Vera Farmiga

“The Ukrainian community is tight-knit by nature.”

“We are all seekers in some way. There are those of us who think they have all the answers and there are those of us who may never get an answer.”

“Whether we call it religion or faith, we all battle for a balanced integrated soul.”

“When I look at female characters, I want to recognize myself in them: my trials, my tribulations as a mother, as a lover, as a daughter.”

“Do I pray? Yes. Prayer is very important to me.”

“In the quiet moments, the discoveries are made.”

“I'm from the school of, 'if you want more, you have to require more from yourself.'”

“I grew up in a Ukrainian Catholic-turned-Christian household, and that is my family's faith.”

“I'm saying that the depth of exploration of the male psyche and the female psyche is uneven. I see further, deeper renderings of what it means to be a man.”

“I've never graced the cover of a fashion magazine.”

“It's true: I don't remember what life was like before parenthood.”

“I've always believed that if you are precise in your thoughts, it's not the lines you say that are important - it's what exists between the lines. What I'm compelled by most is that transparency of thought, what is left unspoken.”

“You earn very little money on independent films and I'm the provider for my home, so I do have to think of taking one for the accountant time and again and that means studio pictures.”

“Editing is not a part of the filmmaking process I've ever been privy to as an actress.”

“I don't have a caustic sense of humor. What I find funny, that humor comes from a much gentler place.”

“There's no wrong way to experience a film.”

“Your soul either feels lifted by something that you read, or it feels squashed by it.”

“I didn't grow up watching film but as a Ukrainian-American, music and stories and dance are crucial.”

“Faith is important to me.”

“I just hate one-dimensional portrayals of religion; it's too cheap and easy to do, and ignores the nuances that go into having a belief system.”