Carrie Brownstein’s work as a director, writer, actress, author, and musician has established her as one of the most dynamic talents of today.
Carrie first rose to prominence as a founding member of the critically acclaimed rock band Sleater-Kinney, which gained popularity during the defining feminist punk-rock movement of the 1990s. During her time with the band, Carrie was named as one of the top female electric guitarists by Elle and Rolling Stone listed the band’s song “Dig Me Out” as “One of the 50 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.”
However, she is perhaps best known for her work as co-creator, writer, and star of the hit sketch comedy series Portlandia, which aired its eighth and final season on IFC in early 2018. Portlandia garnered multiple awards and nominations for Carrie, including Emmy nominations in the categories of Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Carrie has also demonstrated her talents behind the camera as a director for episodes of Portlandia, A.P. Bio on NBC, the Golden Globe-nominated hit series Casual, as well as the TBS show Search Party. She also directed Kenzo’s 2016 fall-winter fashion campaign “The Realest Real” starring Natasha Lyonne and Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali. The campaign received high praise and became a finalist for the 2017 Tribeca X Award.
As an actor, Carrie has collaborated with incredibly talented filmmakers, such as Gus Van Sant’s drama Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot and Ike Barinholtz’s satirical thriller, The Oath. She also had a recurring role on Amazon’s Emmy and Golden Globe-winning dramedy series Transparent and guest starred on HBO’s Golden Globe-winning sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm as well as on FX’s hit animation show, Archer.
In 2015, Carrie delved into a new medium – personal narrative – when she published her memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. In this bold telling of her turbulent childhood, she reveals how music became her avenue for self-invention, community, and rescue. The Los Angeles Times expressed that Carrie is “an American indie culture avatar — funny, smart and always on point.” Time Magazine critic Nolan Feeney praises the book, “If hipsters had a patron saint, it would be Carrie Brownstein.”
Carrie’s film The Nowhere Inn, which she co-wrote and co-starred in with St. Vincent, screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. IFC Films picked up the distribution rights and the film was released in the Fall of 2020.
