Ethan Coen -- a writer, director and producer whose career is closely tied to that of his partner and older brother, Joel -- was born on Sept. 21, 1957, in St. Louis Park, Minn. As young boys, the precocious Coen brothers shared a love of classic films and experimented with their own Super 8 camera. But Ethan studied philosophy, not film, at Princeton University, where he once tried to convince a dean that he missed a deadline because he lost his arm in a hunting accident.

The Coens made their feature debut with Blood Simple (1984) and built a loyal cult following with the comedy Raising Arizona (1987). But the brothers wouldn't find mainstream success until the release of their offbeat neo-noir thriller Fargo (1996), which earned five Oscar nods and two wins.

No Country for Old Men (2007) brought the Coens even more critical acclaim and netted another three Oscar wins, including Best Director and Best Picture.