Mia Farrow Siblings: Meet the Siblings Squad Behind the American Actress
Actress Mia Farrow PHOTO/Hollywood Reporter
Mia Farrow, born Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow on February 9, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, is an American actress and humanitarian.
The daughter of Australian film director John Farrow and Irish actress Maureen O’Sullivan, Farrow grew up in a family immersed in the entertainment industry.
Raised in a strict Catholic household in Beverly Hills, she was exposed to filmmaking from a young age, making her first uncredited film appearance at age two in the 1947 documentary Unusual Occupations: Film Tot Holiday.
Farrow’s early life was marked by challenges, including contracting polio at nine, which required three weeks in an isolation ward, and the tragic loss of her eldest brother in a plane crash when she was 13.
These experiences shaped her resilience and perspective, leading her to a prolific career in acting and a deep commitment to human rights activism, particularly as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Siblings
Mia was one of seven children born to John Farrow and Maureen O’Sullivan.
Her siblings, three brothers and three sisters, each followed distinct paths, some touched by tragedy and others by creative pursuits.
The eldest, Michael Damien Villiers Farrow, born May 30, 1939, died at 19 in a 1958 plane crash over California’s San Fernando Valley while the family was in Spain filming John Paul Jones.
His death deeply affected the family, contributing to their father’s heavy drinking and strained parental relationships.
Patrick Joseph Villiers Farrow, born November 27, 1942, was a self-taught sculptor who held his first solo art exhibition in 1967 and later converted a Vermont church into a residence and studio.
He died by suicide in 2009 at age 66.
John Charles Villiers Farrow, born September 6, 1946, appeared in the 1959 film John Paul Jones and a 1956 episode of To Tell the Truth.
In 2012, he was convicted of sexually abusing two children between 2000 and 2008, receiving a 25-year sentence with 15 years suspended.
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Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow, born January 20, 1948, is an author, meditation teacher, and film producer, best known for inspiring The Beatles’ song Dear Prudence during her time studying Transcendental Meditation in India in 1968.
She earned a Ph.D. in Asian studies and has worked in education and film, including as a production assistant on The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Stephanie Margarita Villiers Farrow, born June 3, 1949, pursued acting, debuting in the 1983 film Exposed and appearing in Woody Allen’s Zelig.
The youngest, Theresa Magdalena “Tisa” Villiers Farrow, born July 22, 1951, was an actress and model, starring in films like Zombi 2 and Fingers before becoming a nurse for 27 years.
She died in her sleep on January 10, 2024, at 72, due to cardiopulmonary demise likely caused by atherosclerosis.
Career
Farrow’s career began with her breakout role as Allison MacKenzie in the 1960s soap opera Peyton Place, which brought her early fame.
Her marriage to Frank Sinatra from 1966 to 1968 briefly paused her acting, but she returned with a defining performance as Rosemary Woodhouse in Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, earning critical acclaim and establishing her as a leading actress.
Throughout the 1970s, she starred in films such as Follow Me! (1972), The Great Gatsby (1974), and Death on the Nile (1978), showcasing her versatility.
Her collaboration with Woody Allen in the 1980s and early 1990s was a significant chapter, with Farrow appearing in 13 of his films, including A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).
Her work with Allen ended amid personal controversy in 1992.
Since the 2000s, Farrow has taken on supporting roles in films like The Omen (2006) and Be Kind Rewind (2008), as well as television appearances, including a recurring role on Third Watch (2001–2003) and The Watcher (2022).
Beyond acting, Farrow has been a dedicated UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2000, advocating for children in conflict zones like Darfur, Chad, and the Central African Republic, often traveling with her son Ronan.
Accolades
Farrow won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year in 1965 for Guns at Batasi and received six additional Golden Globe nominations for Rosemary’s Baby, John and Mary, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Alice, and Forget Me Never.
She earned three BAFTA nominations for Best Actress for Rosemary’s Baby, John and Mary, and Hannah and Her Sisters.
Farrow won the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress twice, for Rosemary’s Baby in 1968 and Crimes and Misdemeanors in 1989.
She also received a National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for Alice in 1990 and a Laurel Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1968.
Her contributions extend beyond acting, as her humanitarian work earned her recognition as one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2008.