Taissa Farmiga is an American actress known for films such as ‘Mindscape’, ‘In a Valley of Violence,’ and ‘Rules Don’t Apply.’ She is the sister of the popular Oscar nominated actress and director Vera Farmiga. As a young girl, Taissa initially had no interest in the field of acting. However, after being persuaded by her sister Vera Farmiga, she appeared in the 2011 American drama ‘Higher Ground’ which was also Vera’s directorial debut. She played the role of the teenage version of the main character. Despite having no formal training in acting, nor any previous experience, she portrayed the role well and was quite appreciated. This experience prompted Farmiga to take up acting as a full-time career. In 2011, she also made her television debut in the horror TV series ‘American Horror Story: Murder House’. Her role earned her a nomination for the ‘Online Film & Television Association Awards’ for ‘Best Ensemble in a Drama series’ along with the rest of the cast. Over the following years, she appeared in several significant films, such as Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Bling Ring’, Jorge Dorado’s psychological thriller ‘Mindscape’, Hannah Fidel’s romantic drama ‘6 Years’, and Warren Beatty’s comedy drama ‘Rules Don’t Apply’.

Taissa Farmiga was born on 17 August 1994, in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA. Her mother Lubomyra worked as a school teacher, while her father Michael Farmiga worked as a systems analyst.

Her parents, who are of Ukrainian descent, have seven children in total, Taissa being the youngest. She attended a public school till fourth grade, after which she was homeschooled.

She spent four years learning the American Sign Language. Her initial career plan was to become an accountant, but her plans changed after she achieved success with her first movie.

After being persuaded by her sister Vera, Taissa Farmiga made her film debut in the 2011 American drama ‘Higher Ground.’ Directed by Vera, the film revolved around a young girl named ‘Corinne Walker,’ and her vacillating relationship with Christianity. Vera played the main character, while the younger version of the character was played by Taissa. Taissa’s performance was appreciated, and as a result she decided to pursue acting as a full-time career. The film was also a huge success commercially and received positive reviews.

In 2011, she was cast in the first season of the American horror anthology television series ‘American Horror Story.’ ‘American Horror Story: Murder House,’ the first season of the series, premiered on October 5, 2011 and received mostly positive reviews. The series, which became very successful, made her an international celebrity.

In 2013, she appeared in a satirical crime drama titled ‘The Bling Ring,’ which was written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola. Taissa appeared in a supporting role and played the character of ‘Sam Moore.’ The film premiered on 16 May 2013, at the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ and was critically acclaimed.

She then appeared in the popular psychological thriller ‘Mindscape’ (2013), which was directed by the Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado. The film was about a detective who has the ability to enter people’s memories. It premiered at the 46th ‘Sitges Film Festival’ on 13 October 2013.

In 2013, she also appeared in the third season of the American horror anthology television series ‘American Horror Story: Coven.’ Like the previous two seasons, this too became a success, and received several award nominations, including 17 ‘Emmy Award’ nominations.

Over the ensuing years, she appeared in several movies, such as ‘Jamesy Boy’ (2014), a biographical crime drama, ‘6 Years’ (2015), a romantic drama, and ‘Justice League vs. Teen Titans’ (2016), an animated superhero film.

In 2016, she also appeared in the sixth season of the horror anthology series ‘American Horror Story,’ which was named ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke.’ The story follows a married couple, who after settling in their new home, are haunted by strange paranormal forces. The same year, Taissa also made her stage debut in the play ‘Buried Child,’ playing the role of a character named Shelly.

Her other movies include the 2016 comedy-drama film ‘Rules Don’t Apply,’ ‘Teen Titans: The Judas Contract’ (2017), ‘What They Had’ (2018), and ‘The Long Dumb Road’ (2018).

In 2018, she was cast in the eighth season of ‘American Horror Story.’ She also starred in the blockbuster hit gothic supernatural horror film ‘The Nun.’ Her portrayal of ‘Sister Irene’ in the film was appreciated.

Later in the same year, she appeared in films like ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ and ‘The Mule.’ In 2020, she joined the main cast of the horror anthology web television series ‘50 States of Fright,’ which premiered on April 6, 2020.

‘Higher Ground,’ a 2011 American drama film, was Taissa’s first work in her acting career. The film, which was the directorial debut of her sister Vera Farmiga, also included popular actors, such as Joshua Leonard, John Hawkes, Donna Murphy, Norbert Leo Butz, and Bill Irwin. The film follows a young girl, ‘Corinne Walker,’ who is skeptical about God. The film shows how the girl’s skepticism affects her relationship with the Christian religion.

‘Mindscape,’ a 2013 psychological thriller produced by Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado, is one of the most significant works of Taissa Farmiga’s career. Apart from Farmiga, the film starred popular actors, such as Mark Strong, Noah Taylor, and Brian Cox. The story follows a detective who can enter people’s memories. He decides to take up the case of a girl named ‘Anna’ to determine whether she is just troubled or is a psychopath. Despite being a commercial failure, it was the ‘Official Selection’ at the ‘Sitges Film Festival.’

Taissa appeared in the American horror anthology TV series ‘American Horror Story,’ which was created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. She appeared in the first season ‘American Horror Story: Murder House,’ the third season ‘American Horror Story: Coven,’ the sixth season ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke,’ and eighth season ‘American Horror Story: Apocalypse.’ The show has been a success, and has been nominated for 429 awards, out of which it has won 94 awards. The series has had nine seasons so far, and the tenth season is expected to air in 2020.

The 2018 gothic supernatural horror movie ‘The Nun’ catapulted her to international fame. She portrayed the character of a Roman Catholic nun named ‘Sister Irene’ who struggles to keep evil out of the world. Though the critics’ ratings were meagre, the movie became a box office hit and earned over $365 million.

Taissa Farmiga has been nominated twice for the ‘Online Film & Television Association Awards.’ Firstly, in 2012 for ‘American Horror Story: Murder House’ under the ‘Best Ensemble in a Drama Series’ category and for the second time in 2014 for ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ under the ‘Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries’ category.

She was nominated for the ‘Fright Meter Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’ for her amazing performance in the 2015 comedy film ‘The Final Girls.’

In 2014, Taissa Farmiga started dating Hadley Klein, a director and screenwriter. It was reported in 2019 that she is engaged to Hadley Klein. She currently resides in Los Angeles.