# 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, 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 an aspiring socialite in the HBO period drama series The Gilded Age (2022–present). She has also starred as grieving mother Nora Durst in the HBO drama series The Leftovers (2014–2017), a mysterious woman in the anthology drama series The Sinner (2018), and a corporate lawyer on a girls' trip in the third season of The White Lotus (2025).
She made her film debut in Gone Girl (2014) and has since taken 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 Proxima Midnight in the superhero film Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and starred in the comedy films Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and 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 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination. 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 is premiered 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

Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Gone Girl | Margo "Go" Dunne | |
| 2016 | Strange Weather | Byrd | |
| 2017 | The Keeping Hours | Elizabeth | |
| 2017 | Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town | Virginia | |
| 2017 | The Post | Meg Greenfield | |
| 2018 | The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter | Linda Ferguson | |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | Proxima Midnight | |
| 2018 | Kin | Morgan Hunter | |
| 2018 | Widows | Amanda Nunn | |
| 2020 | The Nest | Allison O'Hara | |
| 2021 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Callie Spengler | |
| 2023 | Boston Strangler | Jean Cole | |
| 2023 | His Three Daughters | Katie | |
| 2023 | Another Happy Day | Irene | Also executive producer |
| 2024 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Callie Spengler | |
| 2024 | Lake George | Phyllis | |

### Television

Key :
| † | Denotes series that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | The Playboy Club | Doris Hall | Episode: "An Act of Simple Duplicity" |
| 2013 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Talia Blaine | Episode: "Girl Dishonored" |
| 2013 | Ironside | Rachel Ryan | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2014 | Intelligence | Luanne Vick | Episode: "Patient Zero" |
| 2014–2017 | The Leftovers | Nora Durst | Main role |
| 2017 | Fargo | Gloria Burgle | Main role (season 3) |
| 2018 | The Sinner | Vera Walker | Main role (season 2) |
| 2021 | What If...? | Proxima Midnight (voice) | Episode: "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" |
| 2022–present | The Gilded Age | Bertha Russell | Main role |
| 2023 | Teenage Euthanasia | Michelle's Mother (voice) | Episode: "Viva La Flappanista" |
| 2025 | The White Lotus | Laurie | Main role (season 3) |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Our Town | Emily | Overture Center for the Arts (Madison Repertory Theatre) |
| 2006 | Romeo and Juliet | Ensemble | American Players Theatre (Spring Green, Wisconsin) |
| 2006 | The Matchmaker | Ermengarde | American Players Theatre (Spring Green, Wisconsin) |
| 2006 | Measure for Measure | Juliet | American Players Theatre (Spring Green, Wisconsin) |
| 2007 | Anna Christie | Anna | Overture Center for the Arts |
| 2007 | Misalliance | Hypatia | American Players Theatre |
| 2007 | The Merchant of Venice | Ensemble | American Players Theatre |
| 2007 | The Night of the Iguana | Charlotte | American Players Theatre |
| 2008 | The Diary of Anne Frank | Miep Gies | Overture Center for the Arts |
| 2008 | Brontë | Emily | Remy Bumppo Theatre Company (Chicago debut) |
| 2008 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Helena | American Players Theatre |
| 2008 | Henry IV | Lady Percy | American Players Theatre |
| 2008 | The Belle's Stratagem | Miss Ogle | American Players Theatre |
| 2009 | Magnolia | Ariel | Goodman Theatre (Chicago) |
| 2009 | Henry V | Kate | American Players Theatre |
| 2010 | Blackbird | Una | Renaissance Theatreworks (Milwaukee) |
| 2010 | Reasons to Be Pretty | Stephanie | Renaissance Theatreworks (Milwaukee) |
| 2010 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago) |
| 2011 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey | Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) |
| 2011 | The Real Thing | Annie | Writers Theatre (Glencoe) |
| 2012 | The Girl in the Yellow Dress | Celia | Next Theatre (Evanston) |
| 2012 | Pretty Penny | Crystal | Writers Theatre |
| 2012 | The March | Emily Thompson | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
| 2012 | Three Sisters | Masha | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
| 2012 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey | Booth Theatre (Broadway debut) |
| 2015 | Placebo | Louise | Playwrights Horizons (Off-Broadway) |
| 2016 | Mary Page Marlowe | Mary Page Marlowe (ages 27–36) | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago) |
| 2017 | Mary Jane | Mary Jane | New York Theatre Workshop (Off-Broadway) |
| 2020 | Bug | Agnes White | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago) |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2013 | Theatre World Award | N/A | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Won |
| 2013 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Nominated |
| 2014 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | Golden Schmoes Awards | Best Supporting Actress of the Year | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | IGN Summer Movie Awards | Best Movie Supporting Actress | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2014 | IndieWire Critics Poll | Best Supporting Actress | Gone Girl | 6th place |
| 2014 | Village Voice Film Poll | Best Supporting Actress | Gone Girl | 6th place |
| 2015 | Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2015 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble (shared with cast) | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2015 | Georgia Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble (shared with cast) | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2015 | Gold Derby Awards | Ensemble Cast (shared with cast) | Gone Girl | Nominated |
| 2015 | Gold Derby Awards | Breakthrough Performer | — | Nominated |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Leftovers | Nominated |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Leftovers | Won |
| 2017 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Fargo | Nominated |
| 2017 | TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | The Leftovers and Fargo | Won |
| 2018 | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Strange Weather | Nominated |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Fargo | Nominated |
| 2018 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Mary Jane | Nominated |
| 2018 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play | Mary Jane | Won |
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Fight (shared with Scarlett Johansson, Danai Gurira, and Elizabeth Olsen) | Avengers: Infinity War | Nominated |
| 2018 | Obie Award | Distinguished Performance by an Actress | Mary Jane | Won |
| 2018 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Drama / Genre Series | The Leftovers | Nominated |
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | The Sinner | Nominated |
| 2020 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Actress | The Nest | Nominated |
| 2020 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | The Nest | Nominated |
| 2020 | Gotham Awards | Best Actress | The Nest | Nominated |
| 2020 | Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Actress | The Nest | Nominated |
| 2020 | Jeff Award | Performer in a Principal Role – Play | Bug | Won |
| 2021 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Actress | The Nest | Nominated |
| 2022 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Nominated |
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with cast) | The Gilded Age | Nominated |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | The Gilded Age | Nominated |