Eliza Dushku facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eliza Dushku
Dushku at Tribeca Film Festival in 2012
Born	Eliza Patricia Dushku (1980-12-30) December 30, 1980 (age 44) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Citizenship	United States, Albania
Education	Watertown High School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–2017 (acting)
Known for	Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dollhouse Tru Calling
Spouse(s)	Peter Palandjian ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Judy Dushku (mother)

Eliza Patricia Dushku (born December 30, 1980) is an American actress. She is well-known for playing Faith in the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer (from 1998 to 2003) and Angel (from 2000 to 2003).

Eliza also had main roles in the supernatural drama Tru Calling (2003–2005) and the science fiction series Dollhouse (2009–2010). She was also a producer for Dollhouse. She has appeared in many movies like True Lies (1994), Bring It On (2000), and Wrong Turn (2003). Eliza has also lent her voice to several video games and animated films.

Early Life and Background

Eliza Dushku was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the youngest of four children. Her father, Philip Richard George Dushku, was a school teacher. Her mother, Judy Dushku, was a political science professor. Eliza's father had Albanian family roots. His parents came from the city of Korçë. Her mother's family came from Idaho and had Danish, English, Irish, and German backgrounds.

Eliza and her three brothers were raised in the Mormon faith. She went to Beaver Country Day School and later graduated from Watertown High School.

Eliza's Acting Journey

Starting Out in Acting (1992–1997)

Eliza Dushku was discovered by casting agents when she was just ten years old. She was chosen for the main role of Alice in the 1992 movie That Night. In 1993, Eliza acted alongside Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in the film This Boy's Life. The next year, she played the teenage daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the action movie True Lies.

She also had roles in the short film Fishing with George (1994) and the TV movie Journey (1995). She appeared in the romantic comedy Bye Bye Love (1995) and the comedy-drama Race the Sun (1996).

Becoming Famous with Buffy (1998–2002)

Eliza had planned to go to college, but her agent asked her to audition for a TV show. This show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Eliza got the part of Faith. Her role was only supposed to be for three episodes. However, her character became very popular. She stayed on for the entire third season. She also returned for later episodes and appeared in the spin-off show Angel.

Dushku at Wizard World Comic Con in Philadelphia (May 2004)

In 2000, Eliza starred in the popular cheerleader comedy Bring It On. She then appeared in Soul Survivors and The New Guy in 2001. That same year, she was in City by the Sea with Robert De Niro. Director Kevin Smith also asked her to be in his movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Main Roles in Tru Calling and Other Projects (2003–2008)

In 2003, Eliza starred in the horror movie Wrong Turn. She also began her lead role in the Fox supernatural drama Tru Calling. In this show, she played Tru Davies, a medical student who works at a morgue. Tru discovers she can "re-live" the previous day if a deceased person asks for her help to change what happened. Eliza turned down a spin-off show about her character Faith from Buffy.

She has often played strong, independent characters in her movies. In 2005, Eliza performed in an Off-Broadway play called Dog Sees God. She also appeared in music videos, including "I'm Just a Kid" by Simple Plan and "Rockstar" by Nickelback.

Dushku at Tribeca Film Festival (2007)

In 2005, she announced she was filming Nobel Son with Alan Rickman and Danny DeVito. This movie was released in 2007. Another film from 2007 was On Broadway, which received good reviews.

Eliza has also voiced characters in five video games. She was the voice of Yumi Sawamura in Yakuza (2006). She also voiced Shaundi in Saints Row 2 (2008) and Rubi Malone in WET. In 2008, Eliza starred in the horror-thriller Open Graves. She also played main characters in The Thacker Case and The Alphabet Killer, both thrillers based on real events.

Dollhouse and Recent Work (2009–Present)

In 2007, Eliza Dushku signed a deal with Fox to develop new projects. On October 31, it was announced that Joss Whedon, who created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would create a new TV series called Dollhouse for her. Eliza produced the show and played the main character, 'Echo'. The show aired on Fox from 2009 to 2010.

Eliza said that Joss Whedon is "my favorite genius ... favorite friend ... big brother ... and the only person out here I've ever wholeheartedly trusted." Dollhouse was renewed for a second season, but Fox canceled it in November 2009.

Dushku at a fashion event (2009)

In 2010, Eliza voiced a character in Noah's Ark: The New Beginning. She also appeared in the film Locked In. She was a guest star in an episode of the comedy show The Big Bang Theory. In 2011, she was in a short action clip on YouTube called "One Shot".

Eliza had a main voice role in the animated series Torchwood: Web of Lies. In 2012, she starred in The Scribbler. From 2013 to 2015, Eliza voiced She-Hulk in the Disney XD animated series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.. In 2016, she had a recurring role in the TV series Banshee. In 2017, she had a guest role in the CBS drama Bull.

Production Work

Eliza Dushku at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con

Eliza Dushku is the CEO of her own production company, Boston Diva Productions. Her brother Nate is a partner in the company. She worked for many years to create a film about the life of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. This film, called Mapplethorpe, was released in 2018.

In 2017, her company was also working on a TV series based on Glen Cook's The Black Company books. Eliza might star in it as The Lady.

Life Outside of Acting

Eliza Dushku lived in Los Angeles for over 15 years. However, she spent a lot of time in Watertown and Boston. In 2014, she moved back to Watertown and began attending college. As of 2016, she was studying sociology at Suffolk University. In 2019, she was studying holistic psychology at Lesley University and graduated in 2020. In 2023, she was studying for her master's degree in counseling and clinical mental health.

She is also involved in politics and supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Dushku at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, 2011

Family Life

In October 2009, Eliza Dushku started dating former basketball player Rick Fox. They lived together for a few years before splitting up in 2014.

In June 2017, she became engaged to businessman Peter Palandjian. They got married on August 18, 2018. Eliza announced the birth of their first son on August 1, 2019. In February 2021, she shared that she was expecting her second child, and their second son was born in August 2021.

Helping Others

Eliza is on the board of directors for THRIVE-Gulu. This organization helps people who have survived war in Northern Uganda. Her mother and stepfather helped start this group. Eliza has raised money for the center's building and helps with other fundraising activities.

She has also raised money for Camp Hale, a camp her father and brothers attended. She helped start a new session for girls at the camp in 2012 and joined them in person.

Albanian Connection

Eliza Dushku visited her father's family in Albania in 2006. She was invited by the Prime Minister of Albania. She also visited Kosovo. While on her second visit to Albania in 2011, she applied for and received Albanian citizenship. She became an honorary citizen of Tirana. The mayor of Tirana also gave her the honorary title of Tirana Ambassador of Culture and Tourism in the World. She also received honorary citizen status in her father's hometown of Korçë. Eliza and her brother Nate made a film about their visit to Albania called Dear Albania.

Dushku at Wizard World on April 6, 2014

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

Honors

• Eliza Dushku was named Ambassador for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show Entertainment Matters program in October 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Eliza Dushku para niños