Carrie Coon

Early life

Coon was born and raised in Copley, Ohio, the daughter of Paula (née Ploenes) and John Coon. She has an older sister and three brothers. She graduated from Copley High School in 1999, next attending the University of Mount Union, graduating in 2003 with a B.A in English and Spanish. In 2006 she earned her M.F.A.in Acting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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. 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 DC and New York City, making her Broadway debut. For her performance, she won a Theatre World Award and received a Tony Award nomination.

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 with Gone Girl and The Leftovers

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 permits; 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 Primetime Emmy Award for 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. She will next be seen starring as Meg Greenfield in the Steven Spielberg-directed historical drama film The Papers. In 2018, Coon will co-star in the Steve McQueen heist thriller film Widows.

Personal life

In 2013, Coon married actor and playwright Tracy Letts. They had appeared together in the Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the previous year.