Vera Farmiga: It’s a profession so much to do with ego

“I really don’t feel a need to be famous. But I do feel a need to make a difference, to shed light on human emotion through acting.” Vera Farmiga

[Los Angeles Times: Anthony Minghella said: “Increasingly, audiences are uncomfortable with any subject that is not aspirational.” It seems that you think about projects versus products…]

Vera Farmiga: “It’s such a barbaric world we’re creating and living in. I think that every choice I make is with that in mind. How will that choice contribute to the chaos, and how will it maybe not? How can it?

“I live a pretty humble existence, which makes it possible. And I just want to live in a gentler, more refined world. And I have a simple existence in the country.” [She keeps goats on her place in upstate New York.]

[LA Times: Last August, you appeared on the cover of the New York Times Magazine; the article was about you mostly and about how there are no great roles for emerging serious actresses. What were the repercussions of that?]

Vera Farmiga: “Really what I heard was that it gave a lot of young actresses some guts. And hope. I heard some stories here and there about how it touched this person and it helped her with perseverance and it’s on her nightstand. Any time.”

[LA Times: Well, you seem like that person from that article.]

Vera Farmiga: “God, it’s tricky reading an article about yourself. There’s just this cringe factor.”

[LA Times: People forget that it’s hard for actors to look at themselves, because we project such narcissism on them.]

Vera Farmiga: “That is something I really work hard to negate, to combat, in a profession where it’s so much to do with ego and narcissism and image.

“I fought against [being interviewed for] that article for some time. I was resistant…. [I had never] gotten a job from any magazine article. Or red carpetry. Or partydom.”

[LA Times: Are there ways in which other actresses cannot be in competition for a smaller pie but work in cooperation?]

Vera Farmiga: “It has to be more of a sisterhood if we [want to] see more roles for women. Women producers have to cultivate more projects for women…

“The business is a lot of fun and games and free stuff and fame and fortune and working with people and spotlight and glamour — but the only thing that keeps me in the business is being a messenger for something serious and important…

“Joshua” [her movie] centers around a deviant child — but is also an opportunity to learn about postpartum psychosis and depression, which is a huge female issue.

“There’s that squabble between Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise. And as I was listening to their fencing about it, I realized this was a major women’s health issue that affects 17% of women who give birth a year.”

[From Vera Farmiga on acting, motherhood and goat-milking, By Choire Sicha, Los Angeles Times, July 8 2007.]

Ego and Creativity

Are performers raging narcissists?

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