The Truth About Vera And Taissa Farmiga's Relationship
Vera and Taissa Farmiga are two of the most powerful and provocative actors of this generation. The two talented relatives have both risen to fame through highly popular horror series — with Vera starring in "The Conjuring" series since 2013 and Taissa in "American Horror Story" periodically since 2011. And for the observant horror fanatic, you might've recognized the same surname and/or how similar the two look across their respective horror universes.
With a 21-year age difference between the two, Vera and Taissa certainly operate differently from each other, but maintain a wonderful relationship nevertheless. Taissa, who initially intended to become an accountant, was "thrown into this [acting] world" at the age of 16 at Vera's (who was 37 at the time) behest — working the 2011 drama, "Higher Ground," together (per Yahoo).
Despite the wide age gap, it's clear that Vera and Taissa share a strong passion for acting. But for a lot of people, what's not clear is the exact relationship between the two — lucky for you, we've got the scoop. Read on to learn more about Vera and Taissa Farmiga's relationship!
Vera and Taissa Farmiga aren't mother and daughter, but are actually sisters!
With a wide age gap between Vera and Taissa Farmiga, it's easy to presume that the two are mother and daughter when juxtaposed against one another — as many fans have. But despite the 21-year age difference, Vera and Taissa are actually sisters! We think it's really cool to have such a generational difference between siblings, but we also understand why fans might believe they were mother and daughter to begin with.
At several points in their careers, however, the two sisters have inadvertently exacerbated the mother/daughter theory through media appearances. In "Higher Ground," Vera's directorial and Taissa's acting debut, the elder Farmiga played the lead role of Corinne Walker while casting Taissa to play a younger version of her. And though they didn't play mother and daughter in the film, it was more "The Many Saints of Newark" — where son Michael Gandolfini plays Tony Soprano — the role initially made famous by his late father, James Gandolfini, in "The Sopranos."
In a more direct example, Vera once referred to Taissa as "my surrogate child" and stated that "I like to think I've parented her in a way, too" (via Parade). Taissa even addressed people's uncertainty in a 2011 interview with Teen Vogue, stating "When I was growing up, people would always confuse me for Vera's daughter."
Vera Farmiga was the reason her sister got into acting
In what Vera Farmiga jokingly described as "blatant nepotism" (via Vanity Fair), she broke younger sister Taissa Farmiga (then 17-years-old) into the acting business in 2011. It all transpired when Vera convinced Taissa to partake in a prominent role in "Higher Ground" — Vera's directorial debut. And just like that, Taissa's life was changed forever (and as expected with Vera, the film received strong reviews).
Speaking to Young Hollywood in 2012, Taissa revealed that Vera coached her throughout her "Higher Ground" experience. In the interview, Taissa stated, "When I needed her help, she was there for me and she gave me little suggestions." Vera then interjected, noting that she was "a typical older sister" before the two broke out into laughter and Taissa revealed that Vera actually "bossed me around."
Taking Taissa under her wing did, however, require some coaxing. Laying out the requirements of the deal, Vera stated, "I said, 'Listen, if you do this and if you babysit for me at the same time, because my son is in the film...'" then Taissa would get her older sister's pickup truck. Nothing to see here, just some good ol' fashioned bribery taking place! Bribery aside, the two sisters share a wonderful relationship regardless — with Vera telling Parade in 2014, "Taissa is such a bright supernova. She's so beautiful. She's a stellar explosion of beauty and grace and raw emotion ... She's so special. I'm really, really proud of her."