Taissa Farmiga Tackles Romance In A New Way In ‘6 Years’

Taissa Farmiga may be most well-known for her roles on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, but Taissa has been around since 2011’s Higher Ground, and Farmiga has proven herself by starring in a number of films. Even so, Asbury Park Press reports that Farmiga’s latest film, 6 Years, has really tested the actress’ abilities in unique ways.

6 Years, a story about two lovers tested by outside forces, also tested the actor’s ability to improvise, since, as Taissa reveals, they weren’t given a traditional script off of which to work.

“This is the first movie that I’ve had to improv, or improv more than just a line or two here or there,” Farmiga said. “So, I was really nervous in the beginning, to be honest. But, I just found the story so relatable: these two young kids trying to grow up, trying to learn how to communicate, and they’re in their first relationship and they’re trying to figure out how to make it work.”

Farmiga adds that she felt her age helped her to more closely relate to the 6 Years characters, which she says brought an authentic feel to the scenes.

“I just turned 21, I’m close to their ages and I just understood them. The improv really helped to make it feel real. We had to bring a lot of ourselves to these characters because we didn’t have set dialogue, we had to make it up as we went,” Taissa said. “And, in that case, we had to bring part of ourselves to the characters and I think that’s why this movie works; it’s so personal and real and intimate.”

Farmiga told Decider that her 6 Years role and the emotional complexities of the characters really helped her to grow as a person, even throughout the filming process.

“I mean, Mel was definitely a handful to take on, but I feel like I learned so much from her. I can’t hold anything against her. I don’t regret the experience at all, it was very positive,” says Farmiga. “And I love taking on characters that are challenging because it helps me — honestly, it’s selfish — it helps me discover something about myself, and Mel helped me grow up. It was never too much. It was the perfect amount taking her on.”

Taissa was also eager to touch upon her return to television and revealed that, although it won’t be a return to American Horror Story, Farmiga was returning to a darker, horror-related theme in Wicked City.

“On TV I have Wicked City. It’s for ABC and it airs the end of October on Tuesday nights. I’m pretty pumped for that. It’s this L.A. noir detective story that’s set in the ’80s, so I get to go back in time and that’ll be fun. But I play a 21-year-old reporter who’s super career-driven and passionate. She’s a strong woman, so I’m looking forward to that.”

6 Years will premiere on August 18 in theaters.

[Featured image: Taissa Farmiga courtesy of Jason Merritt / Getty Images]