Vera Farmiga
(Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com)
But this is the 21st Century, and the most interesting work for actresses tends to be in indie films. That's where Farmiga first became buzzworthy, thanks to an award winning turn as a small town mom hiding a drug habit in the gritty "Down to the Bone."
Then Martin Scorsese helped introduce her to a wider audience as a no-nonsense shrink in his Oscar winner “The Departed,” and she hasn't stopped working since. She has three films due for release this fall (“all inspired work that I'm really proud of,” she says), but first comes a quirky little mystery romance that was filmed prior to her “Departed” breakthrough.
“Quid Pro Quo” explores the rarely seen world of Body Integrity Identity Disorder—people who want to amputate healthy limbs or other parts of their body—through a mystery romance involving a wheelchair-bound journalist, Isaac (Nick Stahl), and Fiona, a mysterious woman (Farmiga) who feels incomplete because she isn’t paralyzed.
Metromix spoke with Farmiga about the role, her comedic ambitions and how she’s really just a farm girl at heart.
“Quid Pro Quo” is such a unique project, how did you become involved with it?
It was a script that appeared on my doorstep. There's gotta be something that turns my head about a woman I meet in a script. Fiona gave me a real stiff neck from craning so hard to get a glimpse, and understand what I was seeing. I have this immediate sense of wanting to defend a character when we meet in a script, kind of like an appointed lawyer before a grand jury of an audience. I had this yearning to understand and defend her.
Did you do any research into Body Integrity Identity Disorder?
It was impossible to sit down with someone [who has the disorder], there's so much pain, guilt and embarrassment associated with it. I spent a lot of time online. Each case is radically different. The syndrome doesn't discriminate, it crosses all religions, ethnicities, genders and ages. All the stories were deep-seated and unexplainable. The only thing in common was a great sense of aloneness in having to carry out this desire.
Were you able to relate to Fiona’s struggle in any way?
Honestly we all wish for different body features, whether it's larger biceps or more extreme, different genitals. I think it's, to some degree, natural for this feeling to be present. What I identified with in the script, on the most minimal level—this has something to do with why I became an actress—as a kid I remember always wanting braces or crutches for a week. That was attention seeking. This is different.
How much did “The Departed” change your career, has it given you a higher profile?
I think the most change for me was a broader awareness of my work. The films that have had more of an impact are the indie films, unfortunately more privileged industry people get to see, but "The Departed" certainly put me out there in a broader sense for more people to become aware of my work. I'm grateful for it.
Are you still asked to audition for roles before being considered for them?
Not so much, there's so much work now for directors to use as a calling card. I think that's what they go by now. I had to fight for "Quid." It was shortly after "Down to the Bone," so there was some buzz, but it was before "The Departed." I sent Carlos one of my secret [audition] tapes, which I always prefer to do.
Are you still making those audition tapes now?
No, I'm not. I can't remember the last time I made a tape. That's probably what I'm grateful to "The Departed" for. [laughs] I think once it came out and hit a certain figure, then the tape requests stop. It was fun. I had the luxury of time, lighting, many takes. They were little mini movies I got to make myself.
Is that something you have any larger ambitions for—making your own movies?
It's something I'm just beginning to explore. At the moment I'm cultivating a script with a director, and my boyfriend and I are writing [a different project] together, we'll see how that ends up. I know we have a lot of fun doing it, we find it hysterical, I don't know if anyone else will.
Is it actually a comedy?
Yeah, it's a screwball family story.
That's interesting, I can't remember really seeing you in a comedy so far.
I know, and at the same time some of the greatest response I've had has been for comedic roles within dramas, like "Breaking and Entering." I always find the characters I play amusing, so I try to add that element in. It's really difficult to find a smart comedy, one that you don't feel like an ass doing.
Did you feel any pressure after "The Departed" to follow it up with another big film?
It's a strange career mine. I seem to draw experiences that I'm interested in and like-minded collaborators. I have done several sort of epic films. "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is an epic Holocaust film that has the chance of being one of those [big] films. I just did a film, "Orphan," with Peter Sarsgaard for ["Matrix" producer] Joel Silver and that's a psychological thriller. But I find a way to put my own little stamp on it. They still have an independent flair to them. I really don't feel an outside pressure, just within myself to do things I find interesting.
Do you think it's as difficult as people say for an actress to carve out an interesting film career?
I think it is. The hardest part for me so far is having people see the work. Because I choose such unique projects they don't always reach a broad audience and that's a challenge.
And "Quid Pro Quo" obviously won't make $100 million. But what do you hope the audience that does see it will take from it?
You know, all these [characters] are just people for whom life has become a tangled mess of limbs. It's a detective romance, an unusual one, but the thing is "Quid" doesn't pretend to broaden the scope of understanding of the syndrome, it just seeks to bring recognition to a taboo topic.
I know you’ve been busy going from film to film lately but what do you like to do when you’re not working?
I was just outside doing some weeding, I haven't been home in about seven months. You can always know the state of my mental being by the condition of my garden.
Is it true that you have pet goats?
Yeah, they're a pain in my neck now. I love them. I have a couple of dairy goats and a couple of fiber goats. I spin when I'm not working. I produce fiber and have a portable spinning wheel I take everywhere with me. But I'm so dejected. We did [the goats’] bi-annual shearing and their fleece was ridden with dandruff. It's not like you can just scrub them with Head & Shoulders, they're pretty much useless. I love them anyway, I'll keep them around but I'll be focusing more on the dairy goats.
Do you actually milk them yourself?
I just haven't been home. Until we breed them they won't lactate. It's just a matter of finding the time. I've been working so much that I can't commit to milking!
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