Vera Farmiga
Vera Ann Farmiga (/fɑrˈmiːɡə/; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress and film director. Farmiga made her feature film debut in the 1998 drama-thriller Return to Paradise. This was followed by the supporting role of Lisa Tyler in the 2000 romantic drama film Autumn in New York, and Alex Cross in the 2001 television series UC: Undercover. In 2001, she was also cast as Daphne Handlova in the crime-thriller 15 Minutes. In 2004, she received critical praise for her portrayal of Irene, a woman trying to balance marriage and motherhood while harboring a secret drug habit, in the independent film Down to the Bone. Her other film credits include the 2003 comedy Dummy, the 2004 drama Iron Jawed Angels, the 2006 crime-thriller The Departed, the 2007 horror Joshua, and the 2008 drama-thriller Nothing But the Truth. Farmiga gained critical acclaim following her performance as businesswoman Alex Goran in the 2009 comedy-drama Up in the Air, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, all for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred as Kate Coleman in the 2009 horror film Orphan, Capt. Colleen Goodwin in the 2011 action-thriller Source Code, CIA operative Catherine Linklater in the 2012 action-thriller Safe House, paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the 2013 horror film The Conjuring, and Samantha Powell in the 2014 comedy-drama The Judge. Farmiga made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed 2011 drama film Higher Ground, in which she also starred as Corinne Walker. Since 2013, Farmiga has been starring as Norma Louise Bates in the A&E drama television series Bates Motel. For her performance in the role, she won the 2014 Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and was nominated for the 2013 and 2014 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, the 2014 Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, the 2013 TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, and the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.