A Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum is putting a stake through fan hopes and opting out of the upcoming Hulu reboot.
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Eliza Dushku, who portrayed fan-favorite Slayer Faith Lehane in the cult hit series, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she has moved on from acting.
“People ask me all the time if I miss it. And I don’t,” the 44-year-old told the outlet about her acting career. “Again, not because it wasn’t fulfilling. It was, and I did it for 25 years. I’ve met people who point out to me that I have lived these two lives. I value both of them. But I think that was part of my story. Now I get to do this other life, and it’s beautifully rich.”
Dushku told THR that she changed her career after undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy in 2018 to process trauma from two on-set incidents.
“I very quickly connected to the awareness that I was not living my highest purpose and that I could no longer live the life I was living,” Dushku explained. “I didn’t know at the time what that would be, but it was wild how clear and what a moment of truth that was for me.”
Eliza Dushku Tips Her Hat to Her Buffy Roots: “In Some Way, I Was Already Doing Kind of Therapeutic Work”
However, Dushku mentioned her “nieces and nephews who range from teenagers to early 20s” have watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the show, she portrayed Faith Lehane, a complex character who transitions from ally to villain (then back again). Dushku expressed gratitude that her character resonates with so many fans, including her relatives.
“For them, obviously, Buffy was such a rite of passage. It has become such a salve for so many and a reminder of what it can be like to survive high school and adolescence. It helps people find themselves. Again, that’s one of those roles that I’m so grateful for,” the True Lies star said. “I’m so grateful that I could play a part in something so much bigger than me. It’s so iconic and still reaches people in a way that touches humanity. I’m really attuned to the fact that a piece of my former career and a series like that was therapeutic for so many. In some way, I was already doing kind of therapeutic work.”
Meanwhile, only series lead Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to return for the upcoming Hulu reboot of the beloved show.