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Joel Coen

Joel Coen

Known For Directing
Birthday Nov 29, 1954 (70)
Birthplace Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Jul 11, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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

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Filmography

Darkman

Darkman

1990

as Oldsmobile Driver (uncredited)

Spies Like Us

Spies Like Us

1985

as Drive-In Security

Crimewave

Crimewave

1985

as Reporter at execution (uncredited)

Eddington

Eddington

2025

Thanks

The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth

2021

Screenplay, Editor

The Jesus Rolls

The Jesus Rolls

2019

Characters

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2018

Screenplay, Editor

Suburbicon

Suburbicon

2017

Writer

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

2016

Editor, Writer

The Way of Folk

The Way of Folk

2016

Thanks

Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies

2015

Writer

Unbroken

Unbroken

2014

Screenplay

Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis

2013

Editor, Writer

Gambit

Gambit

2012

Writer

True Grit

True Grit

2010

Screenplay, Editor

A Serious Man

A Serious Man

2009

Editor, Writer

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading

2008

Screenplay, Editor

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

2007

Screenplay, Editor

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers

2004

Screenplay, Editor

Intolerable Cruelty

Intolerable Cruelty

2003

Screenplay, Editor

The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001

Screenplay, Editor

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

2000

Screenplay, Editor

Eight

Eight

1998

Thanks

The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski

1998

Writer, Editor

Eye of God

Eye of God

1997

Thanks

Fargo

Fargo

1996

Screenplay, Editor

The Hudsucker Proxy

The Hudsucker Proxy

1994

Writer

Barton Fink

Barton Fink

1991

Screenplay, Editor

Miller's Crossing

Miller's Crossing

1990

Screenplay

Raising Arizona

Raising Arizona

1987

Screenplay

Crimewave

Crimewave

1985

Writer

Blood Simple

Blood Simple

1984

Writer, Editor

The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

1981

Assistant Editor

The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth

2021

Director

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

2016

Director

Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis

2013

Director

True Grit

True Grit

2010

Director

A Serious Man

A Serious Man

2009

Director

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading

2008

Director

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

2007

Director

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers

2004

Director

Intolerable Cruelty

Intolerable Cruelty

2003

Director

The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001

Director

The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski

1998

Director

Fargo

Fargo

1996

Director

The Hudsucker Proxy

The Hudsucker Proxy

1994

Director

Barton Fink

Barton Fink

1991

Director

Miller's Crossing

Miller's Crossing

1990

Director

Raising Arizona

Raising Arizona

1987

Director

Blood Simple

Blood Simple

1984

Director

The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth

2021

Producer

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar!

2016

Producer

Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis

2013

Producer

True Grit

True Grit

2010

Producer

A Serious Man

A Serious Man

2009

Producer

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading

2008

Producer

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

2007

Producer

Romance & Cigarettes

Romance & Cigarettes

2005

Executive Producer

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers

2004

Producer

Bad Santa

Bad Santa

2003

Executive Producer

Down from the Mountain

Down from the Mountain

2001

Producer

The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001

Producer

Blood Simple

Blood Simple

1984

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Academy Awards Best Director A Serious Man Nominated
Academy Awards Best Director No Country for Old Men Won
Golden Globes Best Director Fargo Nominated
Academy Awards Best Director Fargo Nominated
Golden Globes Best Director O Brother, Where Art Thou? Nominated
Golden Globes Best Director A Serious Man Nominated
Golden Globes Best Director No Country for Old Men Won
Cannes Film Festival Best Director Barton Fink Won
BAFTA Awards Best Director Fargo Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Director No Country for Old Men Won
SAG Awards Best Director A Serious Man Nominated
Venice Film Festival Best Director No Country for Old Men Nominated
Television Credits

No data available

Leçon de Cinéma

as Self

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Mar 20, 2004

The Oscars

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 19, 1953

Independent Focus

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 09, 1998

HBO First Look

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 12, 1992

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 5 9 9 9
2024 6 14 24 9
2024 7 28 52 9
2024 8 17 29 8
2024 9 10 22 4
2024 10 7 14 3
2024 11 8 20 4
2024 12 11 15 7
2025 1 16 27 7
2025 2 7 12 1
2025 3 5 15 0
2025 4 0 1 0
2025 5 2 3 0
2025 6 1 2 1
2025 7 1 1 0
2025 8 3 10 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 611 611
2024 6 500 67
2024 12 423 81
2025 1 705 163
2025 2 270 52
2025 3 639 580
2025 7 87 72
2025 8 518 113

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