Born on 6th August 1973, Vera Farmiga is an American actress who made her television debut with the fantasy adventure series Roar. Following her strong performance in the independent drama Down to the Bone, she moved on to prominent roles in mainstream films like The Departed. The actress garnered an Academy Award nomination for the movie Up in the Air, and earned more critical acclaim for her work in the psychological thriller Orphan.

Farmiga made her directorial debut with the American drama film Higher Ground. An adaptation of the 2002 memoir This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost, the movie, along with her, also starred Joshua Leonard, John Hawkes, and Donna Murphy.

Early Life
Vera Farmiga was born Vera Ann Farmiga in New Jersey, USA to Ukrainian parents Lubomyra, a schoolteacher, and Michael Farmiga, a systems analyst. The second of seven children, Farina grew up in a Ukrainian locality in New Jersey, went to Ukrainian Catholic school, was in the Ukrainian Girl Scouts, and toured as a Ukrainian folk dancer in summers. In fact, she did not know how to speak English until she started kindergarten at six.

Farmiga initially dreamed of becoming an optometrist, but soon realized her true calling lies in the world of glamour. She then studied acting at Syracuse University`s School of Performing Arts.

Personal Life
After starring together in the super hit series Roar, Farmiga fell in love with Sebastian Roche. They got married in 1997 when the series ended but were divorced in 2005, after eight years of matrimony. Later in 2008, she married the musician Renn Hawkey who she met on the sets of TV series Touching Evil, in 2004. The couple has two children, a son named Fynn McDonnell Hawkey, and a daughter named Gytta Lubov Hawkey. Through her marriage to Hawkey, she is the sister-in-law of actress and photographer Molly Hawkey.

Acting career
After graduation, Farmiga found work in New York City theatre productions and soon appeared in her first TV series Roar, in 1997. In the show, Farmiga played the role of Catlin, a woman who joins in the fight against the Romans during ancient times. The show also starred the legendary Heath Ledger and Sebastian Roche in pivotal roles.

Farmiga made her feature film debut with Return to Paradise in 1988, co-starring Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, and Anne Heche. After her first release, she appeared in a series of supporting roles in films like Autumn in New York, a critically acclaimed drama film, starring Richard Gere, and the Opportunist. Here on, her career kept on flourishing as she appeared in the movie Down to the Bone (2004). Directed by Debra Granik, Farmiga essayed the role of a working-class mother struggling to keep her life and marriage together while hiding her drug addiction. For the film, she received outstanding reviews and her perfect portrayal of the character earned her worldwide recognition.

In 2006, Farmiga starred in The Departed, directed by the iconic director Martin Scorsese. In the movie, she portrayed a police psychologist who becomes involved with two law enforcement officers, played by Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was a huge blockbuster and went on to win four Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Soon after, Farmiga did leading roles in relatively successful films like Never Forever, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and The Orphan. In 2009, she wowed her audiences and critics with the film Up In The Air opposite George Clooney. Directed by Jason Reitman, Vera Farmiga received an Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress for the film. In 2013, she essayed the role of known paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the horror movie The Conjuring and recapitulated the role in The Conjuring 2 in 2016. Her 2019 release includes Annabelle Comes Home.