I only ever watched one episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and that was because I knew someone on it. I don’t know why because I fell in love with the series Angel. But I do know and like all the actors from Buffy and that includes Eliza Dushku who famously played Faith. It turns out, Eliza is just as tough as Faith in real life. Eliza battled a drug and alcohol addiction that started as early as 14. She has since gotten sober and has stayed sober for the last eight and a half years. She recently opened up about all of this for the first time at the New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness in Manchester. Apparently, Eliza, who is a proud native of Watertown, MA, recently befriended the event’s organizer and agreed to speak when she had heard so many people would be there. She chose to speak without any notes so that her words came straight from the heart.
Eliza Dushku opened up about her secret battle with alcoholism and drug addiction while speaking at the New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, March 7.
“Something a lot of people don’t know about me is that I’m an alcoholic and I was a drug addict for a lot of years,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum, 36, told thousands of students during her speech. “I’m always going to be that, but the difference between me and an alcoholic or a drug addict that still drinks and does drugs is that I’m sober. I don’t drink and I don’t do drugs anymore.”
“I got sober for my family,” she said. “But today, I’m sober for me, and I’m sober for you. Because drugs and alcohol are powerful, but we are more powerful.”
Dushku revealed that she’s been sober for eight-and-a-half years and that she first dabbled with marijuana at the age of 14. “I loved the first time I took a drug because I loved the way it made me feel. I loved the way it made me not feel — I didn’t have to feel,” she explained. “It was fun — and I loved it — until it wasn’t. Drugs didn’t love me. They didn’t love my family. They definitely didn’t love my friends that died.”
You can watch her speech here. As I said above, Eliza gave the speech off the cuff and she sounds slightly nervous at the beginning, almost like she doesn’t know if she is going to go though with telling the audience she’s an addict. But you can hear her confidence as she moves forward and the crowd gives her encouragement. She said that one of the reason she got sober was that her brother no longer trusted her around his daughter because when she drank, she didn’t make good decisions. Her quote, “Because drugs and alcohol are powerful, but we are more powerful,” stood out to me because when I quit smoking, I had one cigarette I kept and every morning I would pick it up and say, “You are not more powerful than me.” I employ the same tactic for a lot of things now, whenever I feel something is beating me.
Elisa has worked fairly steadily since Buffy. She was in the revamp of The Dollhouse and I always thought that was a good fit for her. Even though her career has been steady, Eliza is fulfilling her dream of a college degree at Suffolk University in Boston. She is earning a BA in sociology. This is especially poignant given that she speaks to how hard Middle and High School were. If it wasn’t for college, I wouldn’t have any fond school memories so I’m really happy for her. Her speech was both emotional and effective and in conclusion, Eliza said, “If you’re in trouble, all you have to do is say, ‘I need help,’ I’m a real badass and tough girl. It was the hardest thing in the world for me to ask for help and it was the most powerful thing I’ve ever done.” We’ve heard this before but it always bears repeating.
If I said 1 thing that may have helped 1 person today- I'm grateful. #addiction #recovery Thx @JWahlly & everyone who organized & attended 🙏 https://t.co/jOt0YDUWsC
— Eliza Dushku (@elizadushku) March 7, 2017
Photo credit: Twitter, Instagram, WENN and Fame/Flynet Photos
I had a crush on her when she was in Buffy ^^
Omg me too, I crushed on her so bad, I wanted to wear boots like her, kick ass and did my hair like her. Obsessed. Did not know this about her, but glad she’s well now.
Oh my gosh. She was one of my favorite actresses, also Summer Glau. I thought Eliza would have been perfect for Black Widow and Summer Glau for Captain Marvel or Scarlett Witch.
As for Eliza’s relationship I used to think she and Rick Fox was an odd pairing.
She’s a big Celtics fan and he’s a former Celtic. It made sense from that viewpoint.
I had (and still have) an enormous crush on Summer Glau, River Tam will always have a special place in my heart.
Same, I was heartbroken when she went over to the dark side.
I’ve always liked her and wondered what happened to her career. I haven’t seen her in anything since Dollhouse. So many people are battling addiction and although I’m not one of them her speech was very affecting.
I always wondered what happened to her too. Good for her.
She’s so good. SMG managed to really get into the Buffy role by the end, but Eliza was always the better actress. She’s magnetic. She was so good in Dollhouse. Whedon needs to get back to TV.
I hope she is happy and well, and if she comes back to acting I will be there to watch.
I love Eliza but I have to disagree on this – she had basically only one mode as an actress, and that was very evident in Dollhouse when things improved hugely after the episodes started being less focused on her ad instead let Enver Gnokaj, Dichen Lachmann & Co. out to play. She just didn’t have the charisma to carry a show.
SMG has far more range, and that was evident on Buffy alone – the episode where Buffy and Faith switched bodies and she played Faith-in-Buffy’s-body? She was brilliant there. And also as the Buffybot.
I loved SMG as Buffy. LOVED her. She was my idol. She was a badass, who cared, who was not always smart in love, who hurt like a real person. I always thought that was acting, and the many years inhabiting that character.
Maybe I’m being uncharitable, because I haven’t seen her in much outside of the Buffyverse?
I thought Dollhouse was SO watchable, and I loved Fred even more than Faith in it.
I feel like I need to rewatch all those old episodes with fresh eyes. Esp that body switch one. Whew, still has one of the best dirty talk lines in it ever.
SMG could pull off both Buffy and Cruel Intentions’ stone-cold Kathryn, that said enough to me. I really couldn’t see Eliza doing the same, which made me a bit sad.
Game set match for teacakes. I forgot about Cruel Intentions, she was the best part other than Philippe, and him mostly for eye candy. God. Ryan was so beautiful.
She’s my neighbor! 🙂 Watertown loves Eliza!
She dated Rick Fox from the Lakers for a long time. That romance came out of nowhere! She seems like a beautiful person.
You mean Rick Fox from the Celtics 😉
He played for both
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/foxri01.html
Good for her!
I’ve been a huge Buffy fan since forever and I loved her character. I’m glad she spoke about this and I hope we see more of her in some new shows.
I always loved her, you didnt mention Tru Calling which i was completly addicted to!! Loved dollhouse too, but it was cancelled way too soon 🙁
Glad shes doing well. I hope to see her again on tv soon!
Another Tru Calling fan here.
I applaud her for her courage to speak out publicly and to be honest & genuine, I’m sure it wasn’t easy.
On a side note I love that she’s getting her BA in Sociology! That’s what my degree is in. 😁
I loved her on Buffy/Angel. That episode where she tortured Wesley and then begged Angel to just kill her…..she’s so good.
Keep going for that degree, Eliza, from another Suffolk (law school) alum!
But did you have to pose for a picture with the ugliest (and most confusing and poorly designed) building in Boston as a backdrop?
Ha! The Hurley Building is ugly but it still doesn’t beat City Hall for the World’s Ugliest Building.
I think they’re in very close competition. But while City Hall is a hideously ugly giant cube stuck in the middle of a sprawling plaza, the Hurley is a sprawling, melted mess with staircases going nowhere. Inside, it gets even worse and no matter which door you enter, you always seem to have entered the wrong door for whichever agency you are trying to find and the security guards are as befuddled about it as the visitors. I hooted during The Departed when Martin Sheen comes down the long, winding staircase that goes nowhere. Where’s he coming from? There’s no door up there!
I mean, I don’t want to imply that the Hurley Building isn’t a monstrosity. I work across the street from it and it’s like a true-life Escher painting. But thankfully, it can mostly be avoided. It’s hard to avoid City Hall.
With that face of hers, does it matter?
SULS represent! One of my classmates actually dated her brother for a while during law school. Said Eliza was just nice and super normal. The Suffolk ties run deep.
“I loved the first time I took a drug because I loved the way it made me feel. I loved the way it made me not feel — I didn’t have to feel,” she explained. “It was fun — and I loved it — until it wasn’t.”
I love this quote and plan on sharing it with my younger teenage son. It’s generally how I try to explain the dangers of drugs and alcohol to him but she said it better than me. For some reason I have always had this fear (with him much more than my other son) that he will love substances when he starts to dabble, and that terrifies me.
I think that the realization that substance abuse means not having to feel is powerful. the not feeling has been one of the reasons several people I know got into substances in thr first place, and It makes me think about how powerful feelings and emotions can be, that we want to run away from them.
Yes, absolutely. Which is why I try to encourage my kids to talk about what’s bothering them, not to bottle stuff up. I know how great it felt for me when I first started drinking — suddenly my anxieties and insecurities just washed away. I’m lucky I didn’t become an alcoholic or addict but I definitely abused/binged when I was young and it was definitely related to lots of unresolved emotional issues.
Esmom, you sound like a terrific mother. I struggled with alcohol abuse for YEARS and the only thing my mother did was try to shame me. Luckily, my dad and sister were loving and supportive and things are okay these days. But a good support system is the first line of defense against someone developing a substance abuse problem in the first place. Keep up the good mom-ing.
What an inspiring woman! I don’t usually click on articles about people I don’t know, but something (procrastination!?) said “Go for it.” I’m glad I did. She just joined my personal Board of Sheroes!!
This woman does not age.
Buffy (the show) is turning twenty this week, which really makes me feel my age, let me tell you. I’ve been a fan of Eliza for years and think it was incredibly brave for her to speak so openly about her addiction. I have nothing but love for that lady.
oh dear. I didn’t realize that.
I very much remember watching the season where Buffy and Angel get it on, and my mom trying to fast forward through that scene, except it was TV so she had to sit and be uncomfortable with the rest of us while they had what in hindsight looks like really bad sex.
Ahh, the good old days when Spike was super hot and I didn’t know Angel was a douche with a thing for feet and playboy bunnies.
Boreanaz has a thing for feet and playboy bunnies, really? LOL I had no idea about that.
Right? It totally changed how I thought about him lol. You mean he’s not like Angel in real life?
I found this out maybe a decade ago? Longer? Sigh. Longer. It was before he was getting big on Bones.
He basically only dates blonde Playmates, he didn’t say so, but his dating history is kind of grossly obvious. It was very saddening because that makes me think less of him. The foot thing just made me sad because I do not have sexy feet.
I really like her, I still remember how bummed I was when her show ‘True Calling’ wasn’t renewed (I loved it!).
I’m a big Buffy and Angel fan, and I love Eliza, and I never knew this. I’ve always wanted to see her land a big role, I thought maybe when Joss was doing the Avengers. But she sounds happy.
It’s not my favorite movie,but she was great in Bring it On.
I love Bring It On. If it’s on TV I’ll stop whatever I’m doing to watch it. LOL
love that little movie! I used to plait for my ESL students all the time!
Hecate, get on that Buffy train! It’s such a great show and so rare to have had such great female characters with Eliza and SMG. The day buffy was taken off the UK&Irish Netflix last year I was genuinely so upset. I’ve rewatched it constantly since it started 20 years ago and it never gets old or tired. Never knew this about Eliza, fair play to her. Also superficial side bar, she is so so stunning still!
Yes you must watch Buffy. I started watching very late in the game also through Angel reruns and it’s one of my favorite shows of all time. So many great moments and characters.
Buffy got me through middle school/high school. Wish I had writers who could write quirky comebacks like they did for Buffy and the Scooby gang. Never was a fan of the show Angel. And- I guess I’m a minority here- I hated the Faith charater and never liked Eliza. Her voice and face grated me. Sorry. Glad the actress is okay now though. Addiction hurts everyone.
Good for her! And also good for her for repping Watertown in the Women’s March– Watertown has a huge immigrant community!
im totally gonna follow her on instagram now. Thanks for the post. I questioned her decions on the whole Rick Fox thing and I have a feeling the substance abuse may have played apart in their hook up and break up.
Love her! She was in the last season of Banshee and killed it!
She was good in True Lies as Dana