Vera Farmiga acted in films.
Vera Farmiga . Farmiga 's breakout role came in 2004 , when she portrayed a mother harboring a secret drug habit in the drama film Down to the Bone . She gained more critical acclaim for her role as Alex Goran in the 2009 comedy-drama Up in the Air , for which she was nominated for the Academy Award , BAFTA Award , Golden Globe Award , and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress . In 2013 , she portrayed paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the horror film The Conjuring , and reprised the role in the 2016 sequel The Conjuring 2 . This role , along with her roles in Joshua , Orphan , and the two Conjuring films , has dubbed her as a contemporary scream queen .