Getty American director Joel Coen and his wife and actress Frances McDormand attend the Spanish premiere of the film "The Man Who Wasn't There" at the Palacio de la Musica Cinema April 10, 2002 in Madrid, Spain.
Frances McDormand is up for Best Actress at the 2018 Oscars, for her role as Mildred Hayes in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She actually already has one Best Actress Oscar under her belt, for her 1997 role in the movie Fargo. On the movie, McDormand worked with her husband, Joel Coen, with whom she has been with for over three decades, according to Bustle. Get to know more about the couple, along with Coen’s background, in our 5 Fast Facts below.
1. McDormand’s Wedding Ring Is Coen’s Ex-Wife’s Ring
GettyDirector Joel Coen and actress Frances McDormand attend a press conference during the 10th Rome Film Fest on October 16, 2015 in Rome, Italy.
This is not Coen’s first marriage, and according to Good Housekeeping, he tied the knot with McDormand in 1984. The couple waited ten years and lived together before they got married. What’s an unusual fact is that McDormand’s ring actually belonged to Coen’s ex-wife, according to The New York Times. McDormand apparently felt it was practical to take the ring and not let the jewelry go to waste.
2. Coen Works As a Team With His Brother Ethan
GettyFrances McDormand and Joel Coen attend the ‘Olive Kitteridge Part 3-4’ – Premiere during the 71st Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2014 in Venice, Italy.
Ethan and Joel Coen are known as the Coen Brothers when it comes to film and McDormand has worked with them on several big movies. The duo’s most famous films include Miller’s Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, and True Grit. The brothers produce, direct, edit and write for their films, making them a one-stop shop. Their production company, Mike Zoss Productions, is located in New York City.
3. Pedro McDormand Coen Is Their Only Child
GettyActress Frances McDormand, Pedro McDormand Coen, and US director Joel Coen arrive for an interview with an audience during the Rome Film Fest, on October 16, 2015 in Rome.
McDormand and Coen adopted a baby from Paraguay in 1995, and his name is Pedro McDormand Coen. Today, Pedro is a 24-year-old trainer, who also works as a grip on Coen’s movie sets, according to the NY Times. McDormand, herself, was adopted.
4. Coen Won Two Oscars When Working With McDormand on Fargo
GettyFrances McDormand arrives with husband Joel Coen, nominee for Best Director, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, 24 March, for the 69th Academy Awards ceremony. McDormand and Coen were both nominated for “Fargo.”
Along with Ethan Coen (Joel’s brother), Joel Coen won an Oscars in 1997 for the movie Fargo, which starred McDormand, for Best Screenplay. He also took home an Oscar win that year for film editing with Fargo. By the sound of things, the movie was a bit of a family affair. Bustle previously reported that Coen encouraged McDormand to star in 2018 Oscar-nominated film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
5. The Couple’s First Meeting Was at an Audition
GettyUS actress Frances McDormand and US director Joel Coen pose during a photocall before meeting the audience at the Rome Film Festival, on October 16, 2015 in Rome.
According to Yahoo, the couple first met when McDormand auditioned for Blood Simple, Coen and his brother’s first movie together. The brothers wrote the 1984 movie, and Coen was the director. McDormand actually got a call-back after the audition, but she declined, because she “promised to watch her then boyfriend make his two-line debut on a TV soap.” Despite this, McDormand went on to star in the film. Coen told the New York Times that McDormand’s rejecting the call-back is the kind of attitude they wanted for their character.