1963–1969: Beginnings and breakthrough '' (1964) Farrow screen-tested for the role of Liesl von Trapp in
The Sound of Music (1965), but did not get the part. The footage has been preserved, and appears on the Fortieth Anniversary Edition DVD of
The Sound of Music. She began her acting career in movies by appearing in supporting roles in several 1960s films, making her first credited appearance in
Guns at Batasi (1964). The same year, she achieved stardom on the
primetime soap opera
Peyton Place, playing naive, waif-like
Allison MacKenzie. Farrow left the series in 1966 at the urging of
Frank Sinatra, whom she married on July 19, 1966, when she was 21 and he was 50 years old. She appeared in her first featured role in the British
spy film A Dandy in Aspic (1968). Farrow's first leading film role was in the psychological horror film ''
Rosemary's Baby (1968), a critical and commercial success. It is regarded as a classic of the horror genre and was named the second-best horror film of all time (after Psycho) by The Guardian'' in 2010. Farrow won numerous awards, including the
Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress, and became established as a leading actress. Film critic Stephen Farber said her performance had an "electrifying impact... one of the rare instances of actor and character achieving a miraculous, almost mythical match". Critic
Roger Ebert called the film "brilliant" and wrote, "A great deal of the credit for this achievement must go to Mia Farrow, as Rosemary." in
John and Mary (1969) After ''Rosemary's Baby
, Farrow was to be cast as Mattie in True Grit and was keen on the role. But before filming, she made Secret Ceremony in England with Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Mitchum. While filming, Mitchum told her that True Grit'' director
Henry Hathaway had a reputation for being rude to actresses. Farrow asked producer
Hal Wallis to replace Hathaway. Wallis refused; Farrow quit the role, which was then given to
Kim Darby.
Secret Ceremony divided critics but has developed a devoted following. Farrow's other late 1960s films include
John and Mary (1969), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for
Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Farrow made history as the first American actress to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. The same year, she appeared in the British horror film
See No Evil, portraying a blind woman whose family is stalked by a killer. Though he gave the film a mixed review, Roger Greenspun of
The New York Times wrote that Farrow "plays her blind patrician with exactly the right small depth of pathos and vulnerable nobility." In 1972, Farrow starred in the French
black comedy Dr. Popaul as a secretary who marries a womanizer, and in
Carol Reed's
Follow Me! as a woman suspected of having an affair by her wealthy husband. Onstage, she played the lead in a 1972 production of
Mary Rose, Irina in
The Three Sisters (1973), and a dual role in
The House of Bernarda Alba (1973). Farrow was cast as
Daisy Buchanan in the 1974
Paramount Pictures film adaptation of
The Great Gatsby, directed by
Jack Clayton.
Variety deemed it "the most concerted attempt to probe the peculiar ethos of the Beautiful People of the 1920s." In 1975, Farrow was cast as the lead in a stage production of
The Marrying of Ann Leete, followed by
The Zykovs (1976), both at the
Aldwych Theatre. She also appeared at the Aldwych in the 1976 production of
Ivanov, portraying Sasha. She appeared onscreen as
Peter Pan in the 1976 television musical film
Peter Pan and as a woman haunted by the ghost of a deceased girl in the 1977 horror film
Full Circle. Farrow had a supporting role in
Robert Altman's 1978 comedy
A Wedding as the mute daughter of a trucking company tycoon. The same year, she starred with
Rock Hudson in the disaster film
Avalanche and in the British
Agatha Christie adaptation
Death on the Nile. In 1979, Farrow appeared on
Broadway opposite
Anthony Perkins in
Bernard Slade's play
Romantic Comedy and in the romance film
Hurricane, opposite
Jason Robards.
1980–1992: Collaborations with Woody Allen Beginning in the 1980s, Farrow had a decade-long relationship with director
Woody Allen; they collaborated on many of his films. Her first film with Allen was the comedy ''
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982), in a role originally intended for
Diane Keaton. She next appeared in Allen's
Zelig (1983), portraying a psychiatrist whose patient, Leonard Zelig (Allen), takes on characteristics of those around him in an effort to be liked. In
Broadway Danny Rose (1984), Farrow starred as the mistress of a washed-up lounge musician who becomes involved with the
mob. Her character and the film were inspired by a woman she and Allen had frequently encountered while dining at
Rao's, an Italian restaurant in
East Harlem. Farrow gained weight for the role and adopted a thick Italian-American accent; Allen biographer John Bailey called her "unrecognizable" in the role. Farrow gained critical notice for this role and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Farrow reunited with Allen for his
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), which follows a film character (
Jeff Daniels) who emerges from the screen, enters the real world, and falls in love with a waitress (Farrow). Farrow earned a
BAFTA nomination for
Best Actress and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Ebert called it Allen's best work to date. Farrow earned her third BAFTA nomination, again in the category of Best Leading Actress. In 1987, Farrow appeared in two films directed by Allen: the comedy
Radio Days, in which she had a supporting role as an aspiring radio star; and the drama
September, in which she played a woman haunted by her killing of her mother's abusive lover. Farrow shot the latter film twice, originally with her mother, Maureen O'Sullivan, playing her character's mother. Displeased with the final cut, Allen recast several roles and reshot the film. The final version starred
Elaine Stritch as Farrow's character's mother. Farrow was subsequently cast opposite
Gena Rowlands in Allen's drama
Another Woman (1988), which follows a philosophy professor (Rowlands) who becomes acquainted with a troubled woman undergoing an existential crisis (Farrow). While the film earned praise from critics such as Ebert, its screenplay and dialogue were criticized by
Vincent Canby, who called it "full of an earnest teen-age writer's superfluous words." In 1989, Farrow starred in a segment of Allen's anthology film
New York Stories, playing the
shiksa fiancée of a Jewish man (Allen). She had a supporting role in his 1989 film
Crimes and Misdemeanors as a producer who falls in love with a documentary filmmaker. She was next cast by Allen in his 1990 fantasy film
Alice, the couple's 11th collaboration. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, The next year, Farrow appeared as a circus performer in Allen's black-and-white comedy
Shadows and Fog. Farrow had a lead role in Allen's drama
Husbands and Wives (1992), in which she portrayed the wife of a writer and professor (Allen) having an affair with one of his students.
Husbands and Wives marked Farrow's final collaboration with Allen. It was released shortly after the couple's highly publicized separation.
Todd McCarthy of
Variety wrote in his review that much of its audience would watch it "for the titillation of seeing Allen make out with a 21-year-old and go through a wrenching split from Farrow onscreen. Even those who enter in this frame of mind, however, probably will put these thoughts aside for the most part as they become involved in the romantic longings and verbal crossfire of a host of interesting, difficult, intersecting characters."
1993–1999: Film and television; return to stage Citing the need to devote herself to raising her young children, Farrow worked less in the 1990s. But she had leading roles in several films, including the Irish film ''
Widows' Peak'' (1994), in which she starred as "Miss O'Hare", the mysterious victim of a vengeful, matriarchal figure in a small Irish village, and the 1995 comedy
Miami Rhapsody, playing the mother of a single woman in her thirties (
Sarah Jessica Parker). That year Farrow also had a lead role in the film adaptation of
Craig Lucas'
Off-Broadway play
Reckless, a dark comedy in which she portrayed a woman whose husband arranges a
contract killing of her. Critic
Stephen Holden praised her performance, writing: "Farrow is so perfectly cast as Rachel that the character seems a distillation of nearly every role she has played since she was a teen-ager in
Peyton Place." In 1997, Farrow published her autobiography,
What Falls Away. She had a
cameo appearance as herself in
Howard Stern's biographical comedy
Private Parts. She appeared on television in the 1998
The Wonderful World of Disney segment
Miracle at Midnight, a dramatization of the
Rescue of the Danish Jews during the
Holocaust. Will Joyner of
The New York Times called Farrow's performance in the segment "crucial to the production's success." Critic Steven Linan of the
Los Angeles Times wrote that she "convincingly conveys the fear and insecurity that accompany such a downward spiral." In November 1999, Farrow returned to Broadway portraying Honey in a staged reading of the
Edward Albee play ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, opposite Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Pryce, and Uta Hagen. Canby praised the production in The New York Times'', writing, "as performed by Mr. Broderick and Ms. Farrow, Nick and Honey took on dimensions I have never seen before."
2000–present: Later film, television, and theater During the 2000s, Farrow appeared on television. She began with a recurring role on the series
Third Watch, in which she guest-starred in five episodes between 2000 and 2003. Farrow also appeared in the 2001
LGBT-themed television film
A Girl Thing, opposite
Kate Capshaw and
Stockard Channing, followed by a lead in the
Lifetime film
The Secret Life of Zoey in 2002. She also appeared in a touring stage production of
The Exonerated the same year, followed by the lead in ''Fran's Bed'', staged at Connecticut's
Long Wharf Theatre in the fall of 2003. She subsequently had a supporting part in the children's television film
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004). Farrow made her first feature film appearance in several years as Mrs. Baylock, a
Satanic nanny, in the remake of
The Omen (2006). Although the film received a lukewarm critical reception, Farrow's performance was widely praised. The
Associated Press declared "thank heaven for Mia Farrow" and said her performance was "a rare instance of the new
Omen improving on the old one." The
Seattle Post-Intelligencer also praised her performance, describing it as "a truly delicious comeback role... Farrow [is] chillingly believable as a sweet-talking nanny from hell." Farrow subsequently appeared as the mother of a Manhattan attorney (played by
Amanda Peet) in the romantic comedy
The Ex (2007), also starring opposite
Jason Bateman and
Zach Braff. The film was poorly received by critics, with several writing that the cast's talents were underserved by the material. Farrow next voiced Daisy Suchot in
Luc Besson's animated fantasy film
Arthur and the Invisibles (2007). The following year, Farrow appeared in a supporting role opposite
Danny Glover in
Michel Gondry's comedy
Be Kind Rewind (2008), playing the friend and patron of a
video store operator in suburban
New Jersey. She also provided voice narration for the documentary film
As We Forgive (2008), which recounts the stories of two
Rwandan women who confronted the individuals who murdered their families during the
Rwandan genocide. In 2009, Farrow reprised her voice role as Daisy Suchot in
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard, and she also reprised it for
Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010). She was subsequently cast in a supporting role in the comedy-drama
Dark Horse (2011), directed by
Todd Solondz, in which she played the mother of a stunted 35-year-old man. In September 2014, Farrow returned to Broadway in the play
Love Letters. The play was well received by critics, with Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times deeming Farrow's performance "utterly extraordinary... as the flighty, unstable and writing-averse Melissa Gardner." In 2016, Farrow appeared with
Faye Dunaway in an episode of the
IFC mockumentary series
Documentary Now!. In 2022 Farrow appeared in
Ryan Murphy's
Netflix series
The Watcher. It was announced that Farrow would make her return to Broadway in the
Jen Silverman play
The Roommate starring opposite
Patti LuPone at the
Booth Theatre in August 2024. Daniel D'Addario of
Variety wrote, "Farrow, in her greatest work on film, runs cool to the touch. Together, they modulate. LuPone will be the bigger star, perhaps, to a Broadway audience (with apologies to the producer who wanted to cast
Annette Bening in the role). But it's Farrow audiences will swoon for". For her performance, she received her first
Tony Award nomination for
Best Actress in a Play. ==Acting credits and accolades==