Vera Farmiga and Taissa Farmiga have more in common than starring in two of television’s best horror series: They share the same parents! Both spooky ladies were born to Ukrainian immigrants Mykhailo Farmiga and Luba Farmiga in New Jersey — albeit 21 years apart.
Even though Vera’s been a professional actress for virtually all of Taissa’s life, the younger sister didn’t consider following that path until Vera commissioned her to play a younger version of her character in 2011’s Higher Ground.
“Acting had always been Vera’s thing,” Taissa told Teen Vogue in 2011. “I never thought it would be mine.”
After winning rave reviews for her debut role, Taissa signed on to the pilot episode of a little show called American Horror Story. Older sister Vera soon followed suit with a starring role in her own television horror series, Bates Motel. With IMDb scores of 8.5 for American Horror Story and 8.1 for Bates Motel, the shows are among the highest rated horror series on cable.
Although both Farmigas keep busy with their popular series, they recently appeared on-screen together in At Middleton — with Vera as the mother of college-bound Taissa.
In a Reddit AMA session on March 1, Taissa said she considers Vera to be a “cool older sister and, when needed, protective mother figure.” She added, “If it wasn’t for Vera I don’t know if I ever would have discovered my passion for acting. I really do owe her so much and she is such an inspiration to me.”
Vera also had praise for her young sister.
“Taissa is the person you take with you to choose your Oscar gown and then take to In-N-Out Burger,” said Vera, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Up in the Air. “She is one of my best friends in the world.”
Bates Motel, which features Vera as the delightfully twisted Norma Bates, returns for its second season on A&E tonight at 9/8c.
