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Joel Coen

Known For
Directing

Known Credits
29

Gender
Male

Birthday
November 29, 1954 (71 years old)

Place of Birth
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Joel Coen

Biography

Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) is an American filmmaker, working with his brother, Ethan 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 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.

Known For

Production

2025The Bend in the River...Executive Producer
2021The Tragedy of Macbeth...Producer
2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs...Producer
2016Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls...Executive Producer
2016Hail, Caesar!...Producer
2014Fargo...Executive Producer
2013Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis'...Producer
2013Inside Llewyn Davis...Producer
2010True Grit...Producer
2009A Serious Man...Producer
2008Burn After Reading...Producer
2007No Country for Old Men...Producer
2005Romance & Cigarettes...Executive Producer
2004The Ladykillers...Producer
2003Bad Santa...Executive Producer
2001The Man Who Wasn't There...Producer
2001Down from the Mountain...Executive Producer
Jack of Spades...Producer

Crew

2025Eddington...Thanks
2017The Shape of Water...Thanks
2016The Way of Folk...Thanks
2001The Grey Zone...Thanks
1998Eight...Thanks
1997Eye of God...Thanks

Directing

2021The Tragedy of Macbeth...Director
2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs...Director
2016Hail, Caesar!...Director
2013Inside Llewyn Davis...Director
2010True Grit...Director
2009A Serious Man...Director
2008Burn After Reading...Director
2007No Country for Old Men...Director
2007To Each His Own Cinema...Director
2006Paris Je T'aime...Director
2004The Ladykillers...Director
2003Intolerable Cruelty...Director
2001The Man Who Wasn't There...Director
2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?...Director
1998The Big Lebowski...Director
1996Fargo...Director
1994The Hudsucker Proxy...Director
1991Barton Fink...Director
1990Miller's Crossing...Director
1987Raising Arizona...Director
1985Blood Simple...Director
Jack of Spades...Director

Writing

2021The Tragedy of Macbeth...Screenplay
2019The Jesus Rolls...Characters
2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs...Writer
2017Suburbicon...Writer
2016Hail, Caesar!...Writer
2015Bridge of Spies...Writer
2014Unbroken...Screenplay
2013Inside Llewyn Davis...Writer
2012Gambit...Writer
2010True Grit...Screenplay
2009A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop...Original Story
2009A Serious Man...Writer
2008Burn After Reading...Writer
2007No Country for Old Men...Writer
2007To Each His Own Cinema...Writer
2006Paris Je T'aime...Writer
2004The Ladykillers...Screenplay
2003Intolerable Cruelty...Screenplay
2001The Man Who Wasn't There...Writer
2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?...Writer
1998The Big Lebowski...Writer
1996Fargo...Writer
1994The Hudsucker Proxy...Writer
1991Barton Fink...Screenplay
1990Miller's Crossing...Screenplay
1987Raising Arizona...Screenplay
1985Crimewave...Writer
1985Blood Simple...Writer
Jack of Spades...Writer

Editing

2021The Tragedy of Macbeth...Editor
2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs...Editor
2016Hail, Caesar!...Editor
2013Inside Llewyn Davis...Editor
2010True Grit...Editor
2009A Serious Man...Editor
2008Burn After Reading...Editor
2007No Country for Old Men...Editor
2004The Ladykillers...Editor
2003Intolerable Cruelty...Editor
2001The Man Who Wasn't There...Editor
2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?...Editor
1998The Big Lebowski...Editor
1996Fargo...Editor
1991Barton Fink...Editor
1985Blood Simple...Editor
1981The Evil Dead...Assistant Editor
Jack of Spades...Editor

Sound

2013Inside Llewyn Davis...Songs

Acting

2025The Coen Brothers - An American Storyas Self
2022Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She Calledas Self
2016Blood Simple: A Conversation with Dave Eggersas Self
2016Shooting 'Blood Simple'as Self
2016The Way of Folkas Self
2015The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred Feetas Self
2014Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis'as Self
2012A Special Dayas Self
2008Finding the Burnas Self
2008DC Insiders Run Amuckas Self
2008Welcome Back, Georgeas Self
2008No Country for Old Men: Josh Brolin's Unauthorized Behind the Scenesas Self
2008The Making of 'No Country for Old Men'as Self - Writer/Director
2004Leçon de Cinémaas Self
2004A Look Inside 'Intolerable Crueltyas Self
2003Minnesota Niceas Self
2002Making "The Man Who Wasn't There"as Self
2001Down from the Mountainas Self
2000Inside Look: Down from the Mountainas Self
2000The Coen Brothersas Self
1998The Making of 'The Big Lebowski'as Self
1998Independent Focusas Self
1994American Cinemaas Self
1992HBO First Lookas
1990Darkmanas Oldsmobile Driver (uncredited)
1989Stephen King's World of Horroras Self
1985Spies Like Usas Drive-In Security
1985Crimewaveas Reporter at execution (uncredited)
1953The Oscarsas Self