Mykhailo Farmiga is a Ukrainian-born American man best known as the father of acclaimed Hollywood actresses Vera Farmiga and Taissa Farmiga — two sisters who, despite being over two decades apart in age, have each carved out distinct and celebrated careers in film and television. He was born on January 10, 1942, in Ukraine, and his life story is less about the spotlight and more about something quieter — the kind of determination it takes to build a new life from nothing on a foreign continent, twice over.
Most people come across his name because of his daughters. But the more you learn about Mykhailo Farmiga, the clearer it becomes that his story deserves telling on its own terms.
Who Is Mykhailo Farmiga?
Mykhailo Farmiga is a Ukrainian immigrant who settled in the United States after a journey that took him through Argentina, eventually planting roots in New Jersey where he and his wife, Lubomyra “Luba” Farmiga, raised seven children. He worked for much of his professional life as a computer systems analyst before transitioning into landscaping — a career change that surprised some people close to him but reflected something genuine about who he is as a person.
He is not a public figure in any traditional sense. He has no verified social media accounts, has never sought fame, and by most accounts prefers the quiet of family life to the glare of celebrity. His public profile exists almost entirely because of his daughters, and that’s a status he appears to wear comfortably.
As of 2026, Mykhailo Farmiga is 84 years old.
Early Life: Born Into a World at War
To understand Mykhailo Farmiga, you have to start with the world he was born into. January 1942 in Ukraine was not a time of peace. World War II was at its height, and the eastern European region his family called home was caught in the crossfire of one of history’s most devastating conflicts.
The broader Farmiga family history carries the weight of that era. According to information shared publicly by his daughter Vera over the years, the family’s roots trace back through a generation that endured displacement — Vera’s maternal grandparents actually met at a displaced persons camp in Karlsfeld, Germany, in the aftermath of the war. That context matters because it helps explain the resilience that seems to run through the Farmiga household like a thread.
After the war, Mykhailo eventually made his way to Argentina, which had by then become a destination for many Ukrainian refugees and emigrants seeking stability outside of Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. From Argentina, he eventually emigrated to the United States, settling in New Jersey alongside other members of the Ukrainian diaspora.
There is no verified public information about the specific timeline of his immigration or the particular circumstances that brought him to Argentina first. What is confirmed is that by the time he was raising a family in New Jersey, he had already lived across three continents.
Life in New Jersey: Ukrainian Culture in an American Home
The Farmiga household in New Jersey was, by all accounts from the family, deeply Ukrainian. Ukrainian was the primary language spoken at home — Vera Farmiga has said in multiple interviews that she did not speak English fluently until she was around six years old. That is not an incidental detail. It reflects a deliberate choice Mykhailo and Luba made to preserve something they considered essential: their heritage.
The family initially lived in Irvington, New Jersey, before relocating to Whitehouse Station when Vera was around twelve years old. Both places are a world away from Hollywood, and that distance — geographic and cultural — seems to have shaped the Farmiga children in ways that still show up in how they talk about their upbringing.
The children attended St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School in Newark, participated in Ukrainian folk dancing (Vera famously toured with a Ukrainian dance ensemble called Syzokryli during her teenage years), and grew up surrounded by a community that maintained old-world traditions within an American context. The home was religious, culturally specific, and, by all descriptions, close-knit.
Mykhailo Farmiga was the anchor of that environment. Not a celebrity father, not a stage dad — just a man working steady jobs and raising his kids with a clear set of values.
Career: From Systems Analyst to Landscaper
Mykhailo’s professional life had two distinct chapters. For a significant portion of his working years, he worked as a computer systems analyst — a role that, in the mid-to-late twentieth century, required genuine technical fluency at a time when most people had no relationship with computing at all. Systems analysts in that era helped organisations understand and implement technology solutions, a job that demanded both analytical thinking and the ability to communicate complex ideas to people who weren’t always technical.
It was a respectable, stable career, and it allowed him to support a family of nine.
Later in life, Mykhailo made the move into landscaping. On the surface, that shift might seem like a step back. But people who’ve noted this transition tend to frame it differently — as someone following a preference for physical, outdoor work after years behind a desk. There’s no verified explanation from Mykhailo himself, since he doesn’t give interviews. What’s clear is that the pivot didn’t seem to diminish him professionally or personally, and in many ways, the image of him doing hands-on work in the open air fits with how his family has described him.
Marriage and Family: The Farmigas of New Jersey
Mykhailo Farmiga has been married to Lubomyra “Luba” Farmiga for over four decades. Luba, who also goes by Lubomyra Spas by her maiden name, was a schoolteacher — and like Mykhailo, she is of Ukrainian descent. They met in the United States and built their family life together in New Jersey, sharing not just a household but a shared cultural mission: raising their children to know where they came from.
Together, Mykhailo and Luba have seven children. They are, in order: Victor, Vera, Stephan, Nadia, Alexander, Laryssa, and Taissa.
| Child | Birth Year (Approx.) | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Victor | ~1971 | Musician and composer; worked on Higher Ground and American Horror Story |
| Vera | 1973 | Actress; The Departed, Bates Motel, Up in the Air (Oscar nomination) |
| Stephan | Not publicly confirmed | Maintains a private life |
| Nadia | Not publicly confirmed | Entrepreneur; co-founder and CEO of Misto Eats |
| Alexander | Not publicly confirmed | Maintains a private life |
| Laryssa | Not publicly confirmed | Born with spina bifida; maintains a private life |
| Taissa | 1994 | Actress; American Horror Story, The Nun II, The Gilded Age |
The span between Vera and Taissa — more than twenty years — is something that has come up in media coverage of the family more than once. They share the same parents, grew up in the same household (at least partially, given the age gap), and have both become professional actresses, which is statistically unusual enough that it draws attention on its own.
Laryssa, the sixth child, was born with spina bifida. The family has not spoken extensively about this publicly, and there is no verified information about her current life beyond what has been briefly mentioned in earlier profiles of the family.
His Daughters’ Success: Vera and Taissa Farmiga
Any article about Mykhailo Farmiga has to reckon with the fact that his public profile is inseparable from his daughters’ achievements. That’s not a criticism of him — it’s simply the reality of how he became known outside of his community.
Vera Farmiga, born August 6, 1973, in Clifton, New Jersey, is one of the most respected actresses of her generation. She studied theater at Syracuse University, graduating in 1995, and made her Broadway debut in 1996 in Taking Sides. Her film breakthrough came with Down to the Bone in 2004, followed by a role in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed in 2006 alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Up in the Air (2009), and later became widely known for playing Norma Bates in the A&E series Bates Motel, which ran from 2013 to 2017. More recently, she appeared in Apple TV+’s Five Days at Memorial (2022), for which she received significant critical praise.
Taissa Farmiga, born August 17, 1994, is 21 years younger than Vera and launched her own acting career through the FX anthology series American Horror Story, where she appeared in multiple seasons. She is also known for The Nun (2018) and its 2023 sequel The Nun II, and for her role in HBO’s The Gilded Age. That two siblings in the same family — born a generation apart — would both pursue and succeed in acting at a professional level is, by any measure, remarkable.
Neither Vera nor Taissa has attributed their careers to any single influence, but both have spoken about the stability, cultural richness, and strong identity their parents gave them as foundational.
Social Media and Public Presence
Mykhailo Farmiga does not have any confirmed, verified social media accounts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or TikTok. He does not appear to have given public interviews independently of his family, and there are no confirmed public statements attributed to him directly.
Some search results may surface social media profiles that appear to reference him, but as of early 2026, none of these can be confirmed as authentic. His digital footprint is essentially nonexistent in any first-person capacity.
This is consistent with how his family has described him — a private man, content to exist outside the public gaze, whose satisfaction comes from family and community rather than recognition.
Net Worth: What Is Known (and What Isn’t)
There is no verified figure for Mykhailo Farmiga’s personal net worth. His careers in systems analysis and landscaping were respectable working-class professions, and there is no public information suggesting significant personal wealth. Various celebrity biography sites have published estimated figures, but none of these are sourced from financial disclosures, public records, or verified reporting — and should be treated with appropriate skepticism.
What can be said is that he successfully raised seven children in New Jersey over several decades, supported his family through two different career paths, and appears to have done so without financial scandal or public difficulty. That’s about as much as the public record allows.
His daughter Vera Farmiga’s net worth has been estimated in various reports at around $10 million or more, based on her long career in film and television. Taissa Farmiga’s net worth is less publicly documented but reflects a growing career across major productions. These figures belong to them individually, not to Mykhailo.
Where Is Mykhailo Farmiga Now?
As of 2026, Mykhailo Farmiga is 84 years old and, based on available information, living a quiet private life in the United States. There is no verified reporting on his current location beyond the New Jersey area where the family has long been based, and no public information suggesting he has relocated.
He is believed to remain close with his children and grandchildren, though the family does not publicly document his day-to-day life. Vera Farmiga has occasionally referenced her parents warmly in interviews, and the overall picture that emerges is of a man who is healthy, present, and deeply embedded in his family’s life — just not in any way that’s visible to the public.
There are no verified reports of serious health concerns, and nothing in the public record suggests otherwise.
FAQ: Mykhailo Farmiga
How old is Mykhailo Farmiga? Mykhailo Farmiga was born on January 10, 1942, making him 84 years old as of early 2026.
Where was Mykhailo Farmiga born? He was born in Ukraine. He later lived in Argentina before immigrating to the United States, where he settled in New Jersey.
Who is Mykhailo Farmiga married to? He is married to Lubomyra “Luba” Farmiga (née Spas), a Ukrainian-American former schoolteacher. They have been together for over four decades.
How many children does Mykhailo Farmiga have? Seven. Their names are Victor, Vera, Stephan, Nadia, Alexander, Laryssa, and Taissa.
Are Vera and Taissa Farmiga full sisters? Yes. They share the same parents — Mykhailo and Luba Farmiga. The 21-year age gap between them is notable but confirmed.
What did Mykhailo Farmiga do for a living? He worked as a computer systems analyst and later transitioned into landscaping.
Does Mykhailo Farmiga have social media? There are no verified, confirmed social media accounts attributed to him on any platform as of 2026.
What is Mykhailo Farmiga’s net worth? No verified figure is publicly available. Estimates circulated on various websites are not sourced from confirmed financial records.
What nationality is Mykhailo Farmiga? He is Ukrainian-born and is an American resident. He is of Ukrainian ethnicity.
Did Mykhailo Farmiga’s family speak Ukrainian at home? Yes. Ukrainian was the primary language in the Farmiga household. Vera Farmiga has said she did not speak English fluently until around age six.
Conclusion
Mykhailo Farmiga’s life doesn’t follow the arc of a celebrity biography — and that, in a way, is exactly what makes it worth paying attention to. He is a man who was born in a country at war, moved across continents, learned to build something stable in a new place, and did it all while making sure his children knew who they were and where they came from.
He was not famous when his daughters were growing up, and he isn’t famous now in any conventional sense. But the values he and Luba instilled in their household — the language, the culture, the work ethic, the faith — show up unmistakably in the way his daughters carry themselves, in the roles they choose, and in how they talk about home.
The story of Mykhailo Farmiga is ultimately the story of a lot of immigrant families: quiet, unglamorous, built on sacrifice, and more influential than the outside world ever quite realises. The fact that two of his children ended up on screens around the world is extraordinary. The foundation he laid is what made it possible.