Fairuza Balk, the American actor, singer, and artist, gained fame for her portrayal of a teenage witch in the iconic film ‘The Craft.’ With her mesmerizing turquoise-blue eyes and wicked smile, she quickly became a cult figure. Her performance was so convincing that it sparked genuine concerns among viewers about her being a real witch. Born into a family of artists, Balk’s natural talent for the arts was no surprise. She underwent extensive training in the performing arts and went on to establish herself with notable roles in films like ‘Return to Oz,’ ‘The Waterboy,’ ‘American History X,’ ‘Almost Famous,’ and ‘Personal Velocity: Three Portraits.’
Quick Facts
- Age: 49 Years
- Family: father – Solomon Feldthouse, mother – Cathryn Balk
- Born Country: United States
- Occupation: Actresses, Musicians
- Height: 5’3″ (160 cm)
- Ancestry: Polish American, German American, British American, Irish American, French American
- U.S. State: California
Childhood & Early Life
Fairuza Alejandra Feldthouse was born on May 21, 1974, in Point Reyes, California, to Solomon Feldthouse and Cathryn Balk. Her Persian first name was given to her by her father, a traveling folk musician and founding member of the 1960s psychedelic rock group ‘Kaleidoscope.’ Her mother, an expert in traditional dance forms, performed, researched on, and taught various dance forms practiced in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and Spain. Balk’s parents separated not long after she was born. She lived with her mother on a commune-type ranch in Cloverdale, California, till she was 2 years old. Eventually, they moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where she began her acting career at the age of 6.
Career
Balk, with her blue eyes and dark hair, bagged her first role in the ‘ABC’ TV film ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ (1983). A couple of years later, she moved to the United Kingdom. She stayed there with her mother till 1988. She trained at the ‘Royal Academy of Ballet,’ the ‘Ramona Beauchamp Agency,’ and the ‘Bush Davies Performing Arts School’ during her stay in London. She was associated with the ‘Walt Disney Company’ for a while in London. At 11, she was chosen among 1,200 others to star as ‘Dorothy Gale’ in ‘Return to Oz’ (1985). In 1986, Balk was nominated for the ‘Young Artist Award’ for the ‘Best Starring Performance by a Young Actress – Motion Picture’ for this film. The same year, Balk was also nominated for the ‘Saturn Award’ for the ‘Best Performance by a Young Actress’ for ‘Return to Oz.’
In 1993, Balk received the ‘Independent Spirit Award’ for the ‘Best Female Lead’ for her performance in ‘Gas, Food Lodging’ (1992). In 1996, she starred as a teenage witch in ‘The Craft,’ a film that catapulted her to stardom. Balk received the ‘MTV Movie Award’ for the ‘Best Fight,’ along with Robin Tunney, for a scene in which they enacted a knife fight. Balk also performed in the critically acclaimed American comedy–drama ‘Almost Famous’ (2000), written and directed by Cameron Crowe.
Personal Life
Balk initially dated actor and director Crispin Glover. She has also dated British actor David Thewlis and director/writer CM Talkington. Her interests include writing fiction and poetry, playing the guitar and the violin, singing, and dancing. She has an apartment in New York City and lives in Venice, California.
Trivia
- Her father named her “Fairuza,” which means “turquoise” in Farsi.
- One of her tattoos is a triangle-shaped symbol, like the one used by the Nazis to brand inmates at the Romani concentration camps.
- She once owned an occult craft shop named ‘Panpipes’ in California.
- In 2017, the emo puppet band ‘Fragile Rock’ performed a song titled ‘Fairuza Balk,’ which Balk loved.