A talented, soulful child actress who segued into teen and adult roles beginning in the late 1990s, dark-haired, brown-eyed siren in the making Eliza Dushku displayed a refreshing edginess as a young performer that transcended the typical girl-next-door sweetness and moved on to her sultry and downright scary portrayal of the villainous Faith on The WB’s “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” (from 1998 to 2000). Raised in Massachusetts, Dushku appeared at the Watertown Children’s Theater beginning in the first grade, performing in productions and also serving as a sign-language interpreter for hearing-impaired audience members. In 1991, Dushku was discovered in a casting search for the small coming-of-age romance “That Night” and tapped to co-star as the young, awestruck neighbor of a troubled sixteen-year-old (Juliette Lewis), who helps the older girl navigate her forbidden romance with bad boy Rick (C Thomas Howell). Dushku made an impressive screen debut, evincing all of the dreamy idealism of her character’s youth without resorting to unrealistic sentimentality. The film was released in 1993, the same year that she was featured in her follow-up role as the daughter of Robert De Niro’s sadistic character in the critically acclaimed biopic “This Boy’s Life”. 1994 saw her call Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger Mom and Dad in James Cameron’s humorous actioner “True Lies”.
Dushku made her TV debut at age 14 in the CBS “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presentation “Journey” (1995). After this, she returned to the big screen with featured turns as rebellious teens in the divorce-themed comedy-drama “Bye Bye, Love” (1995) and the Hawaii-set teen film “Race the Sun” (1996). Television beckoned again in the late 1990s, and Dushku made an auspicious comeback with a recurring role on The WB supernatural series “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer”, playing the eponymous heroine’s nemesis Faith, a fellow slayer with nefarious motives. Dushku’s portrayal of the striking, black leather-clad villain was appropriately chilling, and won the actress legions of fans while paving the way for a post-adolescent career. A surprise guest turn on a 2000 two-episode arc of the spin-off series “Angel” (The WB) reprised the role of Faith, and Dushku lightened up some that same year with a featured role in the sharp cheerleading comedy “Bring it On”. In “Soul Survivors” (2001), she was alongside other young Hollywood favorites like Casey Affleck and Wes Bentley. 2002, though, proved a banner year in the actress’ career, proving her ability and rising star status in two high profile features, “The New Guy”, which marked her return to teen comedy, and the crime drama “City By the Sea”, in which the spunky ingenue was reteamed with Robert De Niro. The following year, Dushku joined a series of young up-and-coming actors for the Rob Schmidt indie project “Wrong Turn” (2003).
- Also Credited As:
Eliza Patricia Dushku
- Born:
on 12/30/80 in Boston, Massachusetts
- Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Brother: Nate Dushku. older; featured in “Antitrust” (2001)
- Brothers: has three, all older
- Father: teaches in Boston
- Mother: teaches in Boston
Significant Others
- Companion: Colby. featured in Ralph Lauren advertisements
Education
- Watertown High School, Watertown, Massachusetts
Milestones
- 1991 At age 10, co-starred in the 1961 coming-of-age drama “That Night” (released in 1993), playing an eleven-year-old girl who aids in the forbidden romance of the sixteen-year-old neighbor (Juliette Lewis) she idolizes
- 1993 Had a featured role in “This Boy’s Life” as the daughter of Robert De Niro’s character
- 1994 Played the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the action vehicle “True Lies”
- 1995 Had an early TV credit in the CBS “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presentation “Journey”
- 1995 Played Paul Reiser’s troubled daughter in the divorce-themed comedy feature “Bye Bye, Love”
- 1996 Acted in the ensemble of the Hawaii-set teen comedy-drama “Race the Sun”
- 1998 Had a recurring role on The WB’s popular series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, playing a morally corrupt fellow slayer named Faith
- 2000 Guest starred in a two-episode recurring role on the supernatural spin-off “Angel” (The WB), reprising the role of Faith
- 2000 Was featured in the cheereading comedy “Bring It On”
- 2001 Cast in Kevin Smith’s “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”
- 2001 Co-starred in the thriller “Soul Survivors”
- 2002 Acted in the teen comedy “The New Guy”
- 2002 Reteamed with Robert De Niro in the crime drama “City By the Sea”
- 2003 Starred in the Fax drama “Tru Calling,” where she played a city morgue worker who relives the past
- 2003 Co-starred in the indie horror thriller “Wrong Turn”
- Appeared on stage at the Watertown Children’s Theater, performing in productions and translating dialogue into sign language for hearing-impaired audience members
