Frances McDormand
| Frances McDormand | |
|---|---|
 On the set of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day in May 2007 |
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| Born | Frances Louise McDormand June 23, 1957 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | Joel Coen (1984–present) |
Frances Louise McDormand[1] (born June 23, 1957) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1996 for her role as Marge Gunderson in Fargo.
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Early life
McDormand was born in Chicago, Illinois and was adopted by the McDormands, a Canadian couple: Noreen, a registered nurse and receptionist, and Vernon, a Disciples of Christ pastor. Frances has said that her biological mother may have been one of the parishioners at Vernon's church.[2] She has a sister, Dorothy A. McDormand, who is an ordained Disciples of Christ minister and chaplain,[3] as well as two other siblings, all of whom were adopted by the McDormands, who had no biological children. As her father specialized in restoring congregations,[2] he frequently moved their family, and they lived in several small towns in Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee,[4] before settling in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area town of Monessen, where she graduated from high school in 1975. She attended Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, and earned a B.A. in Theater in 1979.
In 1982, McDormand earned an M.F.A. from the Yale University School of Drama. She was roommates with Holly Hunter at the time. Her first professional acting job was in Trinidad and Tobago, performing in a play written by poet Derek Walcott and funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Career
McDormand's film debut was in Joel and Ethan Coen's first film, 1984's Blood Simple. In 1985, McDormand, the Coen brothers, Holly Hunter, and director Sam Raimi shared a house in the Bronx. In 1987 she appeared as the wacky neighbor Dot in the hit film Raising Arizona starring Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage.
In addition to her early film roles, McDormand played Connie Chapman in the fifth season of the television police drama Hill Street Blues. In 1988, she played Stella Kowalski in a stage production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. Frances McDormand is an associate member of the experimental theater company The Wooster Group.
McDormand appeared in several theatrical and television roles during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. She has gained renown and critical acclaim for her dramatic work, and is a respected actress, having been nominated for Academy Awards four times. In 1988, she was nominated for a Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Mississippi Burning; in 1996, she won the Academy award for Best Actress for her performance as police chief Marge Gunderson in Fargo; in 2000, she earned her second nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of an overbearing mother in Almost Famous. Also for Almost Famous, she won the Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Chicago Film Critics Association, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, San Diego Film Critics Society, Southeastern Film Critics Association, and the Florida Film Critics Circle. For her role in Wonder Boys (2000), she won Best Supporting Actress from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Florida Film Critics Circle, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
In 2006, McDormand received her third Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance in 2005's North Country, although she lost to Rachel Weisz. She also had a role in the film Friends with Money, a dark comedy co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack, and directed by Nicole Holofcener. She recently received an Independent Spirit Award for her role in Friends with Money. She also voiced the role of the lady principal Melanie Upfoot in the Simpsons episode Girls Just Want to Have Sums, which aired on April 30, 2006. McDormand has recently starred in the films Burn After Reading and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. McDormand has recently signed on to Transformers 3, the sequel to the hit film, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. She will play the US government's National Intelligence Director alongside Burn After Reading co-star John Malkovich.
Personal life
McDormand has been married to director Joel Coen since 1984, and the two adopted a son from Paraguay, Pedro McDormand Coen, in 1994. They live in New York City. McDormand has starred in six of the Coen Brothers films, including a minor appearance in Miller's Crossing, a secondary role in Raising Arizona and lead roles in Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo, for which she won an Academy Award, and more recently Burn After Reading. Additionally, she contributed an uncredited offscreen (voice only) appearance to the opening scene in the Coens' Barton Fink.
Frances McDormand also participates as a member of the Jury for the NYICFF, a local New York City Film Festival dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18.[5]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Blood Simple | Abby | |
| 1985 | Crimewave | Nun | |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues | Connie Chapman | six episodes |
| 1985 | Scandal Sheet | TV | |
| 1985 | Hunter | Nina Sloan | Episode: "The Garbage Man" |
| 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Mary | Episode: "A Day's Wages" |
| 1986 | Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo | Brigette | |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Amanda Strickland | (segment "Need to Know") |
| 1987 | Raising Arizona | Dot | |
| 1987 | Leg Work | Willie Pipal | seven episodes |
| 1988 | Mississippi Burning | Mrs. Pell | Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1989 | Chattahoochee | Mae Foley | |
| 1990 | Miller's Crossing | Mayor's secretary | uncredited |
| 1990 | Darkman | Julie Hastings | |
| 1990 | Hidden Agenda | Ingrid Jessner | |
| 1991 | The Butcher's Wife | Grace | |
| 1991 | Barton Fink | Stage Actress (voice) | uncredited |
| 1992 | Passed Away | Nora Scanlan | |
| 1992 | Sôsei kishi Gaiâsu | Pool Girl | (voice: English version) |
| 1992 | Crazy in Love | Clare | TV |
| 1993 | Short Cuts | Betty Weathers | Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award Volpi Cup |
| 1994 | Bleeding Hearts | Woman on TV | |
| 1995 | Palookaville | June | |
| 1995 | The Good Old Boys | Eve Calloway | TV |
| 1995 | Beyond Rangoon | Andy Bowma | |
| 1996 | Primal Fear | Dr. Molly Arrington | |
| 1996 | Plain Pleasures | ||
| 1996 | Fargo | Marge Gunderson | Academy Award for Best Actress American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress Empire Award for Best Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actress of the Year National Board of Review Award for Best Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress |
| 1996 | Lone Star | Bunny | Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1996 | Hidden in America | Gus | Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1997 | Paradise Road | Dr. Verstak | |
| 1998 | Madeline | Miss Clavel | |
| 1998 | Talk of Angels | Conlon | |
| 1998 | Johnny Skidmarks | Alice | |
| 2000 | Wonder Boys | Dean Sara Gaskell | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2000 | Almost Famous | Elaine Miller | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Drama/Romance Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 2001 | The Man Who Wasn't There | Doris Crane | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2001 | State of Grace | Narrator, Adult Hannah (voice) | unknown episodes |
| 2001 | Upheaval | Anne | Short film |
| 2002 | City by the Sea | Michelle | |
| 2002 | Laurel Canyon | Jane | Gijón International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female |
| 2003 | Something's Gotta Give | Zoe Barry | |
| 2004 | Last Night | Marit Such | Short film |
| 2005 | Æon Flux | The Handler | |
| 2005 | Precinct Hollywood | Narrator (voice) | TV |
| 2005 | North Country | Glory Dodge | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 2006 | Friends with Money | Jane | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female |
| 2006 | The Simpsons | Melanie Upfoot | Episode: "Girls Just Want to Have Sums" |
| 2008 | Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day | Guinevere Pettigrew | |
| 2008 | Burn After Reading | Linda Litzke | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 2011 | Transformers 3 | National Intelligence Director | filming |
| 2011 | This Must Be The Place | pre-production |
References
- ↑ Crowe, Cameron. Frances McDormand interview. Interview. October 2000. FindArticles.com. 25 December 2007
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "''Naked ambition''. theage.com.au. 25 October 2003". Theage.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/22/1066631495804.html. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ↑ "''Disciples "PK" wins best actress' award''. Disciples News Service Release. 31 March 2007". Disciples.org. http://www.disciples.org/dns/releases97/97b21.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ↑ "''I'd love to play a psycho killer''. film.guardian.co.uk. 26 January 2001". Film.guardian.co.uk. http://film.guardian.co.uk/oscars2001/storynav/0,7677,437576,00.html. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ↑ "NYICFF Jury". Gkids.com. http://gkids.com/?section=jury. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
External links
- Frances McDormand at the Internet Movie Database
- Frances McDormand at the Internet Broadway Database
- Frances McDormand at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Frances McDormand at TV.com
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