Ethan Coen

The younger brother of Joel, Ethan Coen is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning writer, producer and director coming from small independent films to big profile Hollywood films. He was born on September 21, 1957 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In some films of the brothers- Ethan & Joel wrote, Joel directed and Ethan produced - with both editing under the name of Roderick Jaynes; but in 2004 they started to share the three main duties plus editing. Each film bring its own quality, creativity, art and with one project more daring the other.

His film debut was in 1984 dark humored thriller Đơn Giản Là Máu (1984) starring Frances McDormand (Joel's wife) and M. Emmet Walsh in a deep story revolving a couple of romantic lovers followed by an insisting private eye. The film received critical acclaim, some award nominations to Ethan (best writing at the Film Independent Spirit Awards) and became a cult following over the years. Their second work was the comedy Bắt Cóc Bé Arizona (1987) starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a unusual couple trying to create their family by kidnapping babies from a rich family.

Vượt Mặt Thù Địch (1990) was the third film of the brothers, a mob drama with heavy influences from several criminal dramas and with a stellar cast that included Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Albert Finney, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro and Jon Polito (the latter three would become regular actors in the Coen's films).

Their views on the Hollywood era of the 1930's was the central theme is the great Barton Fink (1991), created from a writers block both brothers suffered during the making of their previous film. John Turturro stars as a writer who suffers from a breakdown when he's commissioned to a big budget Hollywood project. The film was a breakthrough for the Coens marking their first win at the Cannes Film Festival (Joel got the Palme d'Or) and the first time a film of their received Oscar nominations. The underrated comedy The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) was what followed; but no one could predict their next big and boldest move that would definitely put Ethan and Joel on the spotlight once and for all.

The comedy of errors Thị Trấn Fargo (1996) was a huge critical and commercial success. With its crazed story of a man who hires two loonies to kidnap his own wife and a pregnant policewoman tracking the leads to the crime, Ethan and Joel came at their greatest moment that couldn't be missed. The film received several awards during award season and the Coen's got their first Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category. What came next was the underrated yet hilariously good Bá Tước Lebowski (1998) starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi. Those masterpieces made their career in the late 1990's cementing the duo as one of the greatest writers and directors of their generation, if not, from all time.

The Odyssey retold for the 1930's in 3 Kẻ Trốn Tù (2000); the intelligent noir Người Đàn Ông Vắng Mặt (2001); the comedy Hợp Đồng Hôn Nhân (2003) and a remake Kẻ Cắp Gặp Bà Già (2004) marked their way into the early 2000's. Certaintly of period of minor hits and some downer moments.

The big return was with the highly acclaimed Không Chốn Dung Thân (2007), where the brothers swooped at the Oscars with three wins: Best Picture, Screenplay and Writing, an adaptation from the Cormac McCarthy's novel.

A Serious Man (2009), Hủy Sau Khi Đọc (2008), True Grit: Báo Thù (2010), Hành Trình Của Đam Mê (2013), Cuộc Giải Cứu Kỳ Cục (2016) and Biên Niên Sử Miền Viễn Tây (2018) were the subsequent films, all well received by audiences or got awards recognition, mostly nominations.

A shift from tone and career move was writing with other writers and for another directors: for Angelina Jolie's Không Khuất Phục (2014), for Spielberg in Người Đàm Phán (2015) and George Clooney in Bí Ẩn Vùng Ngoại Ô (2017).

As for personal life, Ethan has been married to Tricia Cooke since 1990. Tricia works as an assistant editor in several of the Coen brothers films.