Frances McDormand is one of the most prolific actresses working today. The headstrong entertainer turns in impeccable performances every single time, garnering awards and accolades with a poise not unlike some of the characters she’s played over her forty-year career.
Having received seven Oscar nominations and four total wins⏤three for Best Actress and one as a producer for the 2021 Best Picture winner, Nomadland⏤McDormand is a bona fide powerhouse. Here she is accepting that award for her portrait of a wayward nomad during the Great Recession.
McDormand is as popular now as she ever has been, championing women’s rights and minority representation across the globe. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she discussed women in motion pictures at the Cannes Film Festival, which you can watch below. You should also take a look at this Vogue article detailing some of McDormand’s most iconic moments.
For those who have just come to know her work, it may be interesting to note that the Fargo star values her anonymity. Which begs the question, where did this Hollywood idol come from?
Frances McDormand is originally from Gibson City, Illinois. Born Cynthia Ann Smith, she was later adopted and renamed Frances Louise McDormand by her new parents. Her father, a Disciples of Christ Pastor, moved the family often during McDormand’s childhood, which resulted in McDormand living in small towns all over the midwest before she started her New York acting career in the early ’80s.
Not without her quirks, the character actor-turned-leading lady tends to keep to herself. Married to director and fellow collaborator Joel Coen, McDormand has carved out a quiet life in the sleepy beach community of Bolinas, California since moving there in 2005.
Check out this wonderful article detailing McDormand and Coen’s unique love affair.
Quick-witted and infinitely interesting to hear from, Frances defies what it means to be a woman in show business and stays humble doing so. During a panel discussing her film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, McDormand talked about what it takes to get into character.
Frances McDormand is the type of celebrity all others should aspire to be. She’s endearing, funny, and most importantly, a good person. Those qualities can be hard to come by in certain circles, and if anything else we should all attempt to live our lives with as much gusto as the actress who shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
