Vera Farmiga

Vera Ann Farmiga (; born August 6, 1973) is a Ukrainian American actress, director and producer. She began her career on stage in the original Broadway production of Taking Sides (1996). She made her television debut in the Fox fantasy series Roar (1997), and her film debut in the drama-thriller Return to Paradise (1998). Farmiga's breakthrough role came in 2004 for her portrayal of a mother harboring a secret drug habit in the drama film Down to the Bone. She then co-starred in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Departed (2006), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), and Nothing But the Truth (2008). She gained further critical acclaim for her role as Alex Goran in the 2009 comedy-drama Up in the Air, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Farmiga had starring roles in Orphan (2009), Source Code (2011), and Safe House (2012). She made her directorial debut with the drama film Higher Ground (2011), in which she also starred in the lead role. She portrayed paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the blockbuster horror films The Conjuring (2013) and its sequel The Conjuring 2 (2016). From 2013 to 2017, Farmiga starred as Norma Louise Bates in the A&E drama-thriller series Bates Motel, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nominatio