Marcia Gay Harden, The Mist

One of America's most distinctive talents, Marcia Gay Harden came out of NYU's Drama School straight into Coen brothers territory as the lead in Miller's Crossing. Working virtually nonstop since, the Oscar winner (for Pollock) etches a frightening portrait of the true believer in the well-received Stephen King's thriller The Mist, directed by Frank Darabont. Harden, who also stars in Alison Eastwood's directorial debut Rails & Ties as a terminally-ill woman, talks about the demands of family and a career and what matters most in choosing her roles.

•