About The Playwright

After studying philosophy at Princeton University, Ethan Coen and his brother, Joel, began writing their first screenplays. The brothers made their screen debut in 1984 with the Texas-based noir Blood Simple, the first of what would be many films dedicated to a filmmaking style that is notably eccentric, ironic, darkly comic, and often violent. The film earned critical acclaim, establishing the brothers as fresh, original talent. In 1987, the duo released the comedy Raising Arizona, a lighthearted departure and serious box office hit. In the early 1990s, the Coens went on to make numerous films, including Miller’s Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991) and Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Though the latter was a relative disappointment, it was followed by the brothers’ most ambitious and successful film to date, the extremely dark comedy Fargo (1996). The Coens shared a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for their work. In 1998, they put out The Big Lebowski, which won a Golden Bear nomination for Joel at the Berlin Film Festival. They released O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000, which was loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey and starred George Clooney and John Turturro. In summer 2003, the brothers teamed with Tom Hanks and Marlon Wayans for the remake of the 1955 British bandit comedy Ladykillers. For their next effort, Ethan and Joel Coen contributed a segment called Tuileries for the 2006 film Paris, je t’aime, which explored the City of Light through individual stories set in different neighborhoods. In a completely different vein, the Coen brothers put a modern spin on the traditional western with No Country for Old Men (2007). The film has brought the pair a lot of critical acclaim and several award nominations. In February 2008, those nominations became three Academy Awards for the Coen brothers. They took home the awards for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Ethan’s stage plays include Almost an Evening, Debate, Waiting, and many others.