Fairuza Balk | |
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.jpg) Balk in 2019 | |
| Born | (1974-05-21)May 21, 1974 (age 51) Point Reyes,California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
Fairuza Balk (born May 21, 1974) is an American actress, musician, and visual artist. Known for her portrayals of distinctive characters—often with a dark edge and "goth-girl" persona[1][2]—she has appeared in numerousindependent films andblockbuster features.
Following a series of television roles, Balk made her feature film debut asDorothy Gale inReturn to Oz (1985), for which she was nominated for aSaturn Award and aYoung Artist Award forBest Starring Performance. Her career progressed with parts in films such asValmont (1989) andGas Food Lodging (1992), the latter earning her anIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. After roles inImaginary Crimes (1994) andThings to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Balk received acclaim and acult following for her portrayal of Nancy Downs inThe Craft (1996), which earned her anMTV Movie Award. Her other credits includeThe Island of Dr. Moreau (1996),American History X (1998),The Waterboy (1998),Almost Famous (2000),Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002),Deuces Wild (2002),Don't Come Knocking (2005),Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006),Humboldt County (2008), andBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009).
Outside of film, Balk portrayed Mildred Hubble in the 1986 television adaptation ofThe Worst Witch, based on thebook series of the same name. She played the recurring role of Ginger onShowtime'sRay Donovan in 2015, and starred as Lizzie Thomas in theAmazon Prime seriesParadise City in 2021. Balk has been releasing music since 2010 under the name of herunsigned act, Armed Love Militia.
Balk was born on May 21, 1974, inPoint Reyes, California, to Solomon Feldthouse (born David Earle Scaff; 1940–2021), a musician, and Cathryn Balk (1944–2018), abelly dancer. The name Fairuza is ofPersian origin meaning "turquoise". Her father gave her the name for the color of her eyes. Feldthouse was one of the founding members of the 1960s psychedelic rock groupKaleidoscope, and was also a travelingfolk musician.[3]
Until the age of two, Balk lived inJackson, Michigan, with her mother. They then moved toVancouver,British Columbia, where she began acting at age six. They moved toLondon and then toParis for another role. They remained there for six months before returning to Vancouver.[citation needed]Balk bought an occult shop called Panpipes inLos Angeles while filming the 1996 filmThe Craft.[4]
Balk took her first acting course around the summer of 1983, where she was taught how to look at a camera and not be shy. Her first experience was in aBritish Columbia tourism commercial, for which she earned $100.[5] Her debut role was in a 1983television film titledThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever. While in London, Balk was cast by Walt Disney Productions to star as Dorothy Gale inReturn to Oz, thesequel to MGM's 1939 musicalThe Wizard of Oz.[6] This role led to others, including that of Mildred Hubble inThe Worst Witch. In 1988, at age 14, she moved toParis to work onValmont withMiloš Forman. She decided to take correspondence courses and went back toHollywood, where she gained increasing notice as an actress. In 1992, she was awarded anIndependent Spirit Award as best actress for her performance in theAllison Anders filmGas Food Lodging.[7]
In 1996, she appeared in a lead role inThe Craft, in which her character formed a teenagecoven with characters portrayed byNeve Campbell,Rachel True andRobin Tunney. Since then, Balk has continued to find roles, primarily dark ones. In 1996, she co-starred inThe Island of Dr Moreau. In 1998, she played aneo-Nazi oppositeEdward Norton inAmerican History X, and was featured inThe Waterboy, alongsideAdam Sandler. Since 2000, she has appeared in over a dozen films and was briefly in a band called G-13. She has also done voice work for animated films, TV shows and video games, includingJustice League,Family Guy,Grand Theft Auto: Vice City andLords of EverQuest. The 2007 documentaryReturn to Oz: The Joy That Got Away was dedicated to her.
In 2010, Armed Love Militia, Balk's musical outlet, released the single "Stormwinds". The track was written and sung by Balk.[8][9][10] Armed Love Militia continued, with Balk collaborating on anEP with singer and songwriterMel Sanson.[11]
In 2011, Balk began to exhibit art in Los Angeles and New York. On August 4, 2012, she participated in the group show 'MiXTAPE', with other notable artistsMark Ryden,Camille Rose Garcia,Jessicka Addams, andMarion Peck. Artists were asked to pick a song and create art inspired by that song. Balk chose the song "Nuages" byDjango Reinhardt and created a 16"x20"x12" mixed-media sculpture. The eclectic mix of songs chosen were featured for digital download oniTunes.[12][13][14]
In 2017, the emo puppet bandFragile Rock performed a song titled "Fairuza Balk" on theirNPRTiny Desk Concert.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Beth Bradley | Television film |
| 1985 | Deceptions | Penny Roberts | |
| 1986 | The Worst Witch | Mildred Hubble | |
| 1987 | Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story | Barbara—Age 12 | |
| 1991 | Deadly Intentions... Again? | Stacey | |
| 1992 | Shame | Lizzie Curtis | |
| The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story | Lisa | ||
| 1993 | Murder in the Heartland | Caril Ann Fugate | Mini-series |
| 1994 | ZZ Top: Breakaway | Vampire Girl | Television film |
| 1995 | Shadow of a Doubt | Angel Harwell | |
| 1999–2000 | Family Guy | Coco, Connie D'Amico | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2001 | The Sopranos | Agent Deborah Ciccerone | Episode: "Army of One" (original airing only; all scenes replaced) |
| 2003 | Justice League | Penny Dee | Voice, episode: "Only a Dream" |
| 2006 | Orpheus | Karen | Television film |
| 2006 | Masters of Horror | Stacia | Episode: "Pick Me Up" |
| 2011–2012 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Ray Donovan | Ginger | 7 episodes |
| 2021 | Paradise City | Lizzie Thomas | TV spinoff ofAmerican Satan |
| 2022 | Close Enough | Roxy | Voice, episode:Halloween Enough |
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Mercedes Cortez |
| 2003 | Lords of EverQuest | Lady T'Lak |
The Walt Disney Company releases an unofficial sequel to the 1939 film titledReturn to Oz and starring Fairuza Balk. The film is not a musical, and is much darker in tone than the 1939 film.
