Carrie Coon

Carrie Alexandra Coon (born January 24, 1981) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex characters on stage and screen, she has received a Critics' Choice Television Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.

On television, her breakout role was as Nora Durst in the HBO drama series '' The Leftovers'' (2014–2017). Subsequently, she received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gloria Burgle in the third season of the FX anthology series '' Fargo'' (2017), and her second for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for playing Bertha Russell in the HBO period drama series '' The Gilded Age'' (2022–present). She also starred as Laurie in the third season of '' The White Lotus'' (2025).

She made her film debut in '' Gone Girl'' (2014), with further roles in films such as '' The Post'' (2017), ''Widows'' (2018), '' The Nest'' (2020), '' Boston Strangler'' (2023), and '' His Three Daughters'' (2024). She has also portrayed characters in blockbuster films such as Proxima Midnight in '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018) and Callie Spengler in '' Ghostbusters: Afterlife'' (2021) and its sequel, '' Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'' (2024). On stage, Coon made her Broadway debut as the naive wife Honey in the revival of '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (2012), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Early life and education

Carrie Alexandra Coon was born in Copley, Ohio, on January 24, 1981, to Paula (''née'' Ploenes) and John Coon. She has an older sister, an older brother, and two younger brothers. She graduated from Copley High School in 1999, next attending the University of Mount Union, graduating in 2003 with a BA in English and Spanish. In 2006, she earned her MFA in acting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Career

Early career

Coon began her career in regional theater. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Coon was immediately recruited by the Madison Repertory Theatre and made her professional stage debut in a production of '' Our Town''. After her debut with the Madison Repertory Theatre, Coon joined the American Players Theatre and stayed with them for four seasons. Coon moved to Chicago in 2008 and made her Chicago debut with a production of '' Brontë'' at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. Coon commuted between Chicago and Wisconsin for several years, alternating between Chicago productions, productions in Milwaukee, and seasons with the American Players Theatre. During these years, Coon provided for herself by performing motion capture work for a video game company based in Wisconsin.

Coon's breakthrough came in 2010 when she was cast as Honey in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' The role immediately resulted in further parts in Chicago productions, and she followed the production to performances in Washington, D.C. and New York City, making her Broadway debut. For her performance, she won a Theatre World Award and received a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Steven Oxman of '' Variety'' described the Broadway revival as an "relentlessly intense" production adding that "Carrie Coon makes an especially sensitive, sympathetic Honey". Mark Kennedy of '' The Associated Press'' labelled the revival "astonishing" citing Coon as giving a performance of "great fragility".

Coon made her screen debut in an episode of the short-lived NBC series '' The Playboy Club'' in 2011. She later guest-starred on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', '' Ironside'', and ''Intelligence''.

Breakthrough

Following her Tony Award nomination in 2014, Coon was cast as one of the main characters in the HBO drama series '' The Leftovers'', alongside Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, and Ann Dowd. That same year, she made her film debut in '' Gone Girl'', based on the 2012 novel of same name and directed by David Fincher.

In early 2015, Coon starred in the lead role of the Off-Broadway production of ''Placebo'' at Playwrights Horizons. She also participated in readings for her husband Tracy Letts' 2015–2016 season play '' Mary Page Marlowe'' and was in talks to perform in the production in Chicago if her filming schedule with ''The Leftovers'' permitted; in December 2015, it was announced that Coon would be one of six actresses portraying the title character in ''Mary Page Marlowe'' for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago from March to May 2016. In April 2015, Coon left The Gersh Agency for United Talent Agency. In October and November 2015, Coon filmed the movie '' Strange Weather'' alongside actress Holly Hunter for director Katherine Dieckmann in Mississippi. In December 2015, she filmed the horror romance ''The Keeping Hours'' for director Karen Moncrieff and Blumhouse Productions.

Coon starred in the lead role of Gloria Burgle in the third season of the FX anthology series '' Fargo''. She received a nomination for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role and won the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama for both ''Fargo'' and ''The Leftovers''. In 2017, she filmed ''Great Choice'', a horror short mimicking a 1990s Red Lobster commercial. The same year she played real life journalist Meg Greenfield in the Steven Spielberg–directed historical drama film '' The Post''. In 2018, Coon co-starred in the Steve McQueen heist thriller film ''Widows''. Coon provided the voice and motion capture for Proxima Midnight, a member of the Black Order and a child of Thanos, in the superhero film '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018) directed by the Russo brothers.

On April 30, 2020, Coon joined the cast of the HBO drama series '' The Gilded Age'' as Bertha Russell. She received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actress at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021 for her work in the film '' The Nest''. In January 2024, Coon joined the cast of the third season of the HBO anthology series '' The White Lotus'', which premiered in February 2025. She starred in the Azazel Jacobs family drama '' His Three Daughters'' (2023) alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows three estranged daughters as they care for their dying father. Jon Frosch of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote "Coon is masterful at conveying the space between those inner and outer selves." The film was picked up for distribution by Netflix and released in September 2024.

Personal life

Coon married actor and playwright Tracy Letts in 2013. They have a son born in 2018 and a daughter born in 2021.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coon, Carrie
1981 births
Living people
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
University of Mount Union alumni
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Theatre World Award winners
21st-century American actresses
People from Copley, Ohio
Actresses from Ohio
Obie Award recipients
Motion capture actresses