Frances McDormand is one of the finest actors working today. She’s been nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, got awarded two Emmys for the same limited series, and won one Tony Award out of two nominations. This makes her one of the few actors to have reached the so-called “Triple Crown of Acting.” Over the years, McDormand has played a ton of iconic characters on the big screen, the small screen, and the stage. Most recently, she played God in Amazon’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel Good Omens.

RELATED: Frances McDormand Passes on Playing Joker's Mom in Origin Movie

Elaine Miller in Almost Famous

Frances McDormand talking on the phone in Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe based his movie Almost Famous on his own experiences as a young, fledgling rock journalist. The mother of the lead protagonist, Frances McDormand’s character Elaine Miller, was based on Crowe’s own mother. In keeping with the character, Crowe’s actual mother showed up on the film’s set to keep an eye on him. The director initially told her to leave McDormand alone, but McDormand saw an opportunity to deepen her character and became friends with Crowe’s mother. She would eventually end up basing the Elaine character on her and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress out of it.

Julie Hastings in Darkman

When Sam Raimi got sick of struggling to nab the film rights to comic book heroes (before he had the chance to make three movies about Spider-Man), he created his own: Darkman. Liam Neeson was cast in the title role, while Raimi wanted Frances McDormand for the love interest Julie from the start. The studio pushed for Julia Roberts or Demi Moore, but Raimi finally managed to secure McDormand for the role. She did a great job of elevating the love interest role above the clichés and standing out in what has gone on to become a beloved cult classic.

Guinevere Pettigrew in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day pairs up Frances McDormand with Amy Adams. McDormand plays a London governess who gets pushed out of her job and Adams plays the Hollywood starlet she ends up spending the day with. It’s a delightful movie – one of those great little stories that develop out of a pretty insubstantial premise, thanks to terrific acting (and not only terrific acting; terrific chemistry between two perfectly cast performers). McDormand is fantastic in the role of Guinevere Pettigrew, and she builds a real on-screen relationship with Adams. McDormand gives a subtler turn in contrast with Adams’ liveliness.

Chancellor Sara Gaskell in Wonder Boys

Wonder Boys is really Michael Douglas’ movie, as he relishes the chance to play a Robin Williams-type dramedy character and embodies the pot-smoking struggling writer and college professor Grady Tripp as well as he embodies Gordon Gekko. But there are some strong supporting actors around him, too, like Tobey Maguire and a young Robert Downey, Jr. Among them is Frances McDormand, playing the college dean who is also Tripp’s mistress. The whole movie is filled with nuanced performances and understated dramatic moments, and McDormand’s role in the film is limited, but she still managed to make a splash with her supporting performance.

Mrs. Bishop in Moonrise Kingdom

Walt and Laura Bishop looking at something

In Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, Frances McDormand appears alongside Bill Murray as Suzy’s unhappy parents whose marriage is on the rocks. Despite the fact that they hardly speak or make eye contact, McDormand and Murray develop excellent on-screen chemistry in the movie.

RELATED: A Beginner's Guide to Wes Anderson Movies

They use the fact that they hardly speak to each other to build even more deeply connected characters. These characters also vitally feed into the movie’s overall theme: the innocence of childhood. All of the kids in the movie are happy and optimistic and in love, while all of the adult characters in the movie are utterly miserable.

Jane in Friends with Money

Franny, Christine, Olivia, and Jane looking in the mirror

Nicole Holofcener is one of the few filmmakers working today who tell genuine human stories. In Friends with Money, she tackles the awkwardness of having friends who are wealthier than you. Jennifer Aniston stars as a maid struggling for cash whose circle of friends are all rich and successful. Frances McDormand plays one of those friends, Jane, who is an accomplished fashion designer. She plays off of every situation masterfully, and walks the fine line between comedy and drama, just like Holofcener’s work is famous for doing. The movie has strong performances from all of its lead actors, but McDormand stands out.

Linda Litzke in Burn After Reading

Frances McDormand in a gym office in Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading following No Country for Old Men in the Coen brothers’ filmography is comparable to The Big Lebowski following Fargo – critics and audiences were disappointed that the brothers followed up a striking, sobering, Oscar-laden drama with a silly comedy. But Burn After Reading is a hysterical take on the spy genre, with Frances McDormand filling the role of way-in-over-her-head Linda Litzke brilliantly. Linda is a gym employee who stumbles upon an ex-CIA operative’s memoirs in the locker room and tries to blackmail the CIA into buying her plastic surgery. It’s a ridiculous role in a ridiculous story, and McDormand sells that – with ridiculousness.

Olive Kitteridge in Olive Kitteridge

Olive Kitteridge

The novel Olive Kitteridge, which the HBO miniseries of the same name starring Frances McDormand was based on, is told episodically. It doesn’t necessarily have one singular storyline; it’s told in vignettes, all through the lens of its titular character. The miniseries also follows this structure, so the whole thing rested on McDormand’s performance – and she nailed it. Olive is a complex character. She always has the best intentions, but her shortness with people and her general disdain for the human race often get in the way. She’s a rounded, human character, and it’s all thanks to McDormand’s impeccable performance.

Mildred Hayes in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

mildred hayes standing in front of the sign

Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri changes its tone at the drop of a hat. One minute, it’ll be a dark comedy where the characters’ terrible behavior is played for laughs. The next, it’ll be a dark drama where terminal illness and suicide and racism are treated as the serious subjects they are.

RELATED: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Ending Explained

These kinds of tonal dives require a really masterful actor to walk the line between the comedic and the dramatic. That’s what made Frances McDormand the perfect choice to play the lead role of Mildred Hayes – she’s handled tonal shifts like this in countless Coen brothers movies before.

Marge Gunderson in Fargo

Most movies that try to put a female character in a typically male role fail, because they simply have the female character doing what a male one would do. The Coen brothers tackled this with Frances McDormand’s greatest role, the pregnant cop Marge Gunderson in Fargo. Marge is just as sharp as a detective as any male movie detective, but she’s more open with her emotions and, of course, she’s pregnant. When she goes home at night, she’ll listen to her husband talk about painting mallards and be proud of his achievements, even though they’re less impressive than her own. She’s a badass cop, but she’s also really sweet.

NEXT: Frances McDormand Calls For Inclusion Riders in Oscars Speech