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Ethan Coen

Known for writing · Born 21 September 1957 · 69 · Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

77 credits

Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957) is an American filmmaker, working with his brother, Joel Coen, together known as the Coen brothers(/ˈkoʊən/). Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are Blood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), No Country for Old Men (2007), A Serious Man (2009), True Grit (2010) and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). The brothers generally write, direct and produce their films jointly. However, due to regulations, Joel received sole directing credit while Ethan received sole production credit until The Ladykillers (2004). From then on, they would be credited as directors and producers and shared editing credits under the alias Roderick Jaynes. The duo started directing separately in the 2020s, resulting in Joel's The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), Ethan's Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind (2022) and Drive-Away Dolls (2024). Together, they have been nominated for 13 Academy Awards and one individual nomination. They share Best Original Screenplay for Fargo and Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country for Old Men. They won the Palme d'Or for Barton Fink at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. The Coens have written films for other directors, including Sam Raimi's Crimewave (1985), Angelina Jolie's World War II biopic Unbroken (2014) and Steven Spielberg's Cold War drama Bridge of Spies (2015). They produced Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa (2003) and John Turturro's Romance and Cigarettes (2005). Ethan is also a writer of short stories, theatre and poetry. They are known for their distinctive stylistic trademarks, including genre hybridity. No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man and Inside Llewyn Davis was included in the BBC's 2016 poll of the greatest motion pictures since 2000. In 1998, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Fargo among the 100 greatest American movies. Richard Corliss wrote of the Coens: "Dexterously flipping and reheating old movie genres like so many pancakes, they serve them up fresh, not with syrup but with a coating of comic arsenic." Description above from the Wikipedia article Coen brothers, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Known for

No Country for Old Men

2007

The Big Lebowski

1998

True Grit

2010

Burn After Reading

2008

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2018

Hail, Caesar!

2016

Inside Llewyn Davis

2013

A Serious Man

2009

Fargo

1996

Barton Fink

1991

Bridge of Spies

2015

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001

Acting (29)

2025The Coen Brothers StorySelfFilm
2022Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She CalledSelf (uncredited)Film
2016The Way of FolkSelfFilm
2016Shooting 'Blood Simple'SelfFilm
2016Blood Simple: A Conversation with Dave EggersSelfFilm
2015The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred FeetSelfFilm
2014Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis'SelfFilm
2012A Special DaySelfFilm
2008Behind the Scenes of 'No Country for Old Men': An Incredibly Unauthorized DocumentarySelfFilm
2008The Making of 'No Country for Old Men'Self - Writer/DirectorFilm
2008Finding the BurnSelfFilm
2008DC Insiders Run AmuckSelfFilm
2008Welcome Back, GeorgeSelfFilm
2004A Look Inside 'Intolerable CrueltySelfFilm
2004Leçon de CinémaSelfSeries
2003Minnesota NiceSelfFilm
2002Making "The Man Who Wasn't There"SelfFilm
2001Down from the MountainSelfFilm
2000The Coen BrothersSelfFilm
2000Inside Look: Down from the MountainSelfFilm
1998The Making of 'The Big Lebowski'SelfFilm
1998Independent FocusSelfSeries
1994American CinemaSelfSeries
1992HBO First LookSeries
1990DarkmanOldsmobile Passenger (uncredited)Film
1989Stephen King's World of HorrorSelfFilm
1985CrimewaveReporter at execution (uncredited)Film
1971Film '72SelfSeries
1953The OscarsSelf · 2 episodesSeries

Crew (7)

2025EddingtonThanksFilm
2017The Shape of WaterThanksFilm
2016The Way of FolkThanksFilm
2013StrutterThanksFilm
2001The Grey ZoneThanksFilm
1998EightThanksFilm
1997Eye of GodThanksFilm

Directing (9)

2022Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in MindDirectorFilm
2016Hail, Caesar!Director, Writer, Editor, ProducerFilm
2013Inside Llewyn DavisDirector, Producer, Editor, Writer, SongsFilm
2010True GritDirector, Screenplay, Producer, EditorFilm
2009A Serious ManDirector, Editor, Producer, WriterFilm
2008Burn After ReadingDirector, Producer, Editor, WriterFilm
2007To Each His Own CinemaDirector, WriterFilm
2006Paris Je T'aimeDirector, WriterFilm
2004The LadykillersDirector, Producer, Screenplay, EditorFilm

Editing (6)

2018The Ballad of Buster ScruggsEditor, Producer, Director, WriterFilm
2003Intolerable CrueltyEditor, Producer, ScreenplayFilm
2001The Man Who Wasn't ThereEditor, Producer, Writer, DirectorFilm
2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?Editor, Producer, WriterFilm
1998The Big LebowskiEditor, Producer, Writer, DirectorFilm
1985Blood SimpleEditor, Producer, WriterFilm

Production (11)

2025Honey Don't!Producer, Writer, DirectorFilm
2016Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux FallsExecutive ProducerFilm
2014FargoExecutive ProducerSeries
2013Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis'ProducerFilm
2007No Country for Old MenProducer, Editor, Director, WriterFilm
2006Romance & CigarettesExecutive ProducerFilm
2003Bad SantaExecutive ProducerFilm
2003Where the Girls AreExecutive ProducerFilm
2001Down from the MountainExecutive ProducerFilm
1996FargoProducer, Editor, WriterFilm
1994The Hudsucker ProxyProducer, Writer, DirectorFilm

Writing (15)

2024Drive-Away DollsWriter, Director, ProducerFilm
2019The Jesus RollsCharactersFilm
2017SuburbiconWriterFilm
2015Bridge of SpiesWriterFilm
2014UnbrokenScreenplayFilm
2012GambitWriterFilm
2009A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle ShopOriginal StoryFilm
2008Don't Mess with TexasWriterFilm
2002A Fever in the BloodOriginal StoryFilm
1998The Naked ManWriterFilm
1991Barton FinkScreenplay, Editor, Producer, DirectorFilm
1990Miller's CrossingScreenplay, ProducerFilm
1987Raising ArizonaScreenplay, ProducerFilm
1985CrimewaveWriterFilm
—Go, Beavers!Writer, Director, ProducerFilm