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Joel Coen Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) is an American filmmaker. Working alongside his brother Ethan, the duo have directed, written, edited and produced many feature films, the most acclaimed of which include '' Blood Simple'' (1984), '' ...
and
Ethan Coen Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957) is an American filmmaker. Working alongside his brother Joel, the duo have directed, written, edited and produced many feature films, the most acclaimed of which include '' Blood Simple'' (1984), '' ...
, together known as the Coen brothers (), are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are ''
Blood Simple ''Blood Simple'' is a 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film written, edited, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender ...
'' (1984), ''
Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, a former police officer ...
'' (1987), ''
Miller's Crossing ''Miller's Crossing'' is a 1990 American neo-noir gangster film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J. E. Freeman, and Albert Finney. The plot ...
'' (1990), ''
Barton Fink ''Barton Fink'' is a 1991 American black comedy thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts f ...
'' (1991), '' Fargo'' (1996), ''
The Big Lebowski ''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, directed, produced and co-edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. It follows the life of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted ...
'' (1998), ''
O Brother, Where Art Thou? ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 satirical comedy-drama musical film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Charles Durning, Michael Bad ...
'' (2000), ''
No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...
'' (2007), ''
A Serious Man ''A Serious Man'' is a 2009 black comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesotan Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, ...
'' (2009), '' True Grit'' (2010) and ''
Inside Llewyn Davis ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' () is a 2013 period black comedy drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1961, the film follows one week in the life of Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac in his breakthrough ...
'' (2013). The brothers generally write, direct and produce their films jointly, although due to DGA regulations, Joel received sole directing credit while Ethan received sole production credit until '' The Ladykillers'' (2004), from which point on they would be credited together as directors and producers; they also shared editing credits under the alias Roderick Jaynes. The duo started directing separately in the 2020s, resulting in Joel's '' The Tragedy of Macbeth'' (2021) and Ethan's '' Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind'' (2022) and ''
Drive-Away Dolls ''Drive-Away Dolls'' (alternately titled onscreen as ''Henry James' Drive-Away Dykes'') is a 2024 American crime comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Tricia Cooke, who was also the film's edito ...
'' (2024). They have been nominated for 13
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
together, plus one individual nomination for each, sharing wins for
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
for ''Fargo'', and
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
and Best Adapted Screenplay for ''No Country for Old Men''. Their movie ''Barton Fink'' won the at the
1991 Cannes Film Festival The 44th Cannes Film Festival was held from 9 to 20 May 1991. French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski served as jury president for the main competition. American filmmakers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, ...
. The Coens have written films for other directors, including
Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...
's ''
Crimewave ''Crimewave'' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Sam Raimi, from a screenplay he co-wrote with the Coen brothers. It stars Reed Birney, Sheree J. Wilson, Paul L. Smith, Brion James, Louise Lasser and Bruce Campbell, with the latter a ...
'' (1985),
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
's
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
biopic ''
Unbroken Unbroken may refer to: Books and film * ''Unbroken'' (book), a 2010 nonfiction book by Laura Hillenbrand about World War II hero Louis Zamperini * ''Unbroken'' (film), a 2014 film based on the Hillenbrand book * '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption' ...
'' (2014) and
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
drama '' Bridge of Spies'' (2015). They produced
Terry Zwigoff Terry Zwigoff (born May 18, 1949) is an American film director whose work often deals with misfits, antiheroes, and themes of alienation. He first garnered attention for his work in documentary filmmaking with ''Louie Bluie'' (1985) and '' Crumb' ...
's ''
Bad Santa ''Bad Santa'' is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and starring Billy Bob Thornton in the title role, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Bre ...
'' (2003) and
John Turturro John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
's ''
Romance and Cigarettes ''Romance & Cigarettes'' is a 2005 American musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Turturro. The film stars an ensemble cast which includes James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mandy M ...
'' (2005). Ethan is also a writer of short stories, theater and poetry. They are known for their distinctive stylistic trademarks including genre hybridity. ''No Country for Old Men'', ''
A Serious Man ''A Serious Man'' is a 2009 black comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesotan Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, ...
'' and ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' were included on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's 2016 poll of the greatest motion pictures since 2000. In 1998, the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
(AFI) ranked ''Fargo'' among the 100 greatest American movies.
Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of ''Film Comment ...
wrote of the Coens: "Dexterously flipping and reheating old movie genres like so many pancakes, they serve them up fresh, not with syrup but with a coating of comic arsenic."


Background


Early life

Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957) were born and raised in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. Their mother, Rena (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Neumann; 1925–2001), was an
art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...
at
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...
, and their father, Edward Coen (1919–2012), was a professor of economics at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
. The brothers have an older sister, Deborah, who is a psychiatrist in Israel. Both sides of the Coen family were Eastern European
Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...
. Their paternal grandfather, Victor Coen, was a
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...
in the
Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court: Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have s ...
in London before retiring to
Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...
with their grandmother. Edward Coen was an American citizen born in the United States, but grew up in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
, London and studied at the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
. Afterwards he moved to the United States, where he met the Coens' mother, and served in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The Coens developed an early interest in cinema through television. They grew up watching Italian films (ranging from the works of
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
to the '' Sons of Hercules'' films) aired on a Minneapolis station, the
Tarzan films Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Cre ...
, and comedies (
Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...
,
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...
and
Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
). In the mid-1960s, Joel saved money from mowing lawns to buy a
Vivitar Vivitar Corporation is a manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of photographic and optical equipment originally based in Santa Monica, California. Since 2008, the Vivitar name serves as Sakar International's house brand for digital imaging, o ...
Super 8 Super 8 or Super Eight may refer to: Film * Super 8 film, a motion picture film format released in 1965 * Super 8 film camera, a motion picture camera used to film Super 8mm motion picture format * ''Super 8'' (2011 film), a science-fiction f ...
camera. Together, the brothers remade movies they saw on television, with their neighborhood friend Mark Zimering ("Zeimers") as the star.
Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited ap ...
's ''
The Naked Prey ''The Naked Prey'' is a 1965 American adventure film directed and co-produced by Cornel Wilde, who also stars in the lead role. Set in the South African veldt, the film's plot centers around a safari guide trying to survive in the veldt's harsh ...
'' (1965) became their ''Zeimers in Zambezi'', which featured Ethan as a native with a spear. ''
Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was d ...
'' (1943) was reinterpreted as their ''Ed... A Dog'', with Ethan playing the mother role in his sister's tutu. They also made original films like ''Henry Kissinger, Man on the Go'', ''Lumberjacks of the North'' and ''The Banana Film''.


Education

Joel and Ethan graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1973 and 1976, respectively, and from
Bard College at Simon's Rock Bard College at Simon's Rock (more commonly known as Simon's Rock) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is part of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudso ...
in
Great Barrington, Massachusetts Great Barrington is a New England town, town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,172 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Bot ...
. After Simon's Rock, Joel spent four years in the undergraduate film program at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
, where he made a 30-minute thesis film, ''Soundings''. In 1979, he briefly enrolled in the graduate film program at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
, following a woman he had married who was in the graduate linguistics program. The marriage soon ended in divorce and Joel left UT Austin after nine months. Ethan went on to
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
and earned an
undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher ed ...
in philosophy in 1979. His senior thesis was a 41-page essay, "Two Views of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy", which was supervised by
Raymond Geuss Raymond Geuss, FBA (; born 1946) is an American political philosopher and scholar of 19th and 20th century European philosophy. He is currently Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge. Geuss is primarily known ...
.


Career


1980s

After graduating from
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
, Joel worked as a
production assistant A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget ...
on a variety of industrial films and music videos. He developed a talent for film editing and met
Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...
while assisting Edna Ruth Paul in editing Raimi's first feature film, ''
The Evil Dead ''The Evil Dead'' is a 1981 American independent film, independent supernatural horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker ...
'' (1981). The duo made their debut with ''
Blood Simple ''Blood Simple'' is a 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film written, edited, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender ...
'' (1984). Set in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, it tells the tale of a bar owner (
Dan Hedaya Daniel G. Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940) is an American actor best known for his supporting roles in films such as '' The Hunger'' (1983), '' Blood Simple'' (1984), ''Commando'' (1985), '' The Addams Family'' (1991), ''Benny & Joon'' (1993), '' ...
) who hires a detective (
M. Emmet Walsh Michael Emmet Walsh (March 22, 1935 – March 19, 2024) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 films and television series, including supporting roles as Earl Frank in '' Straight Time'' (1978), the Madman in ''The Jerk'' (1979), Captai ...
) to kill his wife and her lover (
Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
and
John Getz John William Getz (born October 15, 1946) is an American character actor. After starting his acting career on stage, he has appeared in numerous television series and films, most notably ''Blood Simple'', '' The Fly'', and ''The Social Network' ...
, respectively). It contains elements that point to their future direction: distinctive homages to genre movies (in this case noir and
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...
),
plot twist A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist ending or surprise ending. It may change ...
s layered over a simple story, snappy dialogue and
dark humor Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
.
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...
wrote: "The camera work by
Barry Sonnenfeld Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as '' The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family ...
is especially dazzling. So is the fact that Mr. Coen, unlike many people who have directed great-looking film noir efforts, knows better than to let handsomeness become the film's entire raison d'être. In addition to its stylishness, ''Blood Simple'' has the kind of purposefulness and coherence that show Mr. Coen to be headed for bigger, even better, things." Joel's direction was recognized at the
Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...
and Independent Spirit awards. It was the first film shot by Sonnenfeld, who collaborated with the Coens on their two subsequent films and went on to be a director. It marked the first of many collaborations between the Coens and composer
Carter Burwell Carter Benedict Burwell (born November 18, 1954) is an American film composer. He has frequently collaborated with the Coen brothers, having scored most of their films. He has also scored films by other directors such as Bill Condon, Todd Haynes ...
. It was also the screen debut of McDormand, who went on to feature in many of the Coens' films (and marry Joel). Their next project was ''
Crimewave ''Crimewave'' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Sam Raimi, from a screenplay he co-wrote with the Coen brothers. It stars Reed Birney, Sheree J. Wilson, Paul L. Smith, Brion James, Louise Lasser and Bruce Campbell, with the latter a ...
'' (Raimi, 1985), written by the Coens and Raimi. Joel and Raimi also made cameos in ''
Spies Like Us ''Spies Like Us'' is a 1985 American spy comedy film directed by John Landis, and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, and Donna Dixon. The film presents the comic adventures of two novice intelligence agents sent to the Soviet ...
'' (1985). The brothers wanted to follow their debut with something fast-paced and funny. ''
Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, a former police officer ...
'' (1987) follows an unlikely married couple: ex-convict H.I. (
Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
) and police officer Ed (
Holly Hunter Holly Hunter (born March 20, 1958) is an American actress. For her performance as a mute Scottish woman in ''The Piano'' (1993), she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She earned three more Academy Award nominations for '' Broadcast News'' ( ...
), who long for a baby but are unable to conceive. When furniture tycoon Nathan Arizona (
Trey Wilson Donald Yearnsley "Trey" Wilson III (January 21, 1948 – January 16, 1989) was an American character actor known for playing rural, authoritarian-type characters, most notably in comedies such as ''Raising Arizona'' and ''Bull Durham''. Career D ...
) appears on television with his newly born quintuplets and jokes that they "are more than we can handle", H.I. steals one of the quintuplets to bring up as their own.
Pauline Kael Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael often defied the conse ...
noted its "cornpone-surreal quality" and wrote that the Coens "are going with their strengths. They're making a contraption, and they're good at it because they know how to make the camera behave mechanically, which is just right here—it mirrors the mechanics of farce ... The Sunsets look marvellously ultra-vivid; the paint doesn't seem to be dry—it's like opening day at a miniature-golf course."
Geoff Andrew Geoff Andrew (born 1954) is a British writer, lecturer, teacher, film programmer and occasional broadcaster. Born in Northampton, he studied at Northampton Grammar School and went on to gain a First in Classics at King's College, Cambridge. And ...
wrote: "the lives and times of Hi, Ed and friends are painted in splendidly seedy colours, turning Arizona into a mythical haven for a memorable gaggle of no-hopers, halfwits and has-beens. Starting from a point of delirious excess, the film leaps into dark and virtually uncharted territory to soar like a comet." The film featured McDormand, William Forsythe,
Sam McMurray Samuel McMurray (born April 15, 1952) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Supervisor Patrick O'Boyle in the CBS sitcom series ''The King of Queens'', Glen in the Coen Brothers comedy film '' Raising Arizona'', Trent Culpepper in th ...
,
Randall "Tex" Cobb Randall Craig "Tex" Cobb (born May 7, 1950) is an American actor, martial artist, and former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. Considered to possess one of the greatest boxing chins of all time, Cobb was a brawler who ...
and marked the first of many collaborations between the Coens and
John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...
.


1990s

''
Miller's Crossing ''Miller's Crossing'' is a 1990 American neo-noir gangster film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J. E. Freeman, and Albert Finney. The plot ...
'' (1990) is a
gangster film A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform certain illegal acts. The ...
inspired by
Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett ( ; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the characters he created are Sam Spade ('' The Ma ...
's ''
Red Harvest ''Red Harvest'' ( 1929) is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. The story is narrated by the Continental Op, a frequent character in Hammett's fiction, much of which is drawn from his own experiences as an operative of the Pinkerton ...
'' (1929) and ''
The Glass Key ''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ...
'' (1931). It stars
Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. Byrne was awarded the Irish Film and Television Academy L ...
as Irish mobster Tom Reagan and features
Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...
,
Marcia Gay Harden Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards. Harden's breakthrough came in 1990 with the Coen brothers' film '' Miller's ...
,
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi (,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name or instead. ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor. He is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor. Mul ...
,
Jon Polito Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. His television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the first two seasons ...
and
John Turturro John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
. The film was released almost simultaneously with ''Goodfellas'' and was not a commercial success, but received positive reviews. Christopher Orr (film critic), Christopher Orr calls it "a distillation of all the tropes and themes and moods of the classic gangster film." It was the Coens' first collaboration with production designer Dennis Gassner. They followed it with ''
Barton Fink ''Barton Fink'' is a 1991 American black comedy thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts f ...
'' (1991); set in 1941, it follows a New York playwright, the eponymous Fink (Turturro), who moves to Los Angeles to write a B-picture for a venal movie mogul (Michael Lerner (actor), Michael Lerner). Fink is modeled on playwright Clifford Odets, and the character W.P. Mayhew (John Mahoney) is based on William Faulkner. ''Barton Fink'' was a critical success, earning Oscar nominations and winning Best Director, Best Actor and at the
1991 Cannes Film Festival The 44th Cannes Film Festival was held from 9 to 20 May 1991. French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski served as jury president for the main competition. American filmmakers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, ...
. It was their first film with cinematographer Roger Deakins, a key collaborator for the next 25 years. ''The Hudsucker Proxy'' (1994) is an homage to the screwball comedies of Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. Co-written with Raimi, the film follows a mailroom clerk (Tim Robbins) who is promoted to president of the Hudsucker corporation by a cynical director (Paul Newman) in a scheme to devalue the company's stock; a fast-talking newspaperwoman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) tries to scoop the story. Critics praised the production design but criticized the tone. It was a box office bomb ($30 million budget, $3 million gross in the US). The brothers bounced back with the "homespun murder story" '' Fargo'' (1996), set in their home state of Minnesota. In it, car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), who has serious financial problems, has his wife kidnapped so that his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell) will pay the ransom, which he plans to split with the kidnappers (Buscemi and Peter Stormare). Complications ensue, and local cop Marge Gunderson (Fargo character), Marge Gunderson (McDormand) starts to investigate. Produced on a small budget of $7 million, ''Fargo'' was a critical and commercial success, with particular praise for its dialogue and McDormand's performance. The film received several awards, including a British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA award and Prix de la mise en scène, Cannes award for direction, and two Academy Awards, Oscars: a Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay and a Academy Award for Best Actress, Best Actress Oscar for McDormand. Roger Ebert wrote that "it rotates its story through satire, comedy, suspense, and violence, until it emerges as one of the best films I've ever seen. To watch it is to experience steadily mounting delight, as you realize the filmmakers have taken enormous risks, gotten away with them, and have made a movie that is completely original, and as familiar as an old shoe – or a rubber-soled hunting boot from Land's End, more likely." ''
The Big Lebowski ''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, directed, produced and co-edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. It follows the life of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted ...
'' (1998) is a crime comedy about Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who is involved in a kidnapping case after being mistaken for a millionaire of the same name (David Huddleston.) It features Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lebowski's flunky, Goodman and Buscemi as The Dude's bowling buddies and Julianne Moore as his "special lady friend". It was influenced by Raymond Chandler's ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) and Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973 film), ''The Long Goodbye''. It has become a cult classic. An annual festival, Lebowski Fest, began in 2002, and many adhere to the philosophy of "Dudeism". ''Entertainment Weekly'' ranked it 8th on their Funniest Movies of the Past 25 Years list in 2008. It was the first collaboration between the Coens and T Bone Burnett, credited as "Music Archivist".


2000s

The Coen brothers' next film, ''
O Brother, Where Art Thou? ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 satirical comedy-drama musical film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Charles Durning, Michael Bad ...
'' (2000), was another critical and commercial success. The title was borrowed from the Preston Sturges film ''Sullivan's Travels'' (1941), whose lead character, movie director John Sullivan, had planned to make a film with that title. Based loosely on Homer's ''Odyssey'' (complete with a Cyclopes, Cyclops, Siren (mythology), sirens, ''et al.''), the story is set in Mississippi in the 1930s and follows a trio of escaped convicts who, after absconding from a chain gang, journey home to recover bank-heist loot the leader has buried—but they have no clear perception of where they are going. The film highlighted the comic abilities of George Clooney as the oddball lead character Ulysses Everett McGill, and of Tim Blake Nelson and
John Turturro John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
, his sidekicks. The film's Bluegrass music, bluegrass and old-time soundtrack, offbeat humor and Color grading, digitally desaturated cinematography made it a critical and commercial hit. It was the first feature film to use all-digital color grading. The O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack), film's soundtrack CD was also successful, spawning a concert and concert/documentary DVD, ''Down from the Mountain.'' The Coens next produced another Film Noir, noirish thriller, ''The Man Who Wasn't There (2001 film), The Man Who Wasn't There'' (2001). The Coens directed the 2003 film ''Intolerable Cruelty'', starring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, a throwback to the romantic comedies of the 1940s. It focuses on hotshot divorce lawyer Miles Massey and a beautiful divorcée whom Massey managed to prevent from receiving any money in her divorce. She vows to get even with him while, at the same time, he becomes smitten with her. ''Intolerable Cruelty'' received generally positive reviews, although it is considered one of the duo's weaker films. Also that year, they executive produced and did an uncredited rewrite of the Christmas black comedy ''
Bad Santa ''Bad Santa'' is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and starring Billy Bob Thornton in the title role, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Bre ...
'', which garnered positive reviews. In 2004, the Coens made '' The Ladykillers'', a remake of the The Ladykillers (1955 film), British classic by Ealing Studios. A professor, played by Tom Hanks, assembles a team to rob a casino. They rent a room in an elderly woman's home to plan the heist. When the woman discovers the plot, the gang decides to murder her to ensure her silence. The Coens received some of the most lukewarm reviews of their careers in response to this film. They directed two short films for two separate anthology films—''Paris, je t'aime'' (''Tuileries'', 2006) starring
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi (,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself. It is not uncommon for people to pronounce his name or instead. ; born December 13, 1957) is an American actor. He is known for his work as an acclaimed character actor. Mul ...
, and ''To Each His Own Cinema'' (''World Cinema'', 2007) starring Josh Brolin. Both films received highly positive reviews. ''
No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...
'', released in November 2007, closely follows No Country for Old Men (novel), the 2005 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), living near the Texas/Mexico border, stumbles upon, and decides to take, two million dollars in drug money. He must then go on the run to avoid those trying to recover the money, including Antisocial personality disorder, sociopathic killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who confounds both Llewelyn and local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). The plotline is a return to noir themes, but in some respects it was a departure for the Coens; with the exception of Stephen Root, none of the stable of regular actors appears in the film. ''No Country'' received nearly universal critical praise, garnering a 94% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It won four Academy Awards, including
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
and Best Adapted Screenplay, all of which were received by the Coens, as well as Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor received by Bardem. The Coens, as "Roderick Jaynes", were also nominated for Academy Award for Best Film Editing, Best Editing, but lost. It was the first time since 1961 (when Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise won for ''West Side Story (1961 film), West Side Story'') that two directors received the Academy Award for Best Director at the same time. In January 2008, Ethan Coen's play ''Almost an Evening'' premiered off-broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company Stage 2, opening to mostly enthusiastic reviews. The initial run closed on February 10, 2008, but the same production was moved to a new theatre for a commercial off-Broadway run at the Lynn Redgrave Theater, Bleecker Street Theater in New York City. Produced by The Atlantic Theater Company, it ran there from March 2008 through June 1, 2008. and Art Meets Commerce. In May 2009, the Atlantic Theater Company produced Coen's ''Offices'', as part of their mainstage season at the Linda Gross Theater. ''Burn After Reading'', a comedy starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, was released September 12, 2008, and portrays a collision course between two gym instructors, spies and Internet dating. Released to positive reviews, it debuted at No. 1 in North America. In 2009, the Coens directed a television commercial titled "Air Freshener" for the Reality Coalition. They next directed ''
A Serious Man ''A Serious Man'' is a 2009 black comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesotan Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, ...
'', released October 2, 2009, a "gentle but dark" period comedy (set in 1967) with a low budget. The film is based loosely on the Coens' childhoods in an academic family in the largely Jewish suburb of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota; it also drew comparisons to the ''Book of Job''. Filming took place late in the summer of 2008, in the neighborhoods of Roseville and Bloomington, Minnesota, at Normandale Community College, and at St. Olaf College. The film was nominated for the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.


2010s

'' True Grit'' (2010) is based on the 1968 True Grit (novel), novel of the same name by Charles Portis. Filming was done in Texas and New Mexico. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Mattie Ross along with Jeff Bridges as Marshal Rooster Cogburn (character), Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin also appear in the movie. ''True Grit'' was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture. Ethan Coen wrote the one-act comedy ''Talking Cure'', which was produced on Broadway in 2011 as part of ''Relatively Speaking (2011 play), Relatively Speaking'', an anthology of three one-act plays by Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen. In 2011, the Coen brothers won the $1 million Dan David Prize for their contribution to cinema and society. ''
Inside Llewyn Davis ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' () is a 2013 period black comedy drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1961, the film follows one week in the life of Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac in his breakthrough ...
'' (2013) is a treatise on the 1960s folk music scene in New York City's Greenwich Village, and very loosely based on the life of Dave Van Ronk. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, and Carey Mulligan. It won the Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival), Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it was highly praised by critics. They received a Golden Globe nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, Best Original Song for "Please Mr. Kennedy", which is heard in the film. ''Fargo (TV series), Fargo'', a television series inspired by their film of the same name, premiered in April 2014 on the FX (TV channel), FX network. It is created by Noah Hawley and executive produced by the brothers. The Coens also contributed to the screenplay for ''
Unbroken Unbroken may refer to: Books and film * ''Unbroken'' (book), a 2010 nonfiction book by Laura Hillenbrand about World War II hero Louis Zamperini * ''Unbroken'' (film), a 2014 film based on the Hillenbrand book * '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption' ...
'', along with Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson (writer), William Nicholson. The film is directed by
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
and based on Laura Hillenbrand's non-fiction book, ''Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption'' (2010) which itself was based on the life of Louis Zamperini. It was released on December 25, 2014, to average reviews. The Coens co-wrote, with playwright Matt Charman, the screenplay for the dramatic historical thriller '' Bridge of Spies'', about the 1960 U-2 Incident. The film was directed by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
, and released on October 4, 2015, to critical acclaim. They were nominated for the
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
at the 88th Academy Awards. The Coens directed the film ''Hail, Caesar!'', about a "Fixer (person), fixer" in 1950s Hollywood trying to discover what happened to a cast member who vanishes during filming. It stars Coen regulars George Clooney, Josh Brolin,
Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton, as well as Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, and Alden Ehrenreich. The film was released on February 5, 2016. In 2016, the Coens gave to their longtime friend and collaborator
John Turturro John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
the right to use his character of Jesus Quintana from ''The Big Lebowski'' in his own spin-off, ''The Jesus Rolls'', which he would also write and direct. The Coens have no involvement in the production. In August 2016, the film began principal photography. The Coens first wrote the script for ''Suburbicon'' in 1986. The film was eventually directed by George Clooney and began filming in October 2016. It was released by Paramount Pictures in the fall of 2017. The Coens directed ''The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'', a Western anthology starring Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson, and James Franco. It began streaming on Netflix on November 16, 2018, after a brief theatrical run.


2020s

It was announced in March 2019 that Joel Coen would be directing an adaptation of ''Macbeth'' starring Denzel Washington and
Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
. The film, titled '' The Tragedy of Macbeth'', was Joel's first directorial effort without his brother, who was taking a break from films to focus on theater. The film premiered at the 2021 New York Film Festival. The 2022 Cannes Film Festival had a special screening of '' Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind'', an archival documentary film directed solely by Ethan Coen and edited by his wife Tricia Cooke. In 2022, it was announced that Ethan Coen would be directing ''
Drive-Away Dolls ''Drive-Away Dolls'' (alternately titled onscreen as ''Henry James' Drive-Away Dykes'') is a 2024 American crime comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Tricia Cooke, who was also the film's edito ...
'' for Focus Features and Working Title from a script he co-wrote with Cooke. It would be Ethan's first narrative film without his brother. The film was released in February 2024.


Planned and uncompleted projects


Production company

The Coen brothers' own film production company, Mike Zoss Productions located in New York City, has been credited on their films from ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' onwards. It was named after Mike Zoss Drug, an independent pharmacy in St. Louis Park since 1950 that was the brothers' beloved hangout when they were growing up in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities. The name was also used for the Pharmacy (shop), pharmacy in ''No Country for Old Men''. The Mike Zoss logo consists of a crayon drawing of a horse, standing in a field of grass with its head turned around as it looks back over its hindquarters.


Directing distinctions

Up to 2003, Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing, due to Directors Guild of America, guild rules that disallowed multiple director credits to prevent dilution of the position's significance. The only Catch-22 (logic), exception to this rule is if the co-directors are an "established duo". Since 2004 they have been able to share the director credit and the Coen brothers have become only the third duo to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. With four Academy Award nominations for ''No Country for Old Men'' for the duo (
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Academy Award for Best Film Editing, Best Film Editing as Roderick Jaynes), the Coen brothers matched the record for the most nominations by a single nominee (counting an "established duo" as one nominee) for the same film. Orson Welles set the record in 1941 with ''Citizen Kane'' being nominated for Best Picture (though at the time, individual producers were not named as nominees), Best Director, Academy Award for Best Actor, Best Actor, and
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
. Warren Beatty received the same nominations, first for ''Heaven Can Wait (1978 film), Heaven Can Wait'' in 1978 and again in 1981 with ''Reds (film), Reds''. Alan Menken also then achieved the same feat when he was nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score, Best Score and triple-nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Song, Best Song for ''Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), Beauty and the Beast'' in 1991. More recently Chloé Zhao matched this record in 2021 when she was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for ''Nomadland (film), Nomadland'' (which also starred McDormand in her third Oscar-winning role). In 2025, Sean Baker matched this record at the 97th Academy Awards with his nominations for
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
,
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
, and Academy Award for Best Film Editing, Best Film Editing, winning all four to become the first person to win List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year, four Oscars in the same year since Walt Disney in 1953, and the first person to win four Oscars in the same night for the same film.


Personal lives

Joel has been married to actress
Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
since 1984. In 1995, they adopted a son from Paraguay when he was six months old. McDormand has acted in a number of Coen Brothers films: ''
Blood Simple ''Blood Simple'' is a 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film written, edited, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender ...
'', ''
Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, a former police officer ...
'', ''
Miller's Crossing ''Miller's Crossing'' is a 1990 American neo-noir gangster film written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J. E. Freeman, and Albert Finney. The plot ...
'', ''
Barton Fink ''Barton Fink'' is a 1991 American black comedy thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts f ...
'', '' Fargo'', ''The Man Who Wasn't There (2001 film), The Man Who Wasn't There'', ''Burn After Reading'', ''Hail, Caesar!'', and ''The Tragedy of Macbeth''. For her performance in ''Fargo'', she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Ethan married film editor Tricia Cooke in 1993. They have two children: a daughter and a son. The two describe their relationship as "nontraditional"; Cooke is both queer and a lesbian and Ethan is straight, and the two have polyamory, separate partners. They co-wrote the film ''
Drive-Away Dolls ''Drive-Away Dolls'' (alternately titled onscreen as ''Henry James' Drive-Away Dykes'') is a 2024 American crime comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Tricia Cooke, who was also the film's edito ...
'', which Ethan directed and Tricia edited. Ethan published ''Gates of Eden (novel), Gates of Eden'', a collection of short stories, in 1998. The same year, he co-wrote the comedy ''The Naked Man (1998 film), The Naked Man'', directed by their storyboard artist J. Todd Anderson. Ethan Coen and family live in New York, while Joel Coen and Frances McDormand live in Marin County, California.


Filmography


Collaborators


Accolades


Directed Academy Award performances

Under the Coen brothers' direction, these actors have received Academy Awards, Academy Award nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *


Further reading

* (Includes all films up to ''The Ladykillers'' and some subsidiary works [''Crimewave'', ''Down from the Mountain'', ''Bad Santa''].)


External links

* *
Coenesque: The Films of the Coen Brothers
* , no catalog records, an
Jaynes at WorldCat
(joint pseudonym)
Ethan Coen
at LC Authorities, with 38 records, an
Ethan at WorldCat

Joel Coen
at LC Authorities, with 31 records, an
Joel at WorldCat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coen Living people 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters American film editors American male screenwriters Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners Best Directing Academy Award winners Best Director BAFTA Award winners Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners Brother duos American comedy film directors Directors Guild of America Award winners Film directors from Minnesota Film producers from Minnesota Filmmaking duos Jewish American screenwriters Jews from Minnesota Postmodernist filmmakers Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Pseudonymous artists Screenwriting duos Screenwriters from Minnesota Sibling filmmakers Skydance Media people Sundance Film Festival award winners Tisch School of the Arts alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners Year of birth missing (living people)