Her latest role as a modern-day drifter is tipped to bring a third Oscar to an
Actor who has made a career out of going her own way
Stoic and alone, Fern crosses state boundaries and time zones every few months, finding temporary work and a fresh patch of ground to stay on. In middle age she finds herself in that old
American habit of “moving on”, although, unlike the early pioneer settlers or the migrants of the Great Depression, Fern travels in a converted white van she has named “Vanguard”, and not in a covered wagon or battered jalopy.
Played by Frances McDormand, Fern is the heart of Nomadland, a film heavily tipped to win Oscar honours this spring and to secure a third golden statuette for the actor.