Are Taissa and Vera Farmiga Related?

Hollywood has always been full of famous families. There’s the Deschanel sisters, the Mara siblings, the Hemsworth brothers, and many, many more. Then again, last names aren’t always a perfect indicator of whether or not one star is related to another. So if you’ve come across actors Vera and Taissa Farmiga, you might’ve wondered if they’re actually related or if they just happen to share a last name.

The answer is the former: they’re sisters! The Farmigas come from a large family of seven siblings. Because Vera is one of the oldest and Taissa is the youngest, they’re a bit further apart in age than you might think of a “typical” sibling pair. There are 21 years between the sisters (almost to the day): Vera was born on Aug. 6, 1973, while Taissa was born on Aug. 17, 1994.

Age gap aside, the sisters have a lot in common. Both have had roles in horror/thriller TV series (Vera in “Bates Motel” and Taissa in “American Horror Story”), and both have also ventured beyond typical film and TV roles: Taissa has done voice work and appeared off-Broadway, while Vera has dipped into directing. The pair have even been part of the same projects.

In 2011, Taissa made her film debut in a movie called “Higher Ground,” in which she played the teenage version of Vera’s character, Corinne Walker. The movie also marked Vera’s directorial debut. In the duo’s Vanity Fair interview, Vera admitted that Taissa’s role in the film was “blatant nepotism.” Whereas she told Elle of casting her sister, “It just seemed like a no-brainer genetically.” She added, “I’ve always been fascinated by her ever since she was a baby. She’s got moxie!”

Taissa and Vera have also starred in the same movie franchise, with the former appearing in 2023’s “The Nun 2” — a prequel to “The Conjuring,” which stars Vera as the famous paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren. Back in 2018, Taissa revealed that her big sister once gave her tips about starring in a horror film. “She said, ‘Be wary about bringing work back into the walls of your home,'” the “Gilded Age” star recalled to Entertainment Weekly. “That was good advice.”

It turns out that Michael Chives, the director of “The Nun 2” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” which starred Vera, would love to do more projects with the sisters in the future. “Basically, I just want to work with Farmigas for the rest of my career,” he told People on Sept. 6. “They have a big family and I just want to see which other ones are actors and want to work with me on a movie.”

He also said both Farmiga sisters are lovely to work with on set. “They’re great with their crew,” Chaves said. “There are so many people involved in making a movie, and having actors that are generous to the crew is so invaluable. Having actors that acknowledge the crew and work with the crew and are cheerleaders for the crew and give — you get what you give.”

At heart, Vera and Taissa’s sisterhood is honestly goals. Check out our gallery to see their best photos together over the years.