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Vera Farmiga
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| Vera Farmiga | |
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 Farmiga at the showing of Nothing But the Truth at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 2008 |
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| Born | Vera Ann Farmiga August 6, 1973 Essex County, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sebastian Roché (1997–2005) (divorced) Renn Hawkey (2008–present) |
Vera Ann Farmiga (born August 6, 1973) is an American actress, best known for her roles in the films Running Scared, The Departed, and Orphan.
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Early life
Vera Ann Farmiga (pronounced /fɑrˈmiːɡə/), the second oldest of seven children, was born in Passaic County, New Jersey and grew up in Clifton, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants Mykhailo, a computer-systems analyst, and Luba Farmiga, a schoolteacher.1 Farmiga was raised in an insular Ukrainian American community, not speaking English until the age of six.12 She attended a Ukrainian Catholic school in Newark and toured with a Ukrainian folk-dancing ensemble.3dead link In 1991, Farmiga graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School.
Career
Although she originally intended to become an optometrist, Farmiga attended Syracuse University's School of Visual and Performing Arts. She made her Broadway debut in 1996 as an understudy in the play Taking Sides. The same year, she starred as Miranda in the American Conservatory Theater production of The Tempest. Following her theater debut, she played a role the television series, Roar, which was filmed in Australia, alongside Heath Ledger.1 Farmiga said that the series "wanted to be Braveheart but turned out more Xena: Warrior Princess."1 Throughout the late 1990s, she continued appearing in stage, television and film roles, including a part in the 1998 film Return to Paradise.
Farmiga appeared in several high profile films in the early 2000s, including Autumn in New York, 15 Minutes and the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. Her lead performance in the 2005 film Down to the Bone received a "Best Actress" award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. In 2006, she appeared in Running Scared.
Rather than attending auditions for films in which she is interested, Farmiga makes short films which she submits for casting. "To fade in and fade out, have intimacy with the mikes, the lighting, and have the luxury of takes — you could make yourself as ugly or as beautiful as you wanted."1 One of these audition films led to Martin Scorsese inviting her for what she calls "a chemistry read" with Leonardo DiCaprio, which led to her role as a police psychiatrist in The Departed.1
Farmiga starred in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas as the wife of a Nazi commandant, played by David Thewlis. In 2008, she played the role of Erica Van Doren in the political thriller Nothing But the Truth, for which she has been nominated as Best Supporting Actress in the 2009 Critics Choice Awards. She stars opposite George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, and Melanie Lynskey in the 2009 seriocomedy Up in the Air.
Personal life
Farmiga met French actor Sebastian Roché while filming Roar.1 The two eloped to the Bahamas after the series' end in 1997. The marriage ended in 2003.1 After being together for four years, Farmiga married Renn Hawkey in September 2008. Farmiga has a son named Fynn with Hawkey. Hawkey, a carpenter, is also the keyboardist for a goth band named Deadsy.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Return to Paradise | Kerrie | |
| 2000 | Autumn in New York | Lisa Tyler | |
| 2001 | 15 Minutes | Daphne Handlova | |
| Dust | Amy | ||
| Snow White: The Fairest of Them All | Josephine | ||
| 2002 | Love in the Time of Money | Greta | limited release |
| 2003 | Dummy | Lorena | |
| 2004 | Down to the Bone | Irene | limited release |
| Iron Jawed Angels | Ruza Wenclawska | TV film | |
| Mind the Gap | Allison Lee | ||
| The Manchurian Candidate | Jocelyne Jordan | ||
| 2005 | The Hard Easy | Dr. Charlie Brooks | |
| Neverwas | Eleanna | ||
| 2006 | Running Scared | Teresa Gazelle | |
| Breaking and Entering | Oana | ||
| The Departed | Madolyn Madden | ||
| 2007 | Joshua | Abby Cairn | |
| Never Forever | Sophie Lee | ||
| In Tranzit | Natalia | ||
| 2008 | Quid Pro Quo | Fiona | |
| The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas | Elsa (Mother) | ||
| Nothing But the Truth | Erica Van Doren | ||
| 2009 | The Vintner's Luck | Baroness Aurora | awaiting release |
| Orphan | Kate Coleman | ||
| Up in the Air | Alex |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Touching Evil | Detective Susan Branca | |
| 2002 | UC: Undercover | Alex Cross | |
| 1998 | Law & Order | Lindsay | Episode entitled "Expert" |
| 1997 | Roar | Caitlin |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Brown, Mick. ""Vera Farmiga: rare breed."". The Telegraph. August 30, 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/30/sm_verafarmiga130.xml. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (September 3, 2006). ""A Film of One’s Own"". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/magazine/03actesses.html. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
- ^ "Fun Fact Vera Fun Fact". http://syzokryli.com/funfacts.htm#vera Fun Fact. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vera Farmiga |
- Vera Farmiga at the Internet Movie Database
- Vera Farmiga Online - Fansite
- Hirschberg, Lynn (September 3, 2006). "A Film of One’s Own". The New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/magazine/03actesses.html. Retrieved 2006-09-03.
- Buzzline interview (February, 2006)
- Dateline New York article (December 10, 2000)
- Interview (September, 2000)
- Vera Farmiga on Quid Pro Quo at Premiere.com (June 13, 2008)