#WCW: We love horror scream queen Vera Farmiga
By Sandy C.
BATES MOTEL — ‘The Convergence of Twain’ Episode 502 — Pictured: Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates — (Photo by: Cate Cameron/A
There are those who star in horror movies and those who bring the horror to the film — and that would be the lovely Vera Farmiga! She’s our Woman Crush Wednesday!
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You may recognize Vera Farmiga from her recent work in A&E’s Bates Motel, but starring as Norma Bates isn’t her first rodeo in the horror genre. Farmiga is actually considered one of the Queens of Horror (and my personal favorite), a true Scream Queen, for her incredible performances in horror films. From her piercing screams to spine-chilling looks, Farmiga rocks any role tossed her way!
If she’s so great, why isn’t Vera Farmiga in more movies/tv shows, you ask? Because she doesn’t want to, damn it! Farmiga has always been open about sexism and how Hollywood portrays women. The actress prefers small films and projects where strong female roles are present.
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 15: Actress Vera Farmiga speaks during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival ‘Burn Your Maps’ Press Conference at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 15, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by J. Countess/Getty Images)
Here’s what Farmiga told WomenAndHollywood about it:
"“I’m least challenged or inspired by those stories [Hollywood blockbusters]…I’ve gravitated towards independent cinema because you have to work harder in studio scripts to flesh out characters, particularly female ones. They are not as sharply edged, they tend to be quite watery. They are not renderings of women as I know them,” Farmiga said."
Can we all be like Vera Farmiga?
Besides creeping us out in the now concluded Bates Motel series, Farmiga also stars in the very frightening The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. You may also remember her from the film Orphan.
Bates Motel — ‘The Body” — Acquired A&E Press Media
Want to get to know the star a little better? Here are some quick facts!
- Vera Farmiga is the second oldest of seven children, young actress Taissa Farmiga being the youngest. You know Taissa from her work in American Horror Story.
- English is not the actresses’ first language. She was born to two Ukrainian parents and didn’t learn English until after she was five-years-old. Vera is also a skilled Ukrainian fold dancer.
- Before the small and big screen, Vera worked in customer service for an air conditioning company.
- Whenever Vera is given a script she doesn’t like, she burns it. Yeah, you read that right:
"“I stack up all those crass female characters, all those utterly ordinary women, all those hundreds and hundreds of parts that have no substance or meaning and turn them into a blazing pyre,” Farmiga told Designed Trend. “It’s my revenge on Hollywood insensitivity and greed. The ashes go to the compost. At least the scripts can finally help the world in some way.”"
Next: 15 Bates Motel Facts You May Not Know
Now that Bates Motel is unfortunately over, you can catch Vera Farmiga in these upcoming projects — The Commuter (2018), Captive State (2018), and Godziilla: King of the Monsters (2019).