Vera Farmiga Biography
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Vera Farmiga
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| Vera Farmiga | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vera Ann Farmiga August 6, 1973 Essex County, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Sebastian Roché (1997–2005) (divorced)
Renn Hawkey (2008–present) |
Vera Ann Farmiga (born August 6, 1973) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the 2006 films Running Scared and The Departed. She is currently starring in the 2008 holocaust film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Vera Farmiga (pronounced [fɑɹˈmiːgə]), the second oldest of seven children, was born in Essex County, New Jersey and grew up in Irvington, 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.21 She attended a Ukrainian Catholic school in Newark and toured with a Ukrainian folk-dancing ensemble.3 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 interested, Farmiga makes short films which she submits for casting. She uses her computer to edit film in a very clever way. "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 The films have always resulted in a meeting.
It was one of these audition films that led to 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 is currently starring in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
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 2008.1 Hawkey, a carpenter, is also the keyboardist for a goth band named Deadsy.1 The couple are expecting their first child, a boy.1
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The 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 | Mother | ||
| Nothing But the Truth | Erica Van Doren | awaiting release | |
| 2009 | The Vintner's Luck | TBA | post-production |
| Orphan | Kate Coleman | post-production |
TV work
| 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 i j k Brown, Mick. "Vera Farmiga: rare breed." The Telegraph. August 30, 2008.
- ^ Hirschberg, Lynn. "A Film of One’s Own", The New York Times, September 3, 2006. Accessed October 29, 2007.
- ^ Fun Fact from Syzokryli website, accessed October 14, 2006
External links
- Vera Farmiga at the Internet Movie Database
- Hirschberg, Lynn (September 3, 2006). "A Film of One’s Own", The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved on 3 September 2006.
- Buzzline interview (February, 2006)
- Dateline New York article (December 10, 2000)
- Interview (September, 2000)
- Myspace Fan Page (added October 20, 2007)
- Vera Farmiga on Quid Pro Quo at Premiere.com (June 13, 2008)
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