Frances McDormand says she is ‘f***ing proud’ to land a Vogue cover at age 63

Frances McDormand has landed on the January 2021 cover of the US edition of Vogue magazine.

The 63-year-old Hollywood veteran – best known for her indie films Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – was seen draped in clothing as she appeared to be makeup free.

Placing a woman over 40 on the cover is very rare for the magazine that often favors young, glamorous actresses such as Zendaya and models like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid.

In 2020 the fashion bible has featured on their front Cardi B (January), Florence Pugh (February), Billie Eilish (March), Kaia Gerber (April), and Gal Gadot (May), to name a few.

Frances is a refreshing welcome, and she has the career credentials to back it up. 

She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.

McDormand almost looked like a Jedi Knight in her brown coat as she peeked out from under her hoodie with chocolate-colored bare mountains behind her in a shoot by Annie Leibovitz.

Still wanted: Frances shared in her interview that she was proud to be a hot property at her age. ‘To still be culturally relevant as a 63-year-old female is so deeply, deeply gratifying,’ said the star

The star was also seen in a red-and-black polka dot coat by an old wood fence with a windmill in the background.

And she was photographed from her backside as she wore a dark coat and beige hat on green hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The star is on the cover to promote her new movie Nomadland, about workers who live in RVs and vans thanks to high rent and low wages after the Great Recession. 

Proud lady: ‘It’s something that I could have never expected, given what I was told. And I believe I had something to do with it. I’ve crafted some part of this moment in time. And I’m really f***ing proud’

Frances shared in her interview by Abby Aguirre that she was proud to be a hot property at her age.

‘To still be culturally relevant as a 63-year-old female is so deeply, deeply gratifying,’ said the star.

‘It’s something that I could have never expected, given what I was told. And I believe I had something to do with it. I’ve crafted some part of this moment in time. And I’m really f***ing proud. ‘

Also in her profile, the actress talked about falling for her husband Joel Coen whom she wed in 1984.

Her new movie: McDormand, left, and and David Strathairn in a scene from the film Nomadland by Chloe Zhao

No extra cash, no apartment: McDormand stars as a woman living rootlessly across the American West after the Great Recession

 

While filming Blood Simple in Austin, McDormand asked Coen for book recommendations. 

He gave her a box of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett novels, the Vogue writer explains, and she asked which one she should start with; he said The Postman Always Rings Twice. 

‘Which is one of the hottest books ever,’ she said. ‘He seduced me with the choice of books. I seduced him by inviting him over to discuss them.’

When they returned to NYC they moved in together.

‘I realized I could have a relationship that was really deep and passionate but that didn’t keep us from also being able to have a functioning working relationship. I went, Oh, it’s possible to not become so obsessed that you can’t live your life,’ said the Something’s Gotta Give star.

Early years of love: Also in her profile, the actress talked about falling for her husband Joel Coen whom she wed in 1984. Seen in 1993

Frances shared that early in her career she was met with plenty of rejection. 

‘I wasn’t pretty, I wasn’t cute, I wasn’t beautiful, I didn’t have the body,’ she said. Then she became OK with getting the ‘friend’ roles.

‘It wasn’t just that I decided,’ she said. ‘It was clear. That’s the only thing I was going to get jobs doing.’

When she wore prosthetic breasts in Raising Arizona she started getting scripts that said ‘big-breasted woman,’ she said. When she was asked to audition for roles where the character had big breasts, she would bring her fake breasts with her in a box.

They bonded over books: While filming Blood Simple in Austin, McDormand asked Coen for book recommendations. He gave her a box of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett novels, the Vogue writer explains, and she asked which one she should start with; he said The Postman Always Rings Twice. Seen in 2002

‘They became props, like a false nose or a wig. You could play the boobs,’ she said.

At one audition it was suggested that the production might be able to work a boob job into the budget, said the Vogue writer.  

And Frances also talked about her adopted son Pedro. 

They were working out the details of the adoption when they filmed Fargo. 

Raising him became a joy but they had to map out the rules, like what religion to raise him with. McDormand decided they would celebrate pagan holidays. ‘I couldn’t commit to Christianity. But nature: I could always commit to that, and the power of it.’ 

When their sons became interested in sports they drew a blank.

‘I don’t know how to play sports,’ McDormand said. ‘His dad’s not really sportive. Pedro’s athletic, but we kind of handicapped him because neither of us wanted to take him to games and stuff on the weekends.’

She did get him interested in fashion. ‘It’s kind of like a sport for us,’ she said. ‘Shopping is what he and I do together.’ Pedro is 26-years-old now and works in public relations.

The January 2021 edition of Vogue is on newsstands now.  

One of her top hits: The actress is best known for her 1996 film Fargo, which was directed by Coen brothers