Biography
Date of Birth
30 December 1980, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Birth Name
Elizabeth Patricia Dushku
Nickname
Duck Shoot
Height
5' 5" (1.65 m)
Mini Biography
Eliza Dushku was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Judith (Rasmussen), a political science professor, and Philip R. Dushku, a teacher and administrator. Her father is Albanian and her mother is American (of Danish, Irish, English, and German descent). She was discovered at the end of a five-month search throughout the United States for the perfect girl to play the lead role of Alice opposite Juliette Lewis in the film That Night (1992). Since then, she has been in several films and has worked with actors such as Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Reiser, and Jim Belushi. Born in Boston on December 30, 1980, she has studied the piano, drums, and several types of dance (jazz, tap, and ballet). Her previous acting experience includes numerous amateur presentations at the Watertown Children's Theater where she was part of the company since she was in the first grade. In addition to acting, she is sometimes seen on stage at the Children's Theater signing for the deaf.
Trivia
Was legally emancipated from her parents because of the restrictive laws that limit the hours that a minor is allowed to work.
Younger sister of Nate Dushku.
Her last name is pronounced DUSH-koo and rhymes with "push."
In addition to Nate Dushku, she has two older brothers: Aaron (b. April 26, 1973) and Benjamin "Ben" (b. February 5, 1976).
The only family with the Dushku surname in the United States of America in 1920 was living in Massachusetts according to US census.
Has worked with both halves of the Buffy season-five bad guy Glory/Ben outside of the Buffy show: Clare Kramer in Bring It On (2000) and Charlie Weber in The Kiss (2003).
Voted the 9th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine September 2002.
Her mother, Judy (born Judith Ann Rasmussen), was a university administrator-professor at Suffolk University; her Father, Philip Richard George Dushku, was an administrator-teacher in the Boston Public Schools. He died on June 16, 2018, after a long illness.
While on location, she surrounds herself with pictures of family and friends.
She always takes the back of her director's chair (the chair personalized with her name) after a shoot as a souvenir.
She used to have a German shepherd-husky-beagle mix named Korbit. Now she has 2 dogs, a golden named Max Factor and a Bernese named Rigby Idaho.
Turned down a Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) spin-off (based on her character, Faith) for her role on Tru Calling (2003).
Good friend of Clare Kramer.
She started her career by getting hurt at one of her brother Nate Dushku's auditions and impressing the talent scouts with her emphasized drama.
Planned to attended Suffolk University and be an English major, but she backed out at the last minute after she landed the role of Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
For a long period of time, she refused to do nude scenes. She once stated "You have a better chance of seeing God than me naked". Still, in 2008, she appeared topless in the film The Alphabet Killer (2008).
The tattoo she wore as Faith was fake.
She did a political, social, and economic study of women in post-apartheid South Africa with her mother.
Stated in an interview that she is terrified of flying and will only do so if she has religious artifacts with her.
She attended the John Kerry fund raiser on July, 2004.
Attended the San Diego Comic Convention on July 25th, 2004, for a Q&A session.
She ranked #13 (2002) in Maxim's 100 Sexiest Women.
She ranked #44 (2000), #13 (2001), #28 (2002) and #63 (2003) in Stuff's Sexiest Women.
She ranked #76 (2002) in FHM-USA's 100 Sexiest Women.
She ranked #93 (2001), #58 (2002), #48 (2003), #26 (2004), #83 (2005), #38 (2008), #28 (2009), #21 (2010) in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women.
While filming Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), was called Duck Shoot by director Kevin Smith after he mispronounced her last name accidentally.
Hosted the 2005 Winter Venatian Masquerade in New York.
Jamie Lee Curtis is her idol.
Named #46 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement (2005).
Was featured as #13 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" supplement. (2002)
She went to an audition for the part of Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man (2002). In one of the specials of the Spider-Man (2002) DVD you can see her reading opposite Tobey Maguire. The role later on went to Kirsten Dunst, after Kate Hudson declined the offer. Alicia Witt was actually set to play that part in the end, but when Sam Raimi saw Kirsten Dunst, who was a last minute audition, he chose her.
Her maternal grandfather Richard Costley Rasmussen died at March 30th 2006. He was survived by his wife, Barbara Porter Hegsted.
Has been working with an acting coach, Peter Kelley, since she was a child.
Eliza's father is Albanian. Eliza's maternal grandparents were both of half Danish ancestry, and Eliza's mother's other ancestry is Irish, English, and German.
Ranked #11 on Wizard magazine's "Sexiest Women of TV" list (March 2008).
When she was told her naturally deep, husky voice was destroying her vocal chords, she went to a vocal coach to learn to speak in a higher register.
Says when she was a young child, her best friend lived in a funeral home and they would often hang out in the mortuary after school, thus desensitizing her to the image of dead bodies. She comments, "It was very "Six Feet Under"".
Of the three leads in Bring It On (2000), she was the only one who wasn't a cheerleader in high school.
Her devoutly religious Mormon grandmother once tried to call powerful Hollywood super-agent Michael Ovitz (who headed the agency that then represented Dushku) to complain about a sex scene that her granddaughter participated in on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
Is good friends with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999) co-star Julie Benz, although the two never appeared together in an episode of either show. Dushku has said that she would love for Benz to appear in an episode of Dollhouse (2009).
Has the words "Lead Kindly Light" as a tattoo. A hymn written in 1833 by John Henry Newman.
She ranked #26 on "Maxim's Hot 100 of 2010".
Ranked #38 on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World (2011).
Considers herself a huge Boston Red Sox baseball fan.
Ranked #21 in the 2010 FHM UK list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".
She has appeared in episodes of 3 different series with Alexis Denisof: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Angel (1999) and Dollhouse (2009). All 3 series were created by Joss Whedon.
Eliza Dushku's mother, Judith Dushku, is a Professor of Government at Suffolk University.
Supporter of President Barack Obama.
Was in a relationship with Rick Fox from 2009 to 2014.
Is close friends with Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She got hooked on smoking when she was 15 years old, after she had to smoke for a role.
She is a CEO of her own production company Boston Diva Productions.
She was interviewed, for a part in a movie Mel Gibson was producing, when she was eleven. She was also considered for the role of "Paige Matthews" on Charmed (1998).
Her height is 5' 5" (1.65m) but in Tru Calling (2003), Eliza (as Tru) said she was 5'4" tall, making herself an inch shorter than she really is.
She was a tomboy growing up.
Her favorite movie is The Godfather (1972).
She has always done theater acts. She was part of the Watertown Children's Theater since she was in the first grade and she still sometimes acts on stage at the Children's Theatre signing for the deaf. In late 2005, Eliza was in the off Broadway play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.
Playing the character of Van's sister in the off-Broadway play "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead" at the Century Center for the Performing Arts (New York, New York, USA). [December 2005]
In Spain shooting her new horror movie Open Graves (2009), also co-starring Mike Vogel. [October 2006]
Back in the U.S. after shooting On Broadway (2007), Nobel Son (2007), Open Graves (2009) (in Spain), The Alphabet Killer (2008) and Sex and Breakfast (2007). Choosing her next role. [November 2006]
Filming Tru Calling (2003) in Canada. [2003]
Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, shooting Nobel Son (2007). [October 2005]
Filming season 2 of Dollhouse (2009) in California. [August 2009]
She is of Teutonic Germanic, Celtic, Pelasgian and Illyrian ancestry.
She had a role in the since suspended Gregg Allman biopic, Midnight Rider. Production was halted after 1 crew member, Sarah Jones, was killed and 7 others were injured when they were hit by a freight train on the first day of filming.
Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election of the United States.
(March 8, 2017) Admitted that she is an alcoholic and was a drug addict for a lot of years. She stopped using drugs after many of her friends have died from.
Was once addicted to opiates.
Attending Suffolk University, where she's pursuing a bachelor's degree in sociology.[March 2017].
Addressed 8,000 middle and high school students at the first New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness.[March 2017].
Has now been sober for eight and a half years.[March 2017].
Her drug use occurred during her appearances on Buffy, Angel, and Tru Calling.
Has four step-children: Manon Palandjian, Petros Palandjian, Margot Palandjian and Madelon Palandjian.
(August 18, 2018) Married her longtime boyfriend Peter Palandjian in a romantic outdoors ceremony in Boston following a 14-month-long engagement.
Mother of Philip "Bourne" Dushku Palandjian (b. July 2019) with her husband Peter Palandjian.
Trademarks:
Often plays young debutantes "on the edge"
Distinctive throaty voice
Quotes
Go big or go home. Because it's true. What do you have to lose?
[When asked how being in prison has changed her angry and aggressive Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999) character, Faith:] "How would prison change anyone? There was something about the fact that she's a Slayer, so she wouldn't really be there unless she wanted to be because she's got superhuman strength. She could have busted out of that joint if she really wanted to, but she and Angel developed this relationship. He was leading her down the road to redemption, kind of facing the things she's done and recovering from that and hopefully being a better her. She's been in there, doing the time, thinking. She's still a tough girl, but she really has to suppress her demons a little more. In these past few ["Angel"] shows, that's what we're seeing -- her teetering on the line between the old her and the new her" [Buffalo News, March 17, 2003].
I love leather and it's great to be a bad girl at times. But there is a time and place for everything. When I'm with Grandma it's flowers, and when I'm out on the town scoping guys, you know...
There are a lot of actresses out there who are the girl next door. I relate more to characters who have an edge.
You know, I really am probably one of the sweetest, most sensitive people you'll ever meet.
[on David Boreanaz and working with the Angel (1999)cast] "David is my brother, man. He's my boy, and we just have so much fun. We really just hit it off from the beginning, way back when, and I really love going and working with those guys".
[on working with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) cast] "'I'm really proud of them all. Every time that I got back there, I'd feel like I was going back and seeing my high school friends again, because we'd been such good friends over the years. I'll miss not being able to go back and shoot with them, but they really turned it out for the finale and worked their asses off, and I'm just really proud of all of it".
Growing up I was as big a tomboy as you can get. When my father would take my three older brothers and me to games, we'd go into the boys' room. I have actually peed in the urinal at Fenway [Park-Red Sox stadium].
I didn't get sober for myself, I stay sober for myself.
[on being sober]I'll tell you right now I still dance on tabletops, I still have such amazing times, and I connect with people. I get to be an actress. I'm back in college at 36 years old, attending Suffolk University, and pursuing a bachelor's degree in sociology and hope to work with addicts.It's something I always wanted to do and I didn't get to do because I was on a different path.
I'll be honest, I got sober at first for my family.I got to a point where I felt so sick about myself. I was depressed. I didn't like myself. But I loved my family.I remember my brother telling me he didn't want me to be around my niece [now because he didn't trust me. I'm a really good auntie today, but you know what? He was right. I am a good person, but when I did drugs and drank I didn't make good decisions. I'm sure some of you can relate to that, but all it takes is one bad decision. You don't have to live like that.
[on being an opiate addict]I'm a real badass and tough girl, that was part of my thing. It was the hardest thing in the world to ask for help, but it was the most powerful thing I've done.
[addressing 8,000 middle and high school students on Tuesday at the first New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness] I got sober for my family,"but today, I'm sober for me, and I'm sober for you. Because drugs and alcohol are powerful, but we are more powerful, you guys. We are. We're in this together. We can connect with each other. We can protect each other.
