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IMDbPro

Fairuza Balk(I)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000979
Fairuza Balk at an event for Don't Come Knocking (2005)
The lives of a rock star with ties to the occult and a young rookie kid who idolizes him collide through their broken homes built by the music business.
Play trailer1:23
Paradise City (2021– )
22 Videos
99+ Photos
"Fairuza!" ("Turquoise" in Farsi), her father exclaimed as he saw her blue eyes: Fairuza Alejandra Balk had just been born on May 21, 1974 in Point Reyes, California. Her father, Solomon Ben Feldthouse, was a traveling musician originally from Idaho, and her mother, Cathryn Balk, was a belly dancer. Her parents split up soon after. Fairuza grew up just north of San Francisco, California on a commune-type ranch. Her mother later found work in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was there that Fairuza began her career at age 9 on the ABC special The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983). Two years later, she went to the United Kingdom where she attended the Royal Academy of Ballet, the Ramona Beauchamp Agency, and the Bush Davies Performing Arts School. Fairuza worked for the Walt Disney Company for a while; at 11, she was chosen from 1,200 girls to star as Dorothy in Return to Oz (1985). The next year she starred, prophetically enough, as The Worst Witch (1986) a harbinger of her breakout role in The Craft (1996) 10 years later.

Fairuza and her mother remained in London until 1988, then went to Paris where the 15-year-old starred in Valmont (1989). The next year they returned to Vancouver and Fairuza enrolled in high school, but ended up doing correspondence courses after proving shy in class. Back in Hollywood she starred in a string of movies, including Gas Food Lodging (1992), for which she received an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress. Following further television and film work, she achieved cult status with her starring role as a teenage witch in her breakout film, The Craft (1996). That year she also appeared in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), in which she did some belly-dancing and attracted the attention of Lancashire, England-born co-star David Thewlis. They did another movie together, American Perfekt (1997).

Fairuza was also the love interest in the wildly-popular The Waterboy (1998) and had a major role in American History X (1998). With a half-dozen movies for 2000, Fairuza is much in demand. Her interests are writing poetry and stories, playing the guitar, singing (her main enjoyment), and dancing. She lives in Venice, California and has an apartment in New York City.
BornMay 21, 1974
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMay 21, 1974
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000979
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 4 wins & 7 nominations

Photos209

Fairuza Balk in Personal Velocity (2002)
Fairuza Balk in Personal Velocity (2002)
Fairuza Balk in Personal Velocity (2002)
Fairuza Balk in Personal Velocity (2002)
Fairuza Balk in The Craft: Legacy (2020)
Fairuza Balk and Justin Case in Return to Oz (1985)
Marlon Brando, Fairuza Balk, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Nelson de la Rosa in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Marlon Brando and Fairuza Balk in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Marlon Brando and Fairuza Balk in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
Fairuza Balk, Brian Henson, Justin Case, Lyle Conway, Stewart Harvey-Wilson, and Stephen Norrington in Return to Oz (1985)
Fairuza Balk and Deep Roy in Return to Oz (1985)
Fairuza Balk, Brian Henson, and Stewart Harvey-Wilson in Return to Oz (1985)

Known for:

Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, and Rachel True in The Craft (1996)
The Craft
6.4
  • Nancy Downs
  • 1996
Kate Hudson in Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous
7.9
  • Sapphire
  • 2000
Fairuza Balk in Return to Oz (1985)
Return to Oz
6.7
  • Dorothy
  • 1985
Edward Norton in American History X (1998)
American History X
8.5
  • Stacey
  • 1998

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Jessica DiCicco, Jason Mantzoukas, James Adomian, J.G. Quintel, Gabrielle Walsh, Kimiko Glenn, and Danielle Brooks in Close Enough (2020)
    Close Enough
    • Roxy (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Paradise City (2021)
    Paradise City
    • Lizzie Thomas
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Zoey Luna, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, and Cailee Spaeny in The Craft: Legacy (2020)
    The Craft: Legacy
    • Nancy Downs
    • 2020
  • Trespassers (2018)
    Trespassers
    • Visitor
    • 2018
  • August Falls (2017)
    August Falls
    • Anna Ellison
    • 2017
  • Liev Schreiber in Ray Donovan (2013)
    Ray Donovan
    • Ginger
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Fairuza Balk, David James Elliott, Heather McComb, Zane Holtz, Danny Buday, and Ryan Eggold in Battle Scars (2015)
    Battle Scars
    • Rifka
    • 2015
  • Fairuza Balk and Ryan Merriman in Dose of Reality (2013)
    Dose of Reality
    • Rose
    • 2013
  • Shit Year (2010)
    Shit Year
    • Message Voice (voice)
    • 2010
  • Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
    Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
    • Heidi
    • 2009
  • Grindstone Road (2008)
    Grindstone Road
    • Hannah
    • 2008
  • Humboldt County (2008)
    Humboldt County
    • Bogart
    • 2008
  • Orpheus
    • Karen
    • TV Movie
    • 2006
  • Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006)
    Wild Tigers I Have Known
    • Logan's Mom
    • 2006
  • Masters of Horror (2005)
    Masters of Horror
    • Stacia
    • TV Series
    • 2006

Soundtrack

  • Humboldt County (2008)
    Humboldt County
    • performer: "I Want You To Be My Baby"
    • 2008

Videos22

The Island of Dr. Moreau
Clip 2:54
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:09
Official Trailer
Theatrical Trailer
Trailer 1:34
Theatrical Trailer
Season 1 Teaser
Trailer 1:23
Season 1 Teaser
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:08
Official Trailer
Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans
Trailer 2:35
Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans
Humboldt County: Trailer
Trailer 2:29
Humboldt County: Trailer
The Craft
Trailer 1:56
The Craft
Almost Famous
Trailer 2:26
Almost Famous
American History X
Trailer 2:25
American History X
Blood Into Wine
Trailer 2:09
Blood Into Wine
Personal Velocity
Trailer 2:15
Personal Velocity

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Cameo
    • Facebook
  • Alternative name
    • Ms. Fairuza Balk
  • Height
    • 5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
  • Born
    • May 21, 1974
    • Point Reyes, California, USA
  • Children
    • No Children
  • Parents
      Solomon Feldthouse
  • Relatives
      Frederick Franklin Balk(Grandparent)
  • Other works
    Music video: "Breakaway" by ZZ Top - female vampire (c. 1994).
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Interviews
    • 5 Articles
    • 3 Pictorials
    • 5 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    When she was born, her father took one look at her eyes and exclaimed "Firuze!" which is Farsi for "turquoise".
  • Quotes
    I'm beginning to get pigeonholed as the girl who plays the crazies and weirdoes - and that's not the entirety of who I am. Hopefully, the whole point of being in this profession is that you change into anyone you want to be.
  • Trademarks
      Dark hair and pale skin
  • Nickname
    • Ru

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