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Taissa Farmiga
Farmiga in 2016
Farmiga in 2016
Born (1994-08-17) August 17, 1994 (age 30)
Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 2010–present
Spouse(s)
Hadley Klein
(m. 2020)
Relatives

Taissa Farmiga (born August 17, 1994) is an American actress. She is known for her many roles in scary movies. Because of this, she is sometimes called a "scream queen." Her older sister, Vera Farmiga, is also an actress.

Taissa's sister, Vera, encouraged her to start acting. Taissa's first movie was Higher Ground (2011), which Vera directed. Taissa became very well known for her work on the TV show American Horror Story. She starred in several seasons, including Murder House (2011) and Coven (2013–2014).

She also appeared in movies like the crime drama The Bling Ring (2013) and the thriller Mindscape (2013). Taissa received praise for her acting in the comedy horror film The Final Girls (2015). She also starred in the drama films 6 Years (2015) and Share (2015). These movies were shown at the South by Southwest festival. She was named one of the festival's breakout stars.

Taissa has also voiced the superhero Raven in animated movies from 2016 to 2020. Her other films include the comedies Rules Don't Apply (2016) and The Long Dumb Road (2018). She also appeared in the drama films In a Valley of Violence (2016) and What They Had (2018). She starred in the scary movies The Nun (2018) and its sequel, The Nun II (2023).

Taissa was also a main character in the TV show Wicked City (2015). In 2016, she performed on stage for the first time in the play Buried Child.

Early Life and Family

Taissa Farmiga was born on August 17, 1994. Her birthplace is Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, in the U.S. Her parents, Lubomyra Spas and Michael Farmiga, came from Ukraine. Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father worked with computer systems.

Taissa is the youngest of seven children. Her older siblings are Victor, Vera, Stephan, Nadia, Alexander, and Laryssa. Her sister Laryssa was born with spina bifida, a health condition.

Taissa went to public school until fourth grade. After that, she was homeschooled. She can understand the Ukrainian language but can only speak some of it. She also knows American Sign Language very well, as she took classes for four years. Her family was raised Pentecostal.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Film and TV (2011–2014)

Taissa first thought about becoming an accountant. However, her sister, Vera Farmiga, asked her to act in her first movie as a director. This movie was the drama Higher Ground. Taissa played the main character, Corinne Walker, when she was 16 years old. The movie was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. Taissa received great reviews for her acting. Soon after, she signed with a talent agency.

In the same year, Taissa starred in the first season of the TV show American Horror Story. This show made her famous around the world. In Murder House, she played Violet Harmon. Violet was a troubled teenage girl. Taissa got this role during her very first acting audition.

Next, she joined the cast of Sofia Coppola's movie The Bling Ring. This film was based on a real-life group of teenagers. Taissa played Sam Moore, a 17-year-old who liked to cause trouble. The movie was shown at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and received good reviews. She also played Audrey Martin in the romantic comedy At Middleton. In this movie, she acted alongside her sister Vera and Andy García.

Taissa starred as Zoe Benson in American Horror Story: Coven (2013–2014). Zoe was a young witch with a powerful and dangerous ability. Critics praised Taissa's performance in this role. She then had her first main role in a movie, playing Anna Greene in the thriller Mindscape. Her acting in Mindscape was highly praised. One magazine called her "hypnotizing." She also played Sarah in the crime drama Jamesy Boy (2014).

Becoming a Mainstream Star (2015–2016)

The Final Girls at TIFF 2015
The cast of The Final Girls at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2015. Taissa Farmiga is second from the left.

In 2015, three of Taissa's movies were shown at the South by Southwest festival. The first was the horror comedy The Final Girls. In this movie, she played the main character, Max Cartwright. Her performance earned her an award nomination. The second movie was the romantic drama 6 Years, where she played Melanie Clark. Her acting in these films was highly praised. Taissa was named one of the festival's breakout stars.

In 2015, she also starred in the TV show Wicked City. The show received mixed reviews and was canceled after three episodes. The remaining episodes were later released online.

In 2016, Taissa performed on stage for the first time in the play Buried Child. She acted with Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. She then starred with Ethan Hawke and John Travolta in the Western film In a Valley of Violence. She played a talkative young innkeeper who becomes friends with Ethan Hawke's character. This movie also premiered at South by Southwest and received good reviews.

Taissa also started doing voice acting in 2016. She voiced the superhero Raven in the animated movie Justice League vs. Teen Titans. She returned to American Horror Story for its sixth season, Roanoke. She appeared as Sophie Green in one episode. Taissa also co-starred in the romantic comedy-drama Rules Don't Apply. She played Sarah Bransford.

Later Film and TV Roles (2017–Present)

Taissa continued to voice Raven in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract in 2017. She then played Emma Ertz in the drama film What They Had. She also worked with director Hannah Fidell again for the comedy film The Long Dumb Road. Both movies premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018.

Taissa then appeared as Sister Irene in the scary movie The Nun. This film was released in September 2018. It became the highest-earning movie in The Conjuring Universe series. In August 2018, it was confirmed that Taissa would return to American Horror Story for its eighth season, American Horror Story: Apocalypse. She played both Violet Harmon and Zoe Benson again.

Taissa also played Merricat Blackwood in the movie We Have Always Lived in the Castle. This film was based on a mystery novel. She also appeared with Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper in the drama film The Mule, released in December 2018.

In 2019, Taissa appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone. In 2020, she was a guest star in three episodes of the horror show 50 States of Fright.

In 2022, Taissa began starring in the HBO drama series The Gilded Age. She plays Gladys Russell, a socialite. In 2023, she played Sister Irene again in the scary movie sequel The Nun II. In 2024, she starred in the romantic drama film She Taught Love.

Personal Life

Taissa Farmiga owns a home in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. In May 2019, it was reported that she was engaged to Hadley Klein, a screenwriter and director. They got married in a small ceremony at their home on August 8, 2020.

Filmography

Film Roles

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Higher Ground Teenage Corinne Walker
2013 The Bling Ring Sam Moore
At Middleton Audrey Martin
Mindscape Anna Greene
2014 Jamesy Boy Sarah
2015 The Final Girls Max Cartwright
6 Years Melanie Clark
Share Krystal Williams Short film
2016 In a Valley of Violence Mary-Anne
Justice League vs. Teen Titans Raven Voice role
Rules Don't Apply Sarah Bransford
2017 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Raven Voice role
2018 What They Had Emma Ertz
The Long Dumb Road Rebecca
The Nun Sister Irene Palmer
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Merricat Blackwood
The Mule Ginny
2020 Justice League Dark: Apokolips War Raven Voice role
2021 John and the Hole Laurie Shay
2023 The Nun II Sister Irene Palmer
2024 She Taught Love Samantha Miron

Television Roles

Year Title Role Notes
2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Violet Harmon 12 episodes
2013–2014 American Horror Story: Coven Zoe Benson 13 episodes
2015 Wicked City Karen McClaren 8 episodes
2016 American Horror Story: Roanoke Sophie Green Episode: "Chapter 9"
2018 American Horror Story: Apocalypse Zoe Benson 5 episodes
Violet Harmon Episode: "Return to Murder House"
2019 The Twilight Zone Annie Miller Episode: "Not All Men"
2020 50 States of Fright Hannah Stolsfiss 3 episodes
2022–present The Gilded Age Gladys Russell Main role

Stage Roles

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Buried Child Shelly The New Group, Off-Broadway

Podcast Roles

Year Title Role Notes
2023 Radio Play Revival Marjorie Harvey Episode: "Bernice Bobs Her Hair"

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Nominations

Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2015 The Final Girls Fright Meter Awards Best Actress Nominated
2023 The Gilded Age Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated

Special Honors

  • Variety magazine named Taissa Farmiga one of "The 14 Women Who Dominated the South by Southwest Film Festival." This was for her work in The Final Girls (2015) and 6 Years (2015).

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Taissa Farmiga para niños

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