as a school project,” she says. “I wanted to do a magazine that I’d want to see, that I’d be interested in. So many shows are all these actors talking about character development. Like who cares about the character? I’d rather hear what’s their favorite record, what they’re reading.”

The car connection came with her acquisition of a classic 1969 convertible GTO. Coppola and Cassavetes drive it in the show’s opening credits. “There was just kind of like a whole hot-rod thing happening,” she says of the not-too-distant past. “We decided to use that as a theme to tie it all together.”

She admits now that “Hi-Octane’s” concept may be a victim of life in the fast lane. “If I were doing it right now, it would be different,” Coppola says. “It takes so long to get things made. I think it’s already dated. I’m just in a different mind-set. A couple of years ago when we started this, the whole white trash culture and muscle cars were more interesting. Then it got played out.”

The GTO is now parked in the garage. “It’s for sale if anybody wants it. It’s a fun car, but it’s hard to have in L.A. I got it ‘cause all the guys I knew had muscle cars. I wanted one too. Now, it’s like I stopped driving it. You have to be sealed off in L.A. (When you’re driving the GTO) people nod at you like you’re part of a cool club you don’t want to be in.”

Five years ago, she joined an even less desirable club, that of sacrificial ingenues. While reticent to discuss the gory details, she remains philosophical about “Godfather III.”

“Actually, it was a huge learning experience,” she says, her voice gaining weight. “It probably toughened me up. It was so long ago, I try not to pay too much attention to it, but of course when you’re insecure and 18. . . . It was kind of an attack . . . a freak-show thing. I’m not going to complain about it. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. If I thought about it too much, I probably would never do anything, because you don’t want to be ripped apart when you put yourself out there, take chances. And people have a problem with nepotism.”

Some might dismiss her as a well-connected Hollywood brat, but what people think is low on Coppola’s list of concerns. “I do my work, I don’t go out running around to parties every night,” Coppola says. “It’s fine if everybody thinks that. It’s what you do that speaks for itself, rather than what you say about yourself. What you produce is what matters.”

Making films remains a future possibility. “Yes, a short film, friends are talking about it. But I have to learn a lot more before I do.”

Film school is probably out. “I learn more just seeing things being made, just being around it,” says Coppola, who grew up on location around the world with her father. “I can just ask my dad or (cinematographer) Vittorio Storaro. I’ve learned from all these people, I’m lucky I’ve learned a lot in life. I’d rather go out and try things than learn in a classroom. I guess I would have liked to go to film school, but if I went to school for everything I’m interested in I’d be in the classroom for the next 20 years.”

Her ultimate goal? Give her time, she’ll figure it out.

“I’ve always said I wanted to be a mogul, but I don’t know now. I always wanted to do lots of things. Somebody said just recently, ‘Pretty soon you’re going to have to pick one thing.’ ”

* “Hi-Octane” premieres tonight at 9 on Comedy Central.