Mia Farrow

Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow was born on February 9, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, the third child and eldest daughter of Australian film director John Farrow and Irish actress Maureen O'Sullivan. One of seven children, her siblings include older brothers Michael Damien and Patrick, younger brother John Charles, and younger sisters Prudence, Stephanie, and Tisa. Her godparents were director George Cukor and columnist Louella Parsons. Raised in Beverly Hills in a strict Catholic household, Farrow attended Catholic parochial schools in Los Angeles before contracting polio at age nine during a county-wide outbreak that reportedly affected 500 people. She spent three weeks in an isolation ward and later described the experience as marking the end of her childhood. She continued her education at Marymount High School in Los Angeles and subsequently studied at Bard College.

Following her father's death from a heart attack when Farrow was 17, the family faced financial hardship. She initially worked as a fashion model before being cast as a replacement in a New York stage production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Her screen career began with a supporting appearance in Guns at Batasi (1964), and that same year she achieved television stardom playing Allison MacKenzie in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place. She departed the series in 1966 at the urging of Frank Sinatra, whom she married on July 19, 1966. Her first leading film role came with Roman Polanski's psychological horror film Rosemary's Baby (1968), a critical and commercial success for which she received nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, as well as winning the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. Her other films of the late 1960s include Secret Ceremony (1968) and John and Mary (1969), the latter earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.

In the early 1970s, Farrow expanded her work to the stage, appearing in numerous classical productions in London. She portrayed Joan of Arc in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1971 production of Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher at the Royal Albert Hall, becoming the first American actress to join the RSC. Her film work during the decade included Follow Me! (1972), The Great Gatsby (1974), and Death on the Nile (1978). From 1980 to 1992, Farrow was in a relationship with actor-director Woody Allen and appeared in thirteen of his films beginning with A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982). Her performances in Broadway Danny Rose (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Alice (1990) each earned Golden Globe Award nominations, and she also appeared in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), and Husbands and Wives (1992). In 1992, Farrow publicly accused Allen of sexually abusing their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow; Allen, who was not charged with a crime, has denied the allegation.

Since the 2000s, Farrow has made periodic television appearances, including a recurring role on Third Watch from 2001 to 2003, and a part in the Netflix series The Watcher (2022). Her film appearances during this period include The Omen (2006), Be Kind Rewind (2008), and Dark Horse (2011). In 2008, Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world. She is also recognized for her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and her involvement in international humanitarian activities.

Farrow's Broadway career spans from 1979 to 2024 and includes productions such as Romantic Comedy, Love Letters, Getting Away With Murder, and The Exonerated, among others. She returned to Broadway in 2025 in Jen Silverman's play The Roommate, a role for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.