20 Things You Didn't Know About A Serious Man
6. Where's Frances? Where's John?
This is one of the few Coen brothers' films that does not feature their actor mainstays such as Frances McDormand, John Turturro, and George Clooney. This helps the film maintain its grounded feel since the actors are relative unknowns and/or underrated character actors.
Given that the film's setting is a small Minnesotan town and its lead is an everyman (in an admittedly strange situation), it is fitting that its actors are not on the Hollywood A-list. The most recognizable faces in the cast are veteran character actors such as Richard Kind and Adam Arkin, and Michael Stuhlbarg himself was a relative unknown prior to this film's release.
While it would have been interesting to see Turturro portray Larry's increasing anxiety or Clooney ooze slimy charm as Sy Borgman, it was far more interesting and engrossing to see a different side of Tinseltown embody these eclectic roles.