Beloved ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Star Confirms She’s Retired From Acting

Eliza Dushku, who began her career in Hollywood at just nine years old, confirmed she hasn’t acted for the last eight years.

In a December 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dushku opened up about her decision to stop being an actress and focus on mental health counseling. According to the publication, Dushku changed her career after she underwent psychedelic-assisted therapy in 2018 to address two traumatic on-set situations.

“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,” said Dushku to the publication. “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.”

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Dushku discussed her role as an executive producer for the 2024 Netflix documentary, In Waves and War, which focuses on Navy SEALS who are undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy. Dushku clarified that being a producer doesn’t mean she’ll return to acting.

“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,” said Dushku, who got a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May 2025.

She also said that she doesn’t miss being a professional actress.

“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, and I value both of them. But I think that was part of my story and now I get to do this other life, and it’s beautifully rich,” said Dushku in the December 2025 interview.

She also suggested that she’ll allow her children, Philip “Bourne,” 6, and Bodan “Bodie,” 4, to see some of her past acting work. She explained that her husband, Peter Palandjian, “gave them quick glimpses of a couple scenes from Bring It On,” wherein she played Missy Pantone. According to Dushku, her kids “were perplexed and thoroughly confused” watching clips from the 2000 film, but enjoyed seeing their mother “bouncing around as a cheerleader.”

In addition, she said her “nieces and nephews who range from teenagers to early 20s” have watched the hit WB series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wherein she portrayed Faith Lehane. Dushku said she was grateful that her complex character means so much to 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,” said Dushku while speaking to the publication. “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, and in some way, I was already doing kind of therapeutic work.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Returning as Buffy for the Upcoming Show

It doesn’t seem that Dushku will reprise Faith due to her retirement from acting. However, her former co-star,Sarah Michelle Gellar, is playing the titular Buffy the Vampire Slayer character again for the upcoming sequel series.

As fans are aware, Gellar played the slayer Buffy Summers for the show’s entire seven-season run until it ended in 2003. In a September 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gellar teased what viewers can expect from the new Hulu series. She explained that “it’s not a reboot,” but rather “a continuation of a world.”

“It’s picking up 25 years later in a world of Buffy,” explained the actress to Entertainment Tonight.

She also said she’s excited and nervous about the new show. She explained that she wants original Buffy fans to like the upcoming series.

“I will say that it’s equal parts incredibly thrilling, but also it’s very nerve-wracking. People have been asking for this for so many years, but everyone also has an opinion on how it should be done,” said Gellar during the September 2025 interview. “And I’m doing it for the fans, so I hope that they love it, but I know they’ll all have opinions, too.”

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.