The Coen Brothers are some of the most unique filmmakers in the business and are responsible for some of the best movies of all time. They have a distinct talent for crafting interesting and memorable characters for their stories. Not surprisingly, they have attracted some incredibly talented actors to their films.
While the Coens’ films rarely feature a bad performance, some stick out more than others. Whether it is a comedic role or one of the darker characters, these actors have brought the Coens’ strange and wonderful creations to life in stunning ways. Here are the best performances in Coen Brothers movies.
Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!)
Alden Ehrenreich is probably best-known for his titular role in the divisive Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, Hail, Caesar! is likely the film that convinced many he could step into that iconic role. Ehrenreich plays Hobie Doyle in the Coen’s love letter to old Hollywood, a kind-hearted Western actor who is pulled out of his comfort zone to star in a prestigious drama.
Though the film is packed with A-listers like George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson, Ehrenreich steals the show. He is hilarious as Doyle, providing the movie’s biggest laughs, especially in the scene he shares with Ralph Fiennes as a director trying to get a performance out of this hapless cowboy.
Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona)
With their second feature, the Coens proved they were willing to fully embrace their outlandish sense of humor. Raising Arizona stars Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter as a could desperate to have a child of their own, so they kidnap one of the local quintuplets to raise as their child.
Though Cage gives one of his better performances, Hunter is the heart of the movie. Despite her small stature, she comes off as the most powerful person on screen. She also infuses her role with so much love while also hitting the comedic beats perfectly.
John Turturro (Miller’s Crossing)
John Turturro became a regular in the Coens’ films but their collaboration started with the brilliant gangster film, Miller’s Crossing. Set in the 1920s, the movie is a complex story of shady alliances as a war breaks out between two gangs. Turturro plays Bernie Bernbaum, a degenerate man at the center of the feud.
Turturro plays the weaselly aspects of the character so well. He is a character we can’t help but hate yet are captivated by him. Then he suddenly gains our sympathy with the show-stopping scene in which Bernie is being led into the woods to be executed as he begs for his life.
M. Emmett Walsh (Blood Simple)
Blood Simple was the Coen’s feature film debut and immediately established them as remarkable talents. The dark noir film centers around a seedy bar owner who hires an even seedier private detective to kill his wife and her lover.
Character actor M. Emmett Walsh plays Loren Visser, the private detective. Subverting the trope of these kinds of characters being dour and serious men, Walsh plays Visser with a childish sense of humor and a penchant for being a loudmouth. He is funny, creepy and terrifying, making for a very memorable villain.
John Goodman (Barton Fink)
John Goodman is another actor known for his many collaborations with the Coens. While fans may prefer his hilarious performance in The Big Lebowski, his role of Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink truly shows Goodman’s range as an actor.
Charlie is the overly friendly hotel neighbor of screenwriter Barton Fink (John Turturro) who works as a traveling salesman. He shares drinks and swaps stories with Barton, presenting himself as a charming and funny blue-collar guy. However, his shocking twist in the third act gives Goodman even more time to shine.
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Though they’ve played around the genre before, True Grit was the Coens’ first straight Western. The film is the adaptation of the famous novel that was also made into the famous John Wayne film. The movie follows a young girl named Maddie Ross who hires a U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn to hunt down the man who killed her father.
Though a newcomer and sharing the screen with the likes of Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld shines as Maddie. She is strong-willed and determined, making her an instantly admirable character who is a joy to follow on this adventure.
Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)
Oscar Isaac is one of Hollywood’s hottest actors now, but he was relatively unknown when he got the titular role in the Coens’ story about the folk music scene in 1950s New York City. Isaac stars as Llewyn Davis, a talented but unsuccessful musician dealing with the suicide of his former music partner.
Isaac never shies away from how unlikable of a person Llewyn is. He gets into unnecessary arguments with people, he insults other artists who he sees as beneath him and he spends his time mooching off of others. Isaac brings amazing wit, anger and terrific music talents to the star-making role.
Frances McDormand (Fargo)
After starring in the Coens’ first film, Blood Simple, Frances McDormand went on the marry Joel Coen and has since appeared in many of their films. However, her Oscar-winning turn in Fargo is certainly the most memorable.
McDormand plays Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating several grisly murders in her quiet and friendly community. McDormand makes for such a great hero in this dark tale. She infuses the role with so much charm and determination. She is less of a grizzled, beaten-down cop and more of a loving mother who is sometimes disappointed in how people behave.
Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski)
The Coens have a unique talent of being able to switch from dark and violent tales to absurd and hilarious ones. Most fans would agree The Big Lebowski is their best comedy and one of the funniest movies of all time. And a lot of that is due to Jeff Bridges in the iconic role of The Dude.
The Dude is a middle-aged Los Angeles stoner who is caught up in a ransom plot after a case of mistaken identity. Bridges takes on a rare comedic role and shines as the oblivious, laidback man who sinks deeper into this quagmire.
Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men)
In a complete opposite direction of The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men is the Coens’ darkest film. Based on the Cormac McCarthy novel, it stars Josh Brolin as a man who discovers a case of money in the desert. After taking it, he unwittingly becomes the target of a ruthless killer named Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem.
Bardem makes for one of the most unsettling and memorable villains in movie history. His cold and calculating eyes, his deliberate way of speaking and his matter-of-fact acts of violence will chill you to your core. Not surprisingly, Bardem scored an Oscar for his amazing performance.
