Frances McDormand made her screen debut in the 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film ‘Blood Simple’ directed by Joel Coen. While the film saw critical acclaim upon release, it only managed to gain modest success at the box office. In 1985, she played the role of a nun in the American comedy horror film ‘Crimewave’ directed by Sam Raimi. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb. She next starred as ‘Dot’ in the 1987 Joel Coen-directed American crime comedy film ‘Raising Arizona.’ The film received praise from critics and grossed over $29.2 million on a $5.5 million budget. In 1988, she portrayed ‘Mrs. Pell’ in the American historical crime thriller film ‘Mississippi Burning’ directed by Alan Parker. The reviews for the film were mostly positive reviews and it received 7 ‘Academy Award’ nominations, including ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for McDormand. She next starred in films such as ‘Chattahoochee’ (1989), ‘Darkman’ (1990), ‘Hidden Agenda’ (1990), ‘The Butcher's Wife’ (1991), ‘Passed Away’ (1992), ‘Short Cuts’ (1993), ‘Bleeding Hearts’ (1994), ‘Beyond Rangoon’ (1995), and ‘Palookaville’ (1995).
McDormand became a recipient of the ‘Academy Award’ for her portrayal of ‘Marge Gunderson’ in the 1996 black comedy crime film ‘Fargo’ directed by Joel Coen. The film received wide acclaim upon release and was a financial success, grossing over $60.6 million on a budget of $7 million. It was also selected for preservation at the United States National Film Registry in 2006. That same year, she also played the role of ‘Molly’ in the Gregory Hoblit-directed American legal thriller film ‘Primal Fear.’ The film opened to a positive reception and grossed over $102.6 million on a $30 million budget. She was next seen in films like ‘Paradise Road’ (1997), ‘Madeline’ (1998), ‘Talk of Angels’ (1998), ‘Wonder Boys’ (2000), ‘Almost Famous’ (2000), ‘The Man Who Wasn't There’ (2001), ‘Laurel Canyon’ (2002), ‘City by the Sea’ (2002), and ‘Something's Gotta Give’ (2003). In 2005, she portrayed ‘Glory Dodge’ in the American drama film ‘North Country’ directed by Niki Caro. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and holds a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. McDormand also received several award nominations, including the Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations, for her performance in the film. She was next seen in films such as ‘Friends with Money’ (2006), ‘Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day’ (2008), ‘Burn After Reading’ (2008), ‘This Must Be the Place’ (2011), ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011), ‘Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted’ (2012), ‘Promised Land’ (2012), ‘Every Secret Thing’ (2014), ‘The Good Dinosaur’ (2015), and ‘Hail, Caesar!’ (2016).
She won the ‘Academy Award’ for her portrayal of ‘Mildred Hayes’ in the 2017 Martin McDonagh-directed crime drama film ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.’ The film was lauded by critics and was a major commercial success, grossing over $160.2 million on a budget of $12–15 million. In 2018, she starred in the stop-motion adult animated science-fiction comedy film ‘Isle of Dogs’ directed by Wes Anderson. The film received a positive response from critics and earned a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. McDormand next played the role of ‘Fern’ in the 2020 American drama film ‘Nomadland’ directed by Chloé Zhao. The film saw critical acclaim upon release and grossed over $39.5 million on a $5 million budget. McDormand also received her third ‘Academy Award’ for her performance in the film. She was last seen in the 2021 American historical thriller film ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ directed by Joel Coen. The film received massive acclaim upon release and holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.