Age, Biography, and Wiki
Eliza Dushku was born to Phillip Dushku, a teacher and administrator of Albanian descent, and Judy Rasmussen, a political science professor. She is the youngest of four children and was raised in Watertown, Massachusetts. Dushku began her acting career at a young age and gained recognition for her roles in films like True Lies and Bring It On.
| Occupation | Voice Actress |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 30 December 1980 |
| Age | 44 Years |
| Birth Place | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Eliza Dushku stands at a height of approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) and has a slender build, but precise weight and other measurements are not readily available in recent sources.
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches |
| Weight | |
| Body Measurements | |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Eliza Dushku has been in a few high-profile relationships. However, as of 2025, specific details about her current relationship status are not widely reported.
Dushku had starring roles in various films, including True Lies (1994), Bye Bye Love (1995), Bring It On (2000), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), The New Guy (2002), Wrong Turn (2003), On Broadway (2007), The Scribbler (2014), Jane Wants a Boyfriend (2015), and Eloise (2016). She has also done voice work for numerous video games and animated films.
Dushku's mother was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Dushku and her three brothers were raised as members of the Church. She attended Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and graduated from Watertown High School.
Dushku planned to attend Suffolk University in Boston, where her mother taught, but her agent asked her to submit a videotape audition for a television show starring another of his clients, Sarah Michelle Gellar. After reading the script, Dushku rushed to a local Claire's to purchase dark makeup and other appropriate accessories for the part of Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When she began her work on the series, Dushku was still a minor, and had to receive emancipation to work the production's long hours. She later recalled with amusement that the judge who handled her emancipation case, who was an avid fan of the show, jokingly said that she would sign the emancipation order if she could get a signed photo from Dushku. Though initially planned as a three-episode role, the character became so popular that she stayed on for the whole third season and returned for a two-part appearance in season four and for the last five episodes of the series. She also appeared in the spin-off series Angel.
"I invited Joss Whedon to lunch after I did the business deal with Fox. We'd had a cool relationship in the past and I so wanted to do something else, and I wanted to get back into a television show. I had him on the brain for sure but I hadn't called him yet, but I sort of took a leap of faith and set things up with Fox and then called Joss. We went to a four-hour lunch where I just sort of used my womanly wiles. No, we've become such good friends, kind of like brother and sister and kind of like he was my watcher, my handler from when I first moved out to L.A. when I was 17 and I was a little bit of a wild child. He's watched me and helped me and taught me over the years. I told him how bad I wanted and needed him back and he accepted and here we are."
In August 2011, Dushku visited Albania with a crew from the Travel Channel and Lonely Planet to film Dear Albania, a documentary promoting tourism in her father's family's country of origin.
Dushku began dating former Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Rick Fox in October 2009, and in August 2010 the couple confirmed that they were living together. It was announced on June 24, 2014, that the pair had split.
Dushku serves on the board of directors of the THRIVE-Gulu organization (The Trauma Healing and Reflection Center in Gulu), an organization dedicated to helping the survivors of war (including former child soldiers) in Northern Uganda, which her mother and stepfather co-founded. She raised US$30,000 for the land for the center's building, and has performed other fundraising activities, as well as helping out in the center itself.
Over several years, Dushku raised funds for Camp Hale, which had been attended by her father and brothers, including some specific campaigning to sustain a new concept of a girls' session at the camp, which was launched in 2012, and which she joined in person.
Dushku visited her father's family and their home city in Albania in 2006 after receiving an invitation from Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. She also visited Kosovo and got an Albanian Eagle tattoo on the back of her neck. While on her second visit to Albania in 2011, Dushku applied for Albanian citizenship and obtained the Albanian passport and ID Card. Dushku became an honorary citizen of Tirana, and was given the honorary title of Tirana Ambassador of Culture and Tourism in the World by Tirana mayor Lulzim Basha. Additionally, she was given honorary citizen status in her father's home town of Korçë. She and her brother Nate Dushku produced a film about a joint visit to Albania, Dear Albania.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Peter Palandjian (m. 2018) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Eliza Dushku's net worth is estimated at $20 million, attributed to her long-standing career in both film and television, as well as her work in voice acting and production. Her salary per project varies, but her consistent involvement in various media has contributed significantly to her net worth.
In January 2019, CBS made a $9.5 million settlement with Dushku after she was fired from a recurring role on Bull, after informing producers of series lead Michael Weatherly's alleged inappropriate behavior on the set. According to documents from the official mediation, Weatherly was recorded on video making comments about spanking Dushku over his knee, soliciting a threesome, alluding to sexual assault in his "rape van", and other harassing statements. After Dushku spoke with the producers, Weatherly texted CBS Television Studios' president David Stapf saying he wanted to talk about Dushku's sense of humor, though Stapf pushed back saying "Ms. Dushku made the show better." Days later, showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron terminated Dushku's expected role on the show, despite opposition from studio executives. The settlement amount was calculated to compensate Dushku for her loss of earnings from her planned promotion to a series regular, with "well-developed plans" set to make her a regular cast member following her three-episode guest appearance. In December 2018, when the settlement was reported, Weatherly publicly apologized for the comments. Dushku responded that Weatherly broke the terms of their settlement by speaking to the press and characterized his apology as "more deflection, denial, and spin". In November 2021, Dushku testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee about her sexual harassment accusations during her time on Bull.
Career, Business, and Investments
- Early Career: Dushku's acting career began at age 10, landing roles in films like That Night (1992) and This Boy's Life (1993) alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Breakthrough Roles: She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
- Production Ventures: In 2007, Dushku co-founded Boston Diva Productions, which has undertaken various projects, including an authorized film on Robert Mapplethorpe.
- Recent Projects: Dushku has appeared in films like The Scribbler and Jane Wants a Boyfriend, and has done voice-over work for games like Wet and Fight Night Champion.
In 2003, Dushku starred in the horror film Wrong Turn and The Kiss, an independent comedy-drama. Starting that same year, she starred in a new Fox supernatural drama, Tru Calling, where she played the main character, medical student Tru Davies. After having a grant withdrawn, Tru is forced to take a job at a local morgue, where she discovers her power to "re-live" the previous day over again if one of the deceased asks for her help to change what has happened. Dushku turned down a role in a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer about Faith.
On August 26, 2007, Dushku signed a development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox. Under the pact, the network and the studio would develop projects tailor-made for the actress as well as approach her with existing pitches and scripts.
Dushku has been CEO of her own production company, Boston Diva Productions, with her brother Nate as a partner. She secured exclusive rights to make an authorized film based on the life of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. At one time provisionally entitled The Perfect Moment, the film was in development over more than a decade. Eventually she enlisted the help of Ondi Timoner and Mapplethorpe, with Matt Smith as the title character, was brought to the screen in 2018.
In 2017, her production company, in association with IM Global Television, was reported to be developing Glen Cook's The Black Company series of books for a television series, with Dushku potentially starring as The Lady.
Social Network
Eliza Dushku is active on social media platforms, but specific details about her following or engagement are not consistently updated. She uses platforms like Instagram, where she occasionally shares updates about her life and projects.
In 2010, Dushku provided her voice for Noah's Ark: The New Beginning and appeared in the film Locked In. She also guest-starred in an episode of CBS' comedy The Big Bang Theory which aired on November 4, 2010. In 2011, Dushku featured alongside Jayson Floyd in "One Shot", a short action clip on YouTube directed by and starring Freddie Wong, released on May 13, 2011.
In June 2017, she became engaged to businessman Peter Palandjian and they wed on August 18, 2018. On August 1, 2019, Dushku announced the birth of the couple's son. In February 2021, Dushku announced via Instagram that she was pregnant with her second child. In August 2021, Dushku gave birth to the couple's second son.
Education
Dushku attended Beaver Country Day School and later graduated from Watertown High School. She was raised in a family of educators and was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Having originally intended to attend college in Boston, before her break on Buffy altered those plans, she announced in March 2014 at the Emerald City Comicon that she would be attending college later that year. On June 22, 2014, The Boston Globe reported that Dushku had left Los Angeles, moved back to Watertown near Boston, and was planning to attend college. As of 2016, she was a student at Suffolk University, studying sociology. In 2019, Boston Magazine reported that she was studying holistic psychology at Lesley University. She graduated in 2020. In 2023, it was reported by The Boston Globe that Dushku was studying for her masters degree in counseling and clinical mental health, with a focus on psychedelic-assisted therapies and treatment for addiction and mental health.
