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Ethan Coen

Writing

Ethan Coen

Born September 21, 1957 · Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Biography

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.

Filmography

  1. 2025The Coen Brothers StorySelfMovie
  2. 2025Honey Don't!Producer, Writer, DirectorMovie
  3. 2025EddingtonThanksMovie
  4. 2024Drive-Away DollsWriter, Director, ProducerMovie
  5. 2022Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in MindDirectorMovie
  6. 2022Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She CalledSelf (uncredited)Movie
  7. 2019The Jesus RollsCharactersMovie
  8. 2018The Ballad of Buster ScruggsProducer, Editor, Director, WriterMovie
  9. 2017The Shape of WaterThanksMovie
  10. 2017SuburbiconWriterMovie
  11. 2016Shooting 'Blood Simple'SelfMovie
  12. 2016Blood Simple: A Conversation with Dave EggersSelfMovie
  13. 2016Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux FallsExecutive ProducerMovie
  14. 2016Hail, Caesar!Director, Writer, Producer, EditorMovie
  15. 2016The Way of FolkSelf, ThanksMovie
  16. 2015The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred FeetSelfMovie
  17. 2015Bridge of SpiesWriterMovie
  18. 2014UnbrokenScreenplayMovie
  19. 2014FargoExecutive ProducerSeries
  20. 2014Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis'SelfMovie
  21. 2013Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis'ProducerMovie
  22. 2013Inside Llewyn DavisDirector, Producer, Editor, Writer, SongsMovie
  23. 2013StrutterThanksMovie
  24. 2012A Special DaySelfMovie
  25. 2012GambitWriterMovie
  26. 2010True GritScreenplay, Director, Producer, EditorMovie
  27. 2009A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle ShopOriginal StoryMovie
  28. 2009A Serious ManProducer, Editor, Director, WriterMovie
  29. 2008Finding the BurnSelfMovie
  30. 2008DC Insiders Run AmuckSelfMovie
  31. 2008Welcome Back, GeorgeSelfMovie
  32. 2008Burn After ReadingEditor, Director, Producer, WriterMovie
  33. 2008Don't Mess with TexasWriterMovie
  34. 2008Behind the Scenes of 'No Country for Old Men': An Incredibly Unauthorized DocumentarySelfMovie
  35. 2008The Making of 'No Country for Old Men'Self - Writer/DirectorMovie
  36. 2007No Country for Old MenEditor, Producer, Director, WriterMovie
  37. 2007To Each His Own CinemaDirector, WriterMovie
  38. 2006Paris Je T'aimeDirector, WriterMovie
  39. 2006Romance & CigarettesExecutive ProducerMovie
  40. 2004The LadykillersEditor, Screenplay, Producer, DirectorMovie
  41. 2004Leçon de CinémaSelfSeries
  42. 2004A Look Inside 'Intolerable CrueltySelfMovie
  43. 2003Bad SantaExecutive ProducerMovie
  44. 2003Intolerable CrueltyProducer, Editor, ScreenplayMovie
  45. 2003Where the Girls AreExecutive ProducerMovie
  46. 2003Minnesota NiceSelfMovie
  47. 2002A Fever in the BloodOriginal StoryMovie
  48. 2002Making "The Man Who Wasn't There"SelfMovie
  49. 2001The Man Who Wasn't ThereEditor, Producer, Writer, DirectorMovie
  50. 2001The Grey ZoneThanksMovie
  51. 2001Down from the MountainSelf, Executive ProducerMovie
  52. 2000Inside Look: Down from the MountainSelfMovie
  53. 2000The Coen BrothersSelfMovie
  54. 2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?Editor, Producer, WriterMovie
  55. 1998The Making of 'The Big Lebowski'SelfMovie
  56. 1998EightThanksMovie
  57. 1998Independent FocusSelfSeries
  58. 1998The Naked ManWriterMovie
  59. 1998The Big LebowskiEditor, Producer, Writer, DirectorMovie
  60. 1997Eye of GodThanksMovie
  61. 1996FargoProducer, Editor, WriterMovie
  62. 1994The Hudsucker ProxyProducer, Writer, DirectorMovie
  63. 1994American CinemaSelfSeries
  64. 1992HBO First LookSeries
  65. 1991Barton FinkProducer, Editor, Screenplay, DirectorMovie
  66. 1990Miller's CrossingScreenplay, ProducerMovie
  67. 1990DarkmanOldsmobile Passenger (uncredited)Movie
  68. 1989Stephen King's World of HorrorSelfMovie
  69. 1987Raising ArizonaProducer, ScreenplayMovie
  70. 1985CrimewaveReporter at execution (uncredited), WriterMovie
  71. 1985Blood SimpleEditor, Producer, WriterMovie
  72. 1971Film '72SelfSeries
  73. 1953The OscarsSelfSeries
  74. —Go, Beavers!Director, Writer, ProducerMovie