* 23.06.1957, Gibson City, Illinois, USA
Schauspielerin * während der Highschoolzeit tritt in Schulaufführungen auf * Studium der Theaterwissenschaften am Bethany College (West Virginia; BA 1979) * setzt ihre Ausbildung an der Yale School of Drama (New Haven, Connecticut; MFA in Drama, 1982) fort * beginnt ihre Schauspielkarriere auf der Bühne (Twelfth Night, 1982; Painting Churches, 1984; Awake and Sing!, 1984; All My Sons, 1986; Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, 1988; The Sisters Rosenzweig, 1992; Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, Dublin-IRL 1998; Far Away, 2002/03; The Country Girl, 2008) * 1982 Filmdebüt in Blood Simple - erste Zusammenarbeit mit den Coen-Brüdern ("Their sets are a nice place to be. And their scripts are like plays. You don't mess with them and you don't paraphrase.", 1998) * ab 1985 wirkt auch in Fernsehproduktionen mit (Serie Leg Work, 1987) * erster Erfolg (Oscar-Nominierung) in Mississippi Burning (1988) * 1996 internationaler Durchbruch als hochschwangere Polizistin in ihrem bisher größten Hit Fargo * zeigt sich mit der Wahl ihrer Filmrollen als überaus wandelbare und vielseitige Mimin ("I'm a character actress, plain and simple /.../ Movie stars have careers - actors work, and then they don't work, and then they work again.", 1996) * 2004 Jury-Präsidentin bei der Berlinale * verheiratet mit Joel Coen (seit 1984)
# Crimewave (Die Killer-Akademie, 1983-USA * Sam Raimi / bit) (?-Herbst; 8604)
# Raising Arizona (Arizona Junior, 1986-USA * Joel Coen / Dot) (02-?; 8703)
# Mississippi Burning (Mississippi Burning - Die Wurzel des Hasses, 1988-USA; R: Alan Parker, B: Chris Gerolmo, K: Peter Biziou, M: Trevor Jones, D: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, FM-Mrs. Pell) 125m-Politthriller (03-05; 8812)
# Chattahoochee (Chattahoochee, 1988-USA * Mick Jackson / Mae Foley) (11-12; 9004)
# Darkman (Darkman, 1989-USA * Sam Raimi ... Julie Hastings) (04-08; 9008)
# Hidden Agenda (Geheimprotokoll, 1989-GB * Ken Loach / Ingrid Jessner) (08-?; 9101)
# The Butcher's Wife (Der Mann ihrer Träume, 1990-USA * Terry Hughes / Grace) (10-12; 9110)
# Passed Away (Ein verrückter Leichenschmaus, 1991-USA * Charlie Peters / Nora Scanlan) (10-12; 9204)
# Short Cuts (Short Cuts, 1992-USA * Robert Altman / Betty Weathers) (07-10; 9310)
# Beyond Rangoon (Rangoon, 1994-USA; R: John Boorman, B: Alex Lasker, Bill Rubenstein, K: John Seale, M: Hans Zimmer, D: Patricia Arquette, FM-Andy Bowman) 100m-Politdrama (02-05; 9508)
# Talk of Angels (1994-USA * Nick Hamm / Conlon) (09-11; 9810)
# Palookaville (Palookaville, 1994-USA * Alan Taylor / June) (10-12; 9610)
# Fargo (Fargo, 1995-USA * Joel Coen ... Marge Gunderson) (01-03; 9603)
# Primal Fear (Zwielicht, 1995-USA * Gregory Hoblit / Molly Arrington) (04-07; 9604)
# Lone Star (Lone Star, 1995-USA * John Sayles ... Bunny) (04-06; 9606)
# Talk of Angels (1995-USA * Nick Hamm / Conlon)
# Paradise Road (Paradise Road, 1996-USA/AUS * Bruce Beresford / Dr. Verstak) (04-07; 9704)
# Johnny Skidmarks (Skidmarks - Blutspuren / Im Fadenkreuz des Killers, 1997-CDN * John Raffo / Alice) (04-05) > nur Videovertrieb (1.85)
# Madeline (Madeline, 1997-USA * Daisy von Scherler Mayer / Miss Clavel) (09-12; 9807)
# Wonder Boys (Die WonderBoys, 1999-USA; R: Curtis Hanson, B: Steve[n] Kloves, K: Dante Spinotti, M: Christopher Young, D: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, FM-Sara Gaskell) 112m-Tragikomödie (Roman von Michael Chabon) (02-04; 0002)
# Almost Famous (Almost Famous - Fast berühmt, 1999-USA * Cameron Crowe / Elaine Miller) (05-10; 0009)
# The Man Who Wasn't There (The Man Who Wasn't There, 2000-USA * Joel Coen ... Doris) (06-09; 0110)
# City by the Sea (City by the Sea, 2000/01-USA * Michael Caton-Jones / Michelle) (11-02; 0209)
# Laurel Canyon (Laurel Canyon, 2001-USA * Lisa Cholodenko / Jane) (10-11; 0303)
# Something's Gotta Give (Was das Herz begehrt, 2003-USA * Nancy Meyers ... Zoe)
# Æon Flux (Aeon Flux, 2004-USA * Karyn Kusama / handler) (08-?; 0512)
# Friends with Money (Freunde mit Geld, 2005-USA * Nicole Holofcener / Jane) (01-?; 0604)
# North Country (2005-USA * Niki Caro ... Glory) (Buch von Clara Bingham & Laura Leedy Gansler) (02-05; 0510)
# Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2007-GB/USA * Bharat Nalluri ... Guinevere Pettigrew) (Roman von Winifred Watson) (0803)
# Burn after Reading (2007-USA/GB * Joel Coen, Ethan Coen ... Linda Litzke) (0809)
# Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Transformers 3, 2010-USA * Michael Bay / Mearing) (05-11; 1106)
# This Must Be the Place (Cheyenne - This Must Be the Place, 2010-I/F/IRL * Paolo Sorrentino / Jane) (08-10; 1108)
# Moonrise Kingdom (Moonrise Kingdom, 2011-USA * Wes Anderson / Laura Bishop) (04?05-06; 1205)
# Promised Land (Promised Land, 2012-USA * Gus Van Sant / Sue Thomason) (04-05; 1212)
# Hail, Caesar! (Hail, Caesar!, 2014/15-GB/USA * Joel Coen, Ethan Coen / C.C. Calhoun) (11-01; 1602)
# Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 2016-USA/GB * Martin McDonagh / Mildred Hayes) (05-06; 1711)
# Nomadland (Nomadland, 2018/19-USA; R+B: Chloé Zhao, K: Joshua James Richards, M: Ludovico Einaudi, D: Frances McDormand: Fern, David Strathairn: Dave, Linda May: Linda, Swankie: Swankie) 108m-Drama (Buch von Jessica Bruder, 2017) (09-02 > 4 Monate; 2102)
# The French Dispatch (The French Dispatch, 2018/19-USA; R+B: Wes Anderson, K: Robert D. Yeoman, M: Alexandre Desplat, D: Mathieu Amalric: Commissaire ° Adrien Brody: Julian Cadazio ° Timothée Chalamet: Zeffirelli ° Benicio Del Toro: Moses Rosenthaler ° Lyna Khoudri: Juliette ° Frances McDormand: Lucinda Krementz ° Bill Murray: Arthur Howitzer, Jr. ° Stephen/Steve Park: Nescaffier ° Léa Seydoux: Simone ° Tilda Swinton: J.K.L. Berensen ° Owen Wilson: Herbsaint Sazerac ° Jeffrey Wright: Roebuck Wright, Liev Schreiber: Talkshow-Moderator, Elisabeth Moss: Alumna, Edward Norton: Chauffeur, Willem Dafoe: Albert "the Abacus", Lois Smith: Upshur "Maw" Clampette, Saoirse Ronan: Junkie/Showgirl, Christoph Waltz: Paul Duval, Cécile de France: Mrs. B, Guillaume Gallienne: Mr. B, Jason Schwartzman: Hermes Jones, Tony Revolori: junger Rosenthaler, Rupert Friend: Drill-Sergeant, Henry Winkler: Onkel Joe, Bob Balaban: Onkel Nick, Hippolyte Girardot: Chou-fleur, Anjelica Huston [Stimme]: narrator) 108m-Tragikomödie (11-03; 2110) AT: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
# The Tragedy of Macbeth (The Tragedy of Macbeth, 2020-USA; R+B: Joel Coen, K: Bruno Delbonnel, M: Carter Burwell, D: Denzel Washington: Macbeth ° Frances McDormand: Lady Macbeth, Bertie Carvel: Banquo, Alex Hassell: Ross, Corey Hawkins: Macduff, Harry Melling: Malcolm & Brendan Gleeson: König Duncan) 105m-Tragödie (Bühnenstück von William Shakespeare, 1611) (02-03 & 07; 2112)
# Women Talking (Die Aussprache, 2021-USA; R+B: Sarah Polley, K: Luc Montpellier, M: Hildur Guðnadóttir, D: Rooney Mara: Ona ° Claire Foy: Salome ° Jessie Buckley: Mariche ° Judith Ivey: Agata & Ben Whishaw: August & Frances McDormand: "Scarface" Janz) 105m-Drama (Roman Women Talking von Miriam Toews) (07-09; 2212)
> National Board of Review Award (beste Darstellerin) für Fargo (1996)
> Academy Award / Oscar (beste Hauptdarstellerin) für Fargo (1997)
> London Critics Circle Film Award (Schauspielerin des Jahres) für Fargo (1997)
> Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award (beste Nebendarstellerin) für Wonder Boys & Almost Famous (2000)