Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson Honor Their ‘Conjuring’ Bond (Exclusive)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are a big-screen match made in heaven.

The costars, both 52, have portrayed real-life couple and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring franchise since the haunting first installment in 2013. They return for one final outing in The Conjuring: Last Rites.

Their friendship predates these horror movies, though, as Farmiga directed Wilson’s wife Dagmara Dominczyk in the 2011 drama Higher Ground. 

Reflecting on their friendship over the decades, Farmiga says, “It just grows. It’s like any relationship. What we’ve been through together, what we’ve had to deliver together, has been pretty stressful and demanding.”

The movie series has demanded a lot from her and Wilson, physically and emotionally. “It’s not easy being away from our families. And at the same time we’re delivering these performances that sometimes feel like a hot mess in the moment,” says Farmiga, who has two kids with husband Renn Hawkey.

“His sense of humor is just the holy water to my hot mess,” Farmiga says of Wilson with a smile. “Time and time again he is able to make me giggle, whether it’s bringing me a homemade smoothie or curating some bourgeois coffee or crooning metal with me. He’s been a great friend.”

The Bates Motel alum says they have “grown up together” but don’t actually spend much time together when they’re not filming.

“There’s been five years go by where I don’t see this guy and then we could get commissioned to do another one, and I’m like, ‘Oh, hey, there you are five years older!’ We just pick up where we left off,” she says.

Wilson, who also fought demons in the Insidious movie series, says he and Farmiga bring the same energy to set, which got them off to a great start from the beginning.

“What you look for in a scene partner — that you don’t get all the time, to be honest — is the same sense of both fun and passion. I’m deadly serious and passionate about the work. And yet, as soon as the camera’s off, we can have a good time and screw around,” he says.

“Those equal senses of adventure and passion are important. We find that in each other and we relish that because you’re in a safe space,” he adds. “We both know that we’ve gotta dive in because the other one is not gonna be half-assing it. You certainly don’t want to be the weak link. It raises your game. We’re probably those types of people in life.”

With their time in the Conjuring series coming to an end, Wilson and Farmiga are unsure of their future in the extended franchise, which also includes the Annabelle and The Nun films.

“We have no idea what they want to do after this,” Wilson says. Farmiga adds, “Far as we know, there’s nothing else that they want from us. The Warrens have reached the end of the road.”

The Conjuring: Last Rites follows the true story of the Smurl family haunting in Pennsylvania in the ’80s, and sees the return of director Michael Chaves from 2021’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

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The movie also introduces Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy as the Warrens’ daughter Judy Warren and her boyfriend Tony Spera. 

Gearing up to say farewell to the series, Farmiga recalls the most important lesson she’s learned from playing Lorraine. 

“There’s so many lessons we’ve learned. There’s the mission statement of the film, that love conquers all fear. But also, in terms of leadership, how to create a beautiful experience for the cast, crew and for ourselves as number one and number two on the call sheet,” she says.

The Conjuring: Last Rites is in theaters Sept. 5.