Grew up in St Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Left high school early

Transferred to a private school in Massachusetts, Simon's Rock of Bard College

Attended Princeton University as a philosophy major

Left college to join brother Joel in NYC

Did temp work as a statistical typist at Macy's department store in NYC

First film as co-screenwriter (with brother Joel and Sam Raimi), Raimi's "Crimewave (released 1985)

First film as producer and co-screenwriter, "Blood Simple"

Began co-writing (with brother Joel and Sam Raimi) the screenplay for "The Hudsucker Proxy" (released 1994)

Signed a five-commercial deal with brother Joel for Budweiser Ice Draft Beer

Breakthrough feature, "Fargo," co-directed with brother Joel

Helmed "The Big Lebowski"

Shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination with brother Joel for "O Brother Where Art Thou?"

Helmed "The Man Who Wasn't There"; premiered at Cannes

Co-directed with brother Joel "Intolerable Cruelty," which starred George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Helmed "The Ladykillers," with Tom Hanks and Marlon Wayans

With brother Joel, co-directed (also co-wrote and co-produced) the award winning film, "No Country for Old Men" starring Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director