You Won’t Believe Where She Studied Acting
Frances McDormand was honored as Best Actress for her performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”.
But this famed actress has earned much more and even studied at one of the most prestigious acting schools in the country.
McDormand, who was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1957, was adopted by her Canadian parents and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Her family travelled a lot because her father was a preacher for the Disciples of Christ. When they did settle down in Pennsylvania, McDormand got her taste of the limelight when she starred as Lady Macbeth in a school production.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Bethany College in ’79, the actress went on to receive her master’s degree at Yale School of Acting, one of the most prestigious acting schools in the U.S.
She eventually moved to New York where she met Joel and Ethan Coen who gave her the lead role as the unfaithful wife in “Blood Simple,” a low-budget, but critically acclaim film that marked not only her career but also her relationship with Joel Coen, who she married in 1984.
NOTABLE MCDORMAND FILMS
McDormand is mostly known thanks to her roles in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Fargo.” In the latter film, McDormand submerged herself into the role of Marge Gunderson, a pregnant cop fixed on solving crimes in Minnesota. Her role in the film earned her the Best Actress critical prize from several award ceremonies, including the Oscars, for her role.
Her film experience also spills over into the TV movies category, as she starred alongside Holly Hunter in “Crazy in Love” and played a part in “The Good Old Boys,” Tommy Lee Jones’ first movie as a director. McDormand also held notable roles in “Burn After Reading,” “Almost Famous,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” and “Primal Fear.”
McDormand is also famous for playing roles in a number of lesser-known movies.
LIFE AND TRIVIA
McDormand is still married to her husband, Joel Coen, and adopted a child with him, Pedro McDormand. Many reporters who asked her about how she got her role in a lot of the movie’s she starred in often have a chuckle when she reminded them that she plays the leading lady in many of her husband’s films. She often says she “sleeps with the director,” her husband.
McDormand’s career has been studded with awards. She was one of 26 actresses to receive an Academy Award for her performance in a comedy, and she was the 23rd performer to have won the “Triple Crown of Acting,” a title given to those who have received an Oscar, an Emmy, and a tony. Her Emmy was for “Olive Kitteridge” and her Tony was for the play “Good People.”
Few people also know that McDormand has been active in a few animated films, including “Madagascar 3” in which she voices Captain Chantel DuBois, and “The Good Dinosaur.”
