Interview with THE NUN’s Taissa Farmiga and Demián Bichir

In support of The Nun arriving in theaters today, I had a chance to talk with Taissa Farmiga and Demián Bichir along with other journalists at a recent press day. As newcomers to the “Conjuring” universe of monster movies, Taissa and Demián discussed preparing for their roles, their belief in the supernatural, getting scared by Bonnie Aarons and more:

Prior to filming, how did you prepare for the role of Sister Irene?

Taissa Farmiga: I wasn't raised Catholic and I didn't have much experience with nuns, but I really wanted to provide authenticity to the character because you're playing someone who's chosen this life of dedication and commitment. That takes a very specific inner strength, and I really wanted to know more about that. I wanted to know the details of the day-to-day struggle.

One thing I really wanted to incorporate was the physicality of it. So you're always watching yourself and correcting yourself. You know, am I walking humbly? Am I walking close to walls? Am I closing doors quietly? Am I walking with purpose? Are my hands being useless or am I using them for work? So it's little tiny things that you realize, if you're thinking about it on a constant basis, it actually takes up quite a bit of mental space and time throughout the day. While playing Sister Irene, I really wanted to make sure I was incorporating all those little corrections.

Corin Hardy just admitted to having a supernatural experience while filming The Nun. Do you believe in the supernatural? Are you open to it and have you had any experiences?

Taissa Farmiga: I feel like I don't want to make a full decision on it because: one, I feel if I say I don't believe, I'm opening myself up something coming to prove me wrong. If I say that I believe in the supernatural and demonic forces, then I'm also opening myself up for things to come to me. So I kind of walk this fine line of, “If you're there, do your thing, I'm here, don't look at me, don't talk to me, I'm good…”

Demián Bichir: I do believe in energy and there's energy of people that lived in this place, for example. We felt that when we went to Romania to shoot this film, because those were the real locations and we shot in this fantastic castle where Bram Stoker got inspiration to write Dracula and create that fantastic, iconic figure. When you are there, you feel that energy.

Taissa, you’re working on the new season of American Horror Story right now. Why are horror projects attractive to you?

Taissa Farmiga: To be honest, it's not the genre that attracts me. It’s more on a case-by-case basis of the script and the character. Even when I set up the next project, people are like, "Do you want to do comedy? Do you want to do this?" and I'm like, “I just want to work on something that makes me feel something.”

I want to ignite something inside me and I want to feel passionate about something. One thing about horror films that I love is the atmosphere on set. It's funny when you are filming something that's so dark and heavy, but there are a lot of things that go on between “action” and “cut.” My favorite part is when you are filming something that's so weird and crazy, like you're ripping the skin off someone's face and they call “cut.” In between “action” and “cut,” you're screaming, and you're feeling something so intensely, and all of the sudden they call “cut” and then everyone just starts chuckling. This is our job. We pretend to rip skin off people and it's disgusting, but it's funny and people really love it.

So, I'm not a huge horror movie buff, but I love working with people who are so passionate about it, like Corin [Hardy], who grew up as a kid and wanted to create monsters and now he gets to do it for a living. It makes him so happy and that makes a difference going on set and working with someone who just would give anything to be where he is. So, I do enjoy my time in horror films, but I'm open to anything. Except the supernatural [laughs].

Taissa, your sister is a very big part of this “Conjuring” universe. Did she give you any advice when you took on this role?

Taissa Farmiga:   She has given me so much advice over the years. The one that resonated with me [for The Nun] was that she told me when she was filming The Conjuring 2, she picked a very plain, simple white house to stay in that didn't have any feelings or energies or anything that could be turned into something demonic. So she told me to leave work at work, and don’t bring it home. I didn't have a choice of where I was living; I was given a hotel room. Luckily it was actually very clean and simple, and it didn't feel like there was too much history there. When I came home, before I entered, I would take a breath, shake my shoulders off and leave it at the door. I didn't want to bring any of that in because I'm such a sensitive person and I'm such a scaredy-cat. I didn't want Bonnie Aaron's demon nun in my brain and in my home when I was trying to decompress from the work.

Corin [Hardy] talked about Bonnie Aarons having a lot of fun scaring people on set. Were you one of her victims?

Taissa Farmiga: Bonnie Aarons is a phenomenal human being and I have so much love and affection for her because she's so passionate. She cares so much about these characters and these creatures that she creates. She loves them! It's almost like a second skin, do you know what I mean? She puts it on and she's this character and she loves scaring people and because I'm very jumpy, I'm a prime candidate on set. She would just come up and stand behind me and just look at me. I'm talking about her in demon nun wardrobe with demon teeth and blood dripping down her face.

Demián Bichir: Bonnie is such a beautiful lady. She has this beautiful, fabulous face, and she's a sweetheart. The best part of any shooting is the time you spend with your teammates. Everybody: crew members, actors, and directors. We spent a lot of time having breakfast, or lunch, or dinner and that was always fun. She's a crack-up.

What did you take away from playing the characters of Father Burke and Sister Irene?

Taissa Farmiga: The thing that I first connected to was Sister Irene's inherent goodness. She wanted to be good and do good for others. Something I've always loved and responded to is kindness, and that's something the world needs more of. I don't think you can ever have too much kindness. I hope audiences see that message of faith and how faith and also kindness are a necessity in life for us humans.

Demián Bichir: There’s a big army of fans waiting for this film and I'm sure they're looking for scary moments, but I'm sure they will come out with this particular thing [as well], that faith actually moves mountains and can defeat any kind of demon.

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In case you missed it, check here to catch up on our previous coverage of The Nun, including reviews, interviews, and Daily Dead's trip to the immersive experience in Mexico!