Frances McDormand is about to delight in another of her trenchant performances in the upcoming Three Billboards, described by the Times as ‘angry, funny, foul-mouthed, prone to startling acts of violence’. She is that rarity, a character actress who can be a starring lead. Her long career is littered with awards, but most memorable recently was her role as Marge Gunderson in Fargo and Olive Kitteridge in the HBO mini-series.
Born 23 June 1957 in Chicago, Illinois, she was adopted aged one, from a mother she once described as ‘white trash’, by a travelling pastor so had an unsettled though rigid childhood against which she rebelled by becoming pagan. Since 1984 she’s been married to Joel Coen of the talented film-making duo the Coen Brothers and they have an adopted son initially from Paraguay.
She’s a Sun Cancer with a Taurus Moon, so is family-oriented as well as creative. Her Sun is sextile Pluto and trine filmic Neptune and as well as being square Jupiter, so she’s got confidence and persuasive power. A volatile Mars Uranus in flamboyant Leo, which may square her Moon, gives her a fiery streak.
Her ‘acting’ 15th Harmonic is well-aspected and favours tough and at times unstable roles, linking together Mars Saturn Neptune and Uranus. Her victim/healer 12th harmonic is also well marked and she’s done well to survive her difficult beginnings to thrive both personally and professionally.