About

Known credits:
116
Birthday:
1954-11-29
Place of birth:
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Website:
N/A

Joel Coen

Overview

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

Acting
2022 Winona Ryder: The Ghosts She Called Actor Himself 59
Average
2017 Blood Simple: Director's Cut Interview with Joel & Ethan Coen Actor Self N/A
N/A
2016 Blood Simple: A Conversation with Dave Eggers Actor Self N/A
N/A
2016 Shooting 'Blood Simple' Actor Self N/A
N/A
2016 The Way of Folk Actor N/A
N/A
2015 The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred Feet Actor Self N/A
N/A
2014 Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Actor Self 59
Average
2012 A Special Day Actor Self 59
Average
2008 No Country for Old Men: Josh Brolin's Unauthorized Behind the Scenes Actor Self 58
Average
2008 The Making of No Country For Old Men Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2008 The Making of 'No Country for Old Men' Actor Self N/A
N/A
2004 A Look Inside 'Intolerable Cruelty Actor Self N/A
N/A
2003 Minnesota Nice Actor Self 58
Average
2002 Making "The Man Who Wasn't There" Actor Self N/A
N/A
2001 Down from the Mountain Actor Self 58
Average
2000 Inside Look: Down from the Mountain Actor Self N/A
N/A
2000 The Coen Brothers Actor Self 58
Average
1998 The Making of 'The Big Lebowski' Actor Self 58
Average
1990 Darkman Actor Oldsmobile Driver (uncredited) 62
Fair
1989 Stephen King's World of Horror Actor Self 59
Average
1985 Spies Like Us Actor Drive-In Security 60
Fair
1985 Crimewave Actor Reporter at execution (uncredited) 57
Average

Directing
2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth Directing Director 65
Fair
2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Directing Director 69
Fair
2016 Hail, Caesar! Directing Director 59
Average
2013 Inside Llewyn Davis Directing Director 69
Fair
2010 True Grit Directing Director 71
Good
2009 A Serious Man Directing Director 65
Fair
2008 Burn After Reading Directing Director 65
Fair
2007 No Country for Old Men Directing Director 78
Good
2007 To Each His Own Cinema Directing Director 60
Fair
2007 World Cinema Directing Director N/A
N/A
2007 World Cinema Directing Director 59
Average
2006 Paris Je T'aime Directing Director 64
Fair
2004 The Ladykillers Directing Director 60
Fair
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Directing Director 59
Average
2001 The Man Who Wasn't There Directing Director 71
Good
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Directing Director 71
Good
1998 The Big Lebowski Directing Director 77
Good
1996 Fargo Directing Director 77
Good
1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Directing Director 66
Fair
1991 Barton Fink Directing Director 71
Good
1990 Miller's Crossing Directing Director 71
Good
1987 Raising Arizona Directing Director 68
Fair
1984 Blood Simple Directing Director 68
Fair
Jack of Spades Directing Director N/A
N/A
Untitled Coen Brothers Horror Project Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
2019 The Jesus Rolls Writing Characters 55
Average
2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Writing Screenplay 69
Fair
2017 Suburbicon Writing Writer 58
Average
2016 Hail, Caesar! Writing Writer 59
Average
2015 Bridge of Spies Writing Writer 71
Good
2014 Unbroken Writing Screenplay 72
Good
2013 Inside Llewyn Davis Writing Writer 69
Fair
2012 Gambit Writing Writer 56
Average
2010 True Grit Writing Screenplay 71
Good
2009 A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop Writing Original Story 57
Average
2009 A Serious Man Writing Writer 65
Fair
2008 Burn After Reading Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
2007 No Country for Old Men Writing Screenplay 78
Good
2007 To Each His Own Cinema Writing Writer 60
Fair
2007 World Cinema Writing Writer 59
Average
2006 Paris Je T'aime Writing Writer 64
Fair
2004 The Ladykillers Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2001 The Man Who Wasn't There Writing Screenplay 71
Good
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Writing Screenplay 71
Good
1998 The Big Lebowski Writing Writer 77
Good
1996 Fargo Writing Screenplay 77
Good
1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Writing Writer 66
Fair
1991 Barton Fink Writing Screenplay 71
Good
1990 Miller's Crossing Writing Screenplay 71
Good
1987 Raising Arizona Writing Screenplay 68
Fair
1985 Crimewave Writing Writer 57
Average
1984 Blood Simple Writing Writer 68
Fair
Untitled Coen Brothers Horror Project Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
2025 The Bend in the River Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth Production Producer 65
Fair
2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Production Producer 69
Fair
2016 Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2016 Hail, Caesar! Production Producer 59
Average
2014 Fargo Production Executive Producer 82
Very good
2013 Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Production Producer 59
Average
2013 Inside Llewyn Davis Production Producer 69
Fair
2010 True Grit Production Producer 71
Good
2009 A Serious Man Production Producer 65
Fair
2008 Burn After Reading Production Producer 65
Fair
2007 No Country for Old Men Production Producer 78
Good
2005 Romance & Cigarettes Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2004 The Ladykillers Production Producer 60
Fair
2003 Bad Santa Production Executive Producer 63
Fair
2001 The Man Who Wasn't There Production Producer 71
Good
2001 Down from the Mountain Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1984 Blood Simple Production Producer 68
Fair

Crew
2025 Eddington Crew Thanks 60
Fair
2016 The Way of Folk Crew Thanks N/A
N/A
1998 Eight Crew Thanks 58
Average
1997 Eye of God Crew Thanks 58
Average

Editing
2021 The Tragedy of Macbeth Editing Editor 65
Fair
2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Editing Editor 69
Fair
2016 Hail, Caesar! Editing Editor 59
Average
2013 Inside Llewyn Davis Editing Editor 69
Fair
2010 True Grit Editing Editor 71
Good
2009 A Serious Man Editing Editor 65
Fair
2008 Burn After Reading Editing Editor 65
Fair
2007 No Country for Old Men Editing Editor 78
Good
2004 The Ladykillers Editing Editor 60
Fair
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Editing Editor 59
Average
2001 The Man Who Wasn't There Editing Editor 71
Good
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Editing Editor 71
Good
1998 The Big Lebowski Editing Editor 77
Good
1996 Fargo Editing Editor 77
Good
1991 Barton Fink Editing Editor 71
Good
1984 Blood Simple Editing Editor 68
Fair
1981 The Evil Dead Editing Assistant Editor 71
Good