McDORMAND, Frances 1957–
(Francis McDorman, Fran McDormand)

PERSONAL

Born June 23, 1957, in Illinois; raised in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania; daughter of Vernon (a Disciples of Christ minister) and Noreen McDormand; married Joel Coen (a director and writer), 1984; children: Pedro. Education: Bethany College, undergraduate degree in theatre; Yale University School of Drama, M.F.A, 1982. Avocational Interests: Cooking, reading.

Addresses: Agent— Endeavor, 9701 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Manager— Artist Independent Network, 270 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012. Publicist— PMK/HBH, 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Career: Actress. Performer in a theatrical troupe in Trinidad, beginning in 1982; appeared in commercials. Also worked as a cashier.

Awards, Honors: Carol Dye Award for Excellence, 1982; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a play, 1988, for A Streetcar Named Desire; National Board of Review Award, best supporting actress, 1988, and Academy Award nomination, best supporting actress, 1989, both for Mississippi Burning; Volpi Cup (with others), Venice International Film Festival, best ensemble cast, 1993, and Golden Globe Special Award (with others), best ensemble cast, 1994, both for Short Cuts; Lone Star Film and Television Award, best supporting actress, 1996, for Lone Star; San Diego Film Critics Society Award and National Board of Review Award, both 1996, Academy Award, New York Film Critics Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, Chicago Film Critics Award, Southeastern Film Critics Association Award, and Empire Award, all best actress, Screen Actors Guild Award, outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, Independent Spirit Award, best female lead, Golden Satellite Award, best actress in a motion picture—drama, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a motion picture—comedy/musical, British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a leading role, ALFS Award, London Critics Circle Award, actress of the year, and American Comedy Award, funniest actress in a motion picture, all 1997, all for Fargo; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or special, 1997, for Hidden in America; Gotham Actor Award, 1998; Tribute to Independent Vision Award, Sundance Film Festival, 1998; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Sierra Award nomination, and Boston Society of Film Critics Award, all 2000, and Florida Film Critics Award and Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, both 2001, all best supporting actress, all for Almost Famous and Wonder Boys; San Diego Film Critics Society Award, best supporting actress, 2000, Academy Award nomination, best actress in a supporting role, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture, British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role, Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best supporting actress, Southeastern Film Critics Award, best supporting actress, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination (with others), outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role—comedy or musical, Chicago Film Critics Association Award, best supporting actress, Blockbuster Entertainment Award, favorite supporting actress—drama/romance, and American Comedy Award nomination, funniest supporting actress in a motion picture, all 2001, all for Almost Famous; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, 2002, for The Man Who Wasn't There; Independent Spirit Award nomination, best supporting female, 2004, for Laurel Canyon.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Abby, Blood Simple, Circle Films, 1984.

(As Fran McDormand) Nun, Crimewave (also known as Broken Hearts and Noses and The XYZ Murders ), Columbia, 1986.

Dot, Raising Arizona, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1987.

Mrs. Pell, Mississippi Burning, Orion, 1988.

Julie Hastings, Darkman, Universal, 1990.

Ingrid Jessner, Hidden Agenda, Hemdale, 1990.

Mae Foley, Chattahoochee, Hemdale, 1990.

(Uncredited) Secretary, Miller's Crossing, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1990.

Grace, The Butcher's Wife, Paramount, 1991.

Nora Scanlan, Passed Away, Buena Vista, 1992.

(English version; as Francis McDorman) Voice of pool girl, Sosei kishi Gaiarth (also known as Genesis Survivor Gaiarth ), 1992.

Betty Weathers, Short Cuts, Fine Line Features, 1993.

Woman on television, Bleeding Hearts (also known as Fatal Destiny ), 1994.

Andy Bowman, Beyond Rangoon, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1995.

Plain Pleasures, 1996.

Dr. Molly Arrington, Primal Fear, Paramount, 1996.

June, Palookaville, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1996.

Bunny, Lone Star, Columbia, 1996.

Marge Gunderson, Fargo, Gramercy Pictures, 1996.

Dr. Verstak, Paradise Road, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1997.

Conlon, Talk of Angels, Miramax, 1998.

Miss Clavel, Madeline, Columbia/TriStar, 1998.

Sara Gaskell, Wonder Boys (also known as Die Wonder Boys ), Paramount, Paramount, 1999.

Herself, Wonder Boys: A Look between the Pages (documentary short), Paramount, 2000.

Voice, Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, Social Media Productions, 2000.

Elaine Miller, Almost Famous (also known as Untitled: Almost Famous the Bootleg Cut ), DreamWorks, 2000.

Doris Crane, The Man Who Wasn't There, USA Films, 2001.

Anne, Upheaval (short), 2001.

Jane, Laurel Canyon, Sony Pictures Classics, 2002.

Michelle, City by the Sea (also known as The Suspect ), Warner Bros., 2002.

Herself, Minnesota Nice (short), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, Inc., 2003.

Zoe Barry, Something's Gotta Give, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2003.

Catwoman, Warner Bros., 2004.

Television Appearances; Series:

Connie Chapman, a recurring role, Hill Street Blues, NBC, 1985.

Willie Pipal, Leg Work, CBS, 1987.

Voice of narrator/Adult Hannah, State of Grace, Fox Family Channel, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Scandal Sheet (also known as The Devil's Bed ), ABC, 1985.

Brigette, Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo (also known as Vengeance ), CBS, 1986.

Clare, Crazy in Love, TNT, 1992.

Eve Calloway, The Good Old Boys, TNT, 1995.

Alice, Johnny Skidmarks, HBO, 1998.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Luck, Trust and Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country, syndicated, 1994.

Caro, "Handler," Talking With, 1995.

Gus, Hidden in America, Showtime, 1996.

Inside the Academy Awards, TNT, 1997.

Herself, Searching for Debra Winger, Showtime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, 1997.

The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997.

Presenter, The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998.

Herself, 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000.

The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

(As Fran McDormand) "The Garbage Man," Hunter, 1985.

Amanda Strickland, "Need to Know," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1986.

Jessie Moore, The Equalizer, CBS, 1986.

Narrator, "The Edge of Hollywood," American Cinema, PBS, 1995.

Also appeared in Spenser: For Hire, ABC.

Stage Appearances:

"Rococo," Winterset: Four New American Plays, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1980.

Vivie, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1981.

Twelfth Night, Alliance Theatre Company, Atlanta, GA, 1982.

Painting Churches, Lamb's Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Hennie Berger, Awake and Sing!, Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City, 1984.

The Three Sisters, Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, 1985.

Ann Deever, All My Sons, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1986.

Stella Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire, Circle in the Square Theatre, 1988.

A Moon for the Misbegotten, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1990–1991.

Pfeni, The Sisters Rosenweig, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1992.

The Swan, Public Theatre, New York City, 1993.

Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire, Gate Theatre, Dublin, Ireland, 1998.

Merope, Oedipus, CSC Theatre, New York City, 1998.

Harper, Far Away, New York Theater Workshop, New York City, 2002–2003.

Oenone, To You, the Birdie!, St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City, 2002.

Arden of Faversham (staged reading), Classic Stage Company, New York City, 2003.

Also appeared in King of Connecticut; appeared in productions in Trinidad, beginning in 1982.

RECORDINGS

Taped Readings:

Missing May, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio, 1996.

"People Like That Are the Only People Here," The New Yorker Out Loud, 1998.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Newsmakers 1997, Issue 4, Gale, 1997.

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, April 12, 1996, p. 36.

Variety, May 4, 1998, p. 89.