Biography
Prior to her award-winning performance, McDormand essayed a variety of roles, but mainly focused on put-upon wives or classic femme fatales in films like "Blood Simple" (1984) and "Mississippi Burning" (1988). Later in her career, she branched off into more diverse leading and supporting roles for "Lone Star" (1996), "Wonder Boys" (2000) and "Almost Famous" (2000), though she continued to make her strongest appearances in husband Joel Coens' …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
2012 | Voiced character of Captain Chantel DuBois in "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" | |
2012 | Cast as the mother of a preteen runaway in Wes Anderson's romantic adventure "Moonrise Kingdom" | |
2011 | Appeared in the third installment of the franchise "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" | |
2011 | Returned to the stage in the David Lindsay-Abaire play "Good People"; earned a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | |
2008 | Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Burn After Reading") | |
2008 | Joined an ensemble cast for the Coen's brothers' "Burn After Reading" | |
2008 | Played the title role in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" | |
2006 | Co-starred with Joan Cusack, Jennifer Aniston, and Catherine Keener in director Nicole Holofcener's "Friends with Money" | |
2005 | Re-teamed with Charlize Theron for the feature adaptation of MTV's cartoon "Aeon Flux" | |
2005 | Co-starred with Charlize Theron in "North Country," a fictionalized account of the first successful sexual harassment case in the U.S.; earned Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Supporting Actress | |
2003 | Played Diane Keaton's sister in Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give" | |
2002 | Returned to the NYC stage opposite Willem Dafoe in "To You, the Birdie!" | |
2002 | Co-starred in the drama "Laurel Canyon"; received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best supporting female | |
2001 | Played a straying spouse in the Coen brothers' modern noir "The Man Who Wasn't There" | |
2000 | Protrayed an eccentric, overprotective mother in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous"; received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination | |
2000 | Co-starred as Michael Douglas' lover, a college chancellor, in "Wonder Boys" | |
1998 | Returned to the New York stage, co-starring with Billy Crudup in off-Broadway production of "Oedipus" | |
1998 | Portrayed Miss Clavell in "Madeline," the adaptation of a children's book series written by Ludwig Bemelmans | |
1998 | Starred as Blanche Du Bois in an Irish production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" | |
1997 | Cast as a German doctor forced into an internment camp with other European women in Bruce Beresford's "Paradise Road" | |
1996 | Delivered a gem of a turn as Gus, a tough mechanic, in HBO's acclaimed "Hidden in America" | |
1996 | Earned critical praise for her performance as the pregnant police chief in the Coen brothers' "Fargo" | |
1995 | Acted in Tommy Lee Jones' critically acclaimed writing-directing debut "The Good Old Boys" (TNT) | |
1995 | Portrayed Patricia Arquette's sister in John Boorman's "Beyond Rangoon" | |
1993 | Cast in featured role as Tim Robbins' girlfriend in Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" | |
1992 | Played Pfeni, the youngest of three sisters, in the original Broadway production of "The Sisters Rosenzweig" | |
1990 | Appeared uncredited in a bit part as a secretary in the Coens' "Miller's Crossing" | |
1990 | Reteamed with Raimi in "Darkman" | |
1990 | Co-starred in Ken Loach's controversial political thriller "Hidden Agenda" | |
1988 | Earned a Tony nomination for her turn as Stella Kowalski in a Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" | |
1988 | Won substantial acclaim and a Best Supporting Oscar nomination for her turn in "Mississippi Burning" | |
1987 | Re-teamed with the Coen brothers for "Raising Arizona"; starred former roommate Holly Hunter | |
1987 | Co-starred on the CBS drama series "Leg Work" | |
1985 | TV-movie acting debut, "Scandal Sheet" (ABC) | |
1985 | Credited as Fran McDormand for Sam Raimi's "Crimewave" | |
1984 | Film acting debut, "Blood Simple"; first collaboration with the Coen brothers | |
1983 | New York stage debut, Tina Howe's "Painting Churches" | |
| First professional stage role, "Trinidad"; written by Jamaican poet Derek Walcott | ||
| Moved to NYC, initially sharing a Bronx apartment with friend and fellow Yale graduate Holly Hunter | ||
1980 | Stage acting debut in "Winterset: Four New American Plays" at Yale Repertory Theater | |
| Before age eight, moved frequently with family, before settling in Pennsylvania | ||
Awards
2011 | Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Burn After Reading |
2007 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in Friends With Money |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in North Country |
2005 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in North Country |
2005 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in North Country |
2005 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in North Country |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in North Country |
2004 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in Laurel Canyon |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Almost Famous |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Almost Famous |
2000 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Almost Famous |
2000 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Almost Famous |
2000 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Almost Famous |
2000 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in Almost Famous |
2000 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Almost Famous |
2000 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in Almost Famous |
2000 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in Wonder Boys |
2000 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in Wonder Boys |
1997 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in Fargo |
1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in Fargo |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Hidden in America |
1996 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Fargo |
1996 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Fargo |
1996 | National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in Fargo |
1996 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in Fargo |
1996 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Fargo |
1988 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Mississippi Burning |
1988 | National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress in Mississippi Burning |