Eliza Dushku gave life to Faith, the rebellious Slayer with a dark past and fierce attitude. Tough, seductive, and unpredictable, she became a fan favorite for her intensity and charisma.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Eliza Dushku retired from acting in 2017, and she recently earned a Master’s degree in her new field, though she hasn’t publicly ruled out a return to Hollywood. Dushku shot to fame with her breakout role as Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Faith Lehane, and her memorable turn as Missy in 2000’s Bring It On also made the actress a huge celebrity. She made headlines in 2021 when Dushku testified about the sexual harassment allegations she made against Michael Weatherly on the set of Bull, a series she was fired from, before the House Judiciary Committee.

Eight years after her retirement from acting, Dushku shared a huge accomplishment — earning a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
from Lesley University. In her post, Dushku expressed gratitude towards those who supported and helped her along the way, and expressed her commitment to “holding safe, compassionate space for those who seek the undertaking.” Check out her post below:

Graduating with my master’s degree (!!) feels like more than an achievement—it feels like a deep calling realized. True growth, energy, and passion—manifested.

After nearly a decade of inner work and building a new life, I’m so grateful for this moment in time. To my highest self—for taking this wild leap away from everything I knew and making it happen 🙌. To my boys + ♥️—for the little sacrifices made & love you gave, each day to honor and support this dream 🙏. And to my family, friends—new and old—my colleagues/classmates, professors/teachers, and community, I give thanks: for rooting me on, encouraging me day in and day out, and affording me the grace, strength, and space to step fully into these past years of clinical training.

Today, I stand grounded and ready to support others on their journeys of becoming—through self-discovery, healing, and transformation. The connectedness I feel in holding safe, compassionate space for those who seek the undertaking is such lifeblood now.

To possibility, hope, and healing, all.

Non sibi sed toti 🤍

Dushku’s passion for mental health treatment and her recent accomplishment will undoubtedly reignite questions about whether she will ever return to acting again. Though she hasn’t appeared on screen for several years, Dushku made multiple comments in 2019 that suggest she hasn’t permanently closed the door on the entertainment industry, simply that she was being called from Los Angeles to her native Boston, and that she wanted to pursue starting a family and focusing on her new career path (via US Weekly). Read her comments below:

“I need the distance to recalibrate and start a family. But I don’t want people to think coming forward means ending your career. I could be acting. I could be in L.A. I just need to be here [in Boston] right now.”

“I always felt like I wanted to learn something that I could use to help other people. I’ve got to say that I freakin’ love it. And don’t get me wrong — there are amazing things about being an actor and doing red carpets and getting to go on Jimmy Kimmel, but this stuff gets me going.”

What Eliza Dushku’s Life Accomplishment Means For Her Possible Return To Acting

Don’t Expect It To Happen Anytime Soon

Though Dushku hasn’t officially sworn off a return to acting, earning her master’s degree is a huge indicator that she’s not planning to go to Hollywood for a long, long time, if ever. Beyond that, Dushku has been making comments for years about wanting to help people via mental health treatments. She has also been an advocate for psychedelic-assisted therapy, and has credited it with giving her the ability to testify about her experience on the set of Bull.

Dushku has long since been candid about trauma she’s faced offscreen. In 2018, she publicly accused stunt coordinator Joel Kramer of molesting her when she was 12 years old on the set of True Lies. She also revealed her substance abuse issues in 2017, coming out as a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Earlier this year, Dushku posted on Instagram that she is 16 years sober. Given how much emphasis Dushku has placed on her healing via psychedelic-assisted therapy, it’s clear her focus is on helping people get well, not on acting.

Our Take On Eliza Dushku’s Current Career Path

It’s Clearly What She’s Meant To Do (Even If We Miss Faith)

Dushku is an incredibly talented actress, and while we selfishly all want her back on our screens, everything she has shared about her post-Hollywood life — especially earning her master’s degree — points to her following the path she’s meant to walk down. With her education and experience, Dushku has the ability to help a lot of people, and that’s important. But with fans’ eyes on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival, and Dushku’s openness to potentially acting again, there’s still the slightest possibility we haven’t seen the last of Faith. And that’s just five by five.