Frances McDormand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frances McDormand
McDormand in 2015
Born	Cynthia Ann Smith (1957-06-23) June 23, 1957 (age 67) Gibson City, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Bethany College (B.A.) Yale University (M.F.A.)
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1982–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Joel Coen ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and producer. She is famous for her roles in smaller, independent films. Frances has won many awards, including four Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), two Primetime Emmy Awards, and one Tony Award. This makes her one of the few actors to win the "Triple Crown of Acting" (an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony). She has also won three BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Her movies have earned over $2 billion worldwide!

Frances McDormand has been married to Joel Coen since 1984. He is one half of the famous Coen brothers directing duo. She has acted in many of their films, like Blood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), and Fargo (1996). Frances won three Best Actress Oscars for her roles in Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Nomadland (2020). For Nomadland, she also won the Academy Award for Best Picture as a producer. This made her the first person to win Oscars as both a producer and an actor for the same movie!

On TV, Frances starred in and produced the miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014). This role earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards. On stage, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Good People (2011).

About Frances McDormand

Her Early Life

Frances McDormand was born Cynthia Ann Smith on June 23, 1957, in Gibson City, Illinois. When she was one and a half years old, she was adopted by Noreen and Vernon McDormand. They renamed her Frances Louise McDormand. Her adoptive mother was a nurse, and her adoptive father was a pastor. Both of her parents were originally from Canada. Frances also has an adopted sister, Dorothy, and an adopted brother, Kenneth. The McDormands did not have any biological children.

Because her father helped new churches, the family moved often. They lived in several small towns in Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. They finally settled in Monessen, Pennsylvania, where Frances graduated from high school in 1975. She studied theater at Bethany College and earned her degree in 1979. In 1982, she earned a higher degree from the Yale School of Drama. While living in New York City, she shared a room with actress Holly Hunter.

Starting Her Acting Career (1980s)

Frances McDormand's first professional acting job was in a play called In a Fine Castle. In 1984, she made her first movie, Blood Simple. This was the very first film made by her husband, Joel Coen, and his brother, Ethan Coen.

In 1985, Frances appeared in the movie Crimewave and an episode of the TV show Hunter. In 1987, she played the quirky friend Dot in Raising Arizona, starring Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage. She also played Connie Chapman in the TV police drama Hill Street Blues. In 1988, she acted in the play A Streetcar Named Desire and was nominated for a Tony Award. Frances is also part of an experimental theater group called The Wooster Group.

Frances became more well-known for her serious acting roles in films during the 1980s. In 1989, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mississippi Burning (1988). Critics praised her performance, saying she was "memorable" in the film.

Becoming a Star with Fargo (1990s)

Frances McDormand has worked many times with the Coen brothers. She won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for their movie Fargo.

In 1990, Frances worked with director Sam Raimi again in Darkman. She also appeared in the Coen brothers' movie Miller's Crossing and the political thriller Hidden Agenda. The next year, she was in the romantic comedy The Butcher's Wife. In 1993, Frances co-starred in Robert Altman's movie Short Cuts. The whole cast won a special award at the 50th Venice International Film Festival.

In 1996, Frances McDormand starred as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief, in the movie Fargo. The Coen brothers wrote and directed this film. She received huge praise for her acting and won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Many critics called Fargo one of the best films ever, and praised Frances's performance. The character of Marge Gunderson was even named one of the greatest screen heroes! Also in 1996, Frances played a psychiatrist in Primal Fear and appeared in Lone Star.

In 1997, Frances was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the TV movie Hidden in America (1996). She also co-starred in the war drama Paradise Road. In 1998, Frances played the strict but kind nun Miss Clara Clavel in the family movie Madeline.

An Established Actress (2000s)

In 2001, Frances was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role as an overprotective mother in Almost Famous (2000). She also won awards for her part in Wonder Boys (2000). Frances played Doris Crane in the Coen Brothers' film The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001).

In 2002, she starred with Robert De Niro in City by the Sea. She also played a free-spirited music producer in Laurel Canyon, which earned her another award nomination. The next year, she was in the romantic comedy Something's Gotta Give. In 2005, Frances co-starred with Charlize Theron in the true-life drama North Country. This role earned her many nominations, including an Oscar. That same year, she was also in the science fiction action movie Æon Flux.

Frances McDormand on the set of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day in 2007

In 2007, Frances won an award for her role in the comedy Friends with Money (2006). She also voiced the character of Principal Melanie Upfoot in an episode of The Simpsons. In 2008, Frances starred in the romantic comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and the dark comedy Burn After Reading. The latter earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

Continued Success (2010s)

In 2011, Frances appeared with Sean Penn in This Must Be the Place. She also joined her Burn After Reading co-star John Malkovich in the action movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon. She played the US government's National Intelligence Director. Frances returned to the stage in the play Good People. Her performance won her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

In the animated film Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012), Frances voiced Captain Chantel Dubois. She even sang a French song in the movie! That same year, she co-starred in Wes Anderson's movie Moonrise Kingdom and with Matt Damon in Promised Land.

In 2014, HBO aired a miniseries called Olive Kitteridge. Frances co-produced and starred in it. For her role, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. With this Emmy win, Frances became the twelfth actress in history to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". As a producer for Olive Kitteridge, she also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. In 2015, Frances voiced Momma Ida in the Pixar animated film The Good Dinosaur.

In 2017, Frances starred in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Her performance was highly praised. She won her second Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. During the awards season, her speeches gained a lot of attention.

In 2018, Frances voiced Interpreter Nelson in Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated film Isle of Dogs. The next year, she voiced God in the TV series Good Omens.

Recent Work and Achievements (2020s)

In 2020, Frances produced and starred in Chloé Zhao's movie Nomadland. She played Fern, a woman who lives as a nomad in the American West. Frances received amazing reviews for her acting. She won her third Academy Award for Best Actress and her second BAFTA Award for Best Actress. As a producer for the film, Frances also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This made her the first person ever to win Oscars as both a producer and an actor for the same movie! She is also only the second woman to win Best Actress three times.

In 2021, Frances received more praise for her roles as Lady Macbeth in Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth and Lucinda Krementz in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch. In 2022, Frances produced and appeared in Women Talking. This film was also highly praised and nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Her Family Life

Frances McDormand has been married to director Joel Coen since 1984. In 1995, they adopted a son from Paraguay when he was six months old. The family lives in Marin County, California.

Awards and Recognitions

Frances McDormand in 2022

Frances McDormand has won many awards. These include three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Tony Award. She has won three Best Actress Oscars for her roles in Fargo (1996), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Nomadland (2020). For producing Nomadland, she also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This made her the first person in history to win Oscars as both a producer and an actor for the same film.

She has received eight Oscar nominations in total (six for acting, two for producing). Here are her Oscar wins and nominations:

• 61st Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Mississippi Burning (1988)
• 69th Academy Awards: Won Best Actress for Fargo (1996)
• 73rd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Almost Famous (2000)
• 78th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for North Country (2005)
• 90th Academy Awards: Won Best Actress for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
• 93rd Academy Awards: Won Best Actress for Nomadland (2020)
• 93rd Academy Awards: Won Best Picture for Nomadland (2020)
• 95th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Picture for Women Talking (2022)

According to the website Rotten Tomatoes, which collects movie reviews, some of Frances McDormand's most praised films include:

See also

In Spanish: Frances McDormand para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
• List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees