# Eliza Dushku
**Eliza Dushku** (born 1980) is an American former actress and current mental health counselor, best known for playing the rogue Slayer [Faith](https://www.edgepedia.org/faith-buffy-the-vampire-slayer) on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* and its spinoff *[Angel](https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-1999-tv-series)*, and for starring in the films *Bring It On* and *True Lies* and the Fox series *Tru Calling* and *[Dollhouse](https://www.edgepedia.org/dollhouse-tv-series)*. She retired from acting in 2017 after roughly 25 years in film and television and now works as a behavioral health therapist specializing in trauma and addiction.[1](https://parade.com/news/beloved-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-confirms-shes-retired-from-acting) • [2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980, Boston, Massachusetts[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0244630) |
| Signature role | Faith Lehane on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (The WB, 1997–2003) and *Angel*[4](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/buffy-the-vampire-slayers-eliza-dushku-grateful-for-show-25-years-later) |
| Notable films | *True Lies* (1994), *Bring It On* (2000), *Wrong Turn* (2003), *Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back* (2001)[5](https://www.fandango.com/people/eliza-dushku-190642/film-credits) |
| TV leads | *Tru Calling* (Fox, 2003–05) and *Dollhouse* (Fox, 2009–10)[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eliza_dushku) |
| CBS settlement | $9.5 million confidential settlement after being written off *Bull* in 2018[7](https://www.axios.com/2018/12/14/cbs-actress-won-95-million-settlement-harassment) |
| Second career | Master's in clinical mental health counseling, Lesley University, June 2025; behavioral health therapist at Home Base[8](https://www.aol.com/eliza-dushku-graduates-master-degree-163949038.html) • [2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html) |
| Advocacy | House Judiciary Committee witness on forced arbitration (2021); VETS board member (2026)[9](https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventId=114227) • [2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html) |
## Early life and start in acting
Dushku was born in Boston to Judith Rasmussen, a political science professor, and Philip R. Dushku, and was raised with her three older brothers in [Watertown, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/watertown-massachusetts).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0244630) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/eliza-dushku/) Her interest in acting began in the first grade with performances at the Watertown Children's Theater, where she was part of the company for years.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0244630)
She was discovered at the end of a five-month search across the United States for the girl to play Alice opposite [Juliette Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/juliette-lewis) in the film *That Night* (1992).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0244630) As a young teen she appeared in *This Boy's Life* (1993) with [Robert De Niro](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-de-niro) and [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://www.edgepedia.org/leonardo-dicaprio), and in *True Lies* (1994) with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.[11](https://www.avclub.com/eliza-dushku-1798215834) • [5](https://www.fandango.com/people/eliza-dushku-190642/film-credits)
## Buffy, film career, and series leads
Her career took off when [Joss Whedon](https://www.edgepedia.org/joss-whedon) cast her as the brash bad-girl Slayer Faith in *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*.[11](https://www.avclub.com/eliza-dushku-1798215834) Faith, introduced midway through the show's third season, became one of the series' most popular antagonists, fighting [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-michelle-gellar)'s title character before the two-part finale; Dushku later returned in the fifth and seventh seasons and appeared on *Angel*.[4](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/buffy-the-vampire-slayers-eliza-dushku-grateful-for-show-25-years-later) In a 2025 interview she said the role had been therapeutic for many viewers, and that in some way she had already been doing therapeutic work.[4](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/buffy-the-vampire-slayers-eliza-dushku-grateful-for-show-25-years-later)
Film roles followed, including the cheerleader comedy *Bring It On* (2000) as Missy Pantone, *Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back* (2001), *City by the Sea* (2002), and the horror film *[Wrong Turn](https://www.edgepedia.org/wrong-turn-2003-film)* (2003).[5](https://www.fandango.com/people/eliza-dushku-190642/film-credits) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eliza_dushku) She also voiced Faith in the 2003 video game *Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds*.[12](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dushku-eliza-1980)
**Series leads.** Dushku starred for two seasons in the title role of Fox's supernatural drama *Tru Calling* (2003–05), which folded after two seasons.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eliza_dushku) • [11](https://www.avclub.com/eliza-dushku-1798215834) She reunited with Whedon for *Dollhouse* (Fox, 2009–10), playing Echo, an "Active" whose mind is repeatedly wiped and imprinted with new personalities for clients; the show barely escaped cancellation after its debut but developed a strong cult following.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eliza_dushku) • [13](https://buffystudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/davis_slayage_8.2-3.pdf) The concept arose from a four-hour lunch between Whedon and Dushku, after she had made a film and television deal with Fox.[11](https://www.avclub.com/eliza-dushku-1798215834) Her television work also included guest roles on *The Big Bang Theory*, *Ugly Betty*, and *That '70s Show*, and voice work on *The Cleveland Show*, *King of the Hill*, and as Catwoman in *Batman: Year One*.[14](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Bio-DushkuE-20211116.pdf)
## Bull, the CBS settlement, and testimony
In 2017 Dushku joined the CBS legal drama *Bull* as a lawyer, her biggest broadcast role since *Dollhouse*. She was hired to finish the last three episodes of season one, with the network's stated intention of making her a season-two series regular with an option for up to six seasons.[15](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Wstate-DushkuE-20211116-SD003.pdf)
According to Dushku's December 2018 Boston Globe op-ed, co-star [Michael Weatherly](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-weatherly) sexually harassed her on set for weeks, with conduct captured on CBS's own videotape recordings; after she asked him to help ease the sexualized set comments, she was written off the show within 48 hours of her complaints.[16](https://time.com/5485188/eliza-dushku-cbs-michael-weatherly-harassment/) • [15](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Wstate-DushkuE-20211116-SD003.pdf) Weatherly said in a statement to The New York Times that he was mortified to have offended her and apologized, saying his comments were an attempt at humor.[16](https://time.com/5485188/eliza-dushku-cbs-michael-weatherly-harassment/) CBS paid Dushku a $9.5 million confidential settlement, an amount the network said reflected what she would have earned for the balance of her contract as a series regular; the settlement came to light during the board's investigation of misconduct allegations against CEO Les Moonves.[7](https://www.axios.com/2018/12/14/cbs-actress-won-95-million-settlement-harassment) Dushku wrote that the settlement process included forced arbitration with a confidentiality clause, and that CBS used a photo of her in a bathing suit from her own Instagram as a defense.[15](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Wstate-DushkuE-20211116-SD003.pdf)
On November 16, 2021, she testified before the House Judiciary Committee at its hearing "Silenced: How Forced Arbitration Keeps Victims of Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in the Shadows."[9](https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventId=114227)
## Production and retirement from acting
Under her production company Boston Diva, named when she was 17, Dushku produced *Mapplethorpe* (2018), a biopic of photographer [Robert Mapplethorpe](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-mapplethorpe) that she and her brother Nate spent about 14 years bringing to the screen.[17](https://time.com/5548474/eliza-dushku-metoo-mapplethorpe/)
She retired from acting in 2017 and confirmed in a December 2025 Hollywood Reporter interview that she had not acted for the previous eight years. "I will not be in front of a camera again unless it's in some capacity that is in service of my new work and passion," she said.[1](https://parade.com/news/beloved-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-confirms-shes-retired-from-acting) She remains an executive producer on the documentary *In Waves and War*, which premiered November 3, 2025, and chronicles Navy SEALs undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy for combat trauma.[1](https://parade.com/news/beloved-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-confirms-shes-retired-from-acting) • [2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html)
## Second career in mental health
Dushku has said she was molested by a stunt coordinator on the set of *True Lies* when she was 12, and struggled for years with alcohol and drug abuse; she has been open about her recovery.[17](https://time.com/5548474/eliza-dushku-metoo-mapplethorpe/) After her own transformative experience with psychedelic therapy in 2018, she moved back to the Boston area, completed an undergraduate degree in holistic psychology at Lesley University, and earned a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Lesley, graduating on June 6, 2025, with a focus on addiction, recovery, and trauma, along with certification in psychedelic-assisted therapy.[17](https://time.com/5548474/eliza-dushku-metoo-mapplethorpe/) • [8](https://www.aol.com/eliza-dushku-graduates-master-degree-163949038.html) • [2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html)
She works at Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and [Massachusetts General Hospital](https://www.edgepedia.org/massachusetts-general-hospital) program for veterans, service members, and military families, as a behavioral health counselor and program development specialist in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, with a focus on moral injury, trauma, and PTSD.[2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html) • [18](https://lesley.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/Lesley%20University%20Commencement%20Program%202026.pdf) In January 2026 she joined the board of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a nonprofit founded in 2019 that supports veterans seeking psychedelic-assisted therapies for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and addiction.[2](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html) Lesley University named her its 2026 honorary degree recipient, awarding her an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.[18](https://lesley.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/Lesley%20University%20Commencement%20Program%202026.pdf)
## Personal life
Dushku is married to [Peter Palandjian](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-palandjian) and lives with their two young sons in [Cambridge, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/cambridge-massachusetts).[17](https://time.com/5548474/eliza-dushku-metoo-mapplethorpe/) • [18](https://lesley.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/Lesley%20University%20Commencement%20Program%202026.pdf)
## References
1. [Beloved 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Star Confirms She's Retired From Acting, Parade](https://parade.com/news/beloved-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-confirms-shes-retired-from-acting)
2. [Eliza Dushku, Mental Health Counselor and Former Actress, Joins VETS Board of Directors, PRWeb](https://www.prweb.com/releases/eliza-dushku-mental-health-counselor-and-former-actress-joins-vets-board-of-directors-302654441.html)
3. [Eliza Dushku, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0244630)
4. [Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Eliza Dushku Discusses Why She's 'Grateful' For The Show Over 25 Years Later, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/buffy-the-vampire-slayers-eliza-dushku-grateful-for-show-25-years-later)
5. [Eliza Dushku Filmography and Movies, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/eliza-dushku-190642/film-credits)
6. [Eliza Dushku Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eliza_dushku)
7. [CBS actress won $9.5 million in settlement over mishandled harassment, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2018/12/14/cbs-actress-won-95-million-settlement-harassment)
8. [Eliza Dushku Graduates with a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, AOL/People](https://www.aol.com/eliza-dushku-graduates-master-degree-163949038.html)
9. [Silenced: How Forced Arbitration Keeps Victims of Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in the Shadows, U.S. House Judiciary Committee](https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventId=114227)
10. [Eliza Dushku, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/eliza-dushku/)
11. [Eliza Dushku interview, The A.V. Club (2009)](https://www.avclub.com/eliza-dushku-1798215834)
12. [Dushku, Eliza 1980–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/dushku-eliza-1980)
13. [Slayage: The International Journal of Buffy+ 8.2-3, Whedon Studies Association](https://buffystudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/davis_slayage_8.2-3.pdf)
14. [Eliza Dushku Biography, House Judiciary Committee witness materials](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Bio-DushkuE-20211116.pdf)
15. [Eliza Dushku: I worked at CBS. I didn't want to be sexually harassed. I was fired, Boston Globe op-ed (House committee record)](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114227/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU00-Wstate-DushkuE-20211116-SD003.pdf)
16. [Eliza Dushku Says CBS Fired Her After She Confronted 'Bull' Co-Star Over Harassment, TIME](https://time.com/5485188/eliza-dushku-cbs-michael-weatherly-harassment/)
17. ['We're as Sick as Our Secrets.' How Eliza Dushku Is Taking Back the Power After Her #MeToo Story, TIME](https://time.com/5548474/eliza-dushku-metoo-mapplethorpe/)
18. [Lesley University Commencement Program 2026](https://lesley.edu/sites/default/files/2026-05/Lesley%20University%20Commencement%20Program%202026.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Do to Es*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license