Taissa Farmiga on women in horror

American Horror Story and The Nun star Taissa Farmiga returns to the horror genre in the new film, "We Have Always Lived in the Castle." Hear what one of horror's leading actresses has to say about playing complex women — and what it is that scares her. 😱
Published on
16/5/2019
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Actor Taissa Farmiga on women in horror


Taissa Farmiga is an American actress. She began her career in film in the drama Higher Ground which was directed by her sister high profile actor Vera Farmiga, and successively made her television debut in the FX series American Horror Story: Murder House, which earned her a reputation as a contemporary scream queen. Taissa Farmiga portrays complex women that incorporate feminism in the horror and thriller genres — she's starred in American Horror Story, The Nun, Anna and The Twilight Zone. Her latest, We Have Always Lived In The Castle, is based on the novel by Shirley Jackson.


So we asked... what scares her?


“I genuinely do not like the dark. I do not like being alone in the dark. I do not like nighttime. I guess the darkness scares me because I just, I don't like when I can't see something, I don't like the unknown, like, I hate the ocean. I do not like the idea of the big vast open water, I hate it. But, you know, I don't think I have any fears where it's like paralyzing, or I can't handle it.”


For those of you that don’t know American Sign Language is more than just waggling your fingers and moving your hands hoping that someone will understand you. Taissa studied ASL for three years so it’s fair to assume t she’s still pretty good at it.


Her older sister Vera was a big reason why she became an actress since she saw something in Taissa that made her think that this might be the right course for her. It does help having family in the business, especially if they’ve got enough pull to make it possible for other family members to get a shot at making it in cinema entertainment.


“I do find in the horror genre that you are given more opportunities to show complex characters… It's just an opportunity to be someone that doesn't have to rely on a man to save them or bring them happiness.”


Brut.