Vera Ann Farmiga (; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress, director, and producer. She began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of "Taking Sides" (1996). Farmiga made her television debut in the Fox fantasy adventure series "Roar" (1997), and her feature film debut in the drama-thriller "Return to Paradise" (1998). Farmiga's breakthrough came in 2004 with her starring role as a drug addict in the drama "Down to the Bone". She received further praise for the drama film "Nothing But the Truth" (2008), and won critical acclaim for starring in the 2009 comedy-drama "Up in the Air", for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.