Eliza Dushku spent 25 years playing the fighter – first as Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s rogue slayer Faith, then across a run of cult film and TV roles. She’s still fighting, just now she has a very different weapon: she’s a certified psychedelic-assisted therapist, and her work just got a national spotlight in a new documentary about Navy SEALs using psychedelic therapy in Mexico to heal from combat trauma, the subject of a recent Hollywood Reporter sit-down interview.
In that interview, Dushku, who retired from acting in 2017 after a 25-year career that began when she was 9 years old, opened up about her fight to help legalize psychedelic therapies, why she agreed to step back into the spotlight for the film, and her plans to eventually pursue a doctorate. It’s the clearest look yet at what “Faith” has been doing since she walked away from Hollywood, and why she’s still some fans’ eternal crush.
The Villain Buffy Never Saw Coming
Season 3 of Buffy is arguably the point where the series found its groove. By then, we had already fallen in love with what the show had to offer, so it was time for the showrunners to introduce some new characters that would shake things up. Faith was one of those characters.
Dushku gave the character a dangerous edge, contrasting with Buffy’s less extreme personality. Some fans even argue that her character arc is one of the best in the series.
Too Good to Kill Off
Originally, Faith would appear in just three Buffy episodes. Fortunately, fans loved her so much that she would become an integral part of the franchise instead. Dushku’s portrayal was so outstanding that she would reprise the part in Buffy’s very own spin-off, Angel.
Dushku quickly became a mainstay on television, even if she rejected the chance to star in a Faith-centric Buffy spin-off. Her popularity on the small screen could only mean one thing: it was time to hit Hollywood.
Hollywood’s Favorite Wild Card
By the mid 2000s, Eliza Dushku was everywhere. From starring in popular shows like Tru Calling and Dollhouse, to video games like Yakuza and Saints Row 2. When it comes to the silver screen, Dushku already had a head start on that front. She had appeared in movies like True Lies and Race the Sun, even before she was on Buffy.
After Buffy, however, her big screen roles multiplied exponentially. Besides high-profile films such as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Wrong Turn, Dushku gravitated towards more personal, independent projects.
The Fight That Made Her Walk Away
More than just an excellent performer, Dushku has always been a committed defender of social causes, ranging from helping war survivors in Africa to serving as the Ambassador of Culture and Tourism for Tirana, Albania’s capital.
She would also be an avid supporter of her co-stars’ commitment against sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement. After finding herself in the middle of one such situation – tied to Bull’s lead actor, Michael Weatherly – Dushku went into a long hiatus.
Faith’s New Mission
In late 2025, Dushku finally revealed what many fans feared: she would retire from acting for good. Now, the retired actress focuses her efforts on mental health. Dushku is a certified psychedelic-assisted therapist and mental health counselor, alongside working as a producer for related documentaries on the subject.
That work now has a name and a face. Dushku earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, calling it, in an Instagram post announcing her graduation, “a deep calling realized” after nearly a decade of what she described as inner work. She’s since become certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy — and in her Hollywood Reporter interview, she said her own experience with psychedelics, both personally and professionally, shaped the path she’s on now.
The documentary that brought her back into the press follows three Navy SEALs confronting the trauma of war, who eventually travel to Mexico for psychedelic therapies to help them heal. Dushku is a producer on the project, and told the outlet she’s just as invested in the campaign to help legalize psychedelic therapies in the United States as she is in the film itself. She’s also floated the idea of eventually going back to school for a doctorate.
Finally, after a career playing the “bad girl,” Eliza Dushku has found peace by helping those who need it most. And the best part? She still looks like the Faith we all know and love.
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No, she’s not.