Fairuza Baulk, with her gothic ways, has become one of the most recognisable characters in one of the best witch-themed films ever created, and we don’t care if we never appear. All of us magic enthusiasts were practising witchcraft under the influence of The Craft, and we were buying ingredients for our potions at the neighbourhood occult store.
Fairuza, who is well-known for juggling small hits and big-budget parts, has a beauty that draws your attention to her in whatever she does. Her distinctive look, husky voice, and those eyes that nailed you to the wall are indelible. The Craft’s Nancy may be her most well-known performance, but let’s find out what else this otherworldly woman has been up to since imbibing her sisters.
Background info
The world is familiar with Fairuza Alejandra Feldthouse as Fairuza Baulk; she is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and was born on May 21, 1974, in Point Reyes, California, to Catherine Baulk, a belly dancer, and Solomon Ben Feldthouse (real name David Earle Scaff), a travelling musician.
Her father gave her the unusual name Fairuza after saying the Farsi word for “turquoise” when he first noticed her eyes.
Baulk was raised by Fairuza’s mother when her parents divorced not long after Fairuza was born. Beginning in Jackson, Michigan, Baulk and her mother moved around a lot. After a brief stint in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, they continued on to the United Kingdom, spent six months in Paris, and then returned to Vancouver before settling down for the most part in California.
She pursued her education at the Ramona Beauchamp Agency, the Bush Davies Performing Arts School, and the Royal Academy of Ballet in the UK.
Fairuza began acting classes when she was nine years old, and her first paid gig was in a British Columbia tourism advertisement, where she received $100. Beth was her first credited performance in the 1983 ABC television film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Early career
In her early acting career, Baulk played a number of iconic roles, but two in particular stand out: Mildred Hubble in 1986’s The Worst Witch, which starred the famous Tim Curry, and Dorothy Gale in the 1985 dark fantasy sequel Return to Oz. Both of Fairuza’s performances got him nominations for Best Performance by a Young Actor, and both films are still enjoyable to see today.
She relocated to Paris in order to work on the 1989 Colin Firth and Annette Bening movie Valmont. As a result of her performance as Shade in the 1992 film Gas Food Lodging, she went on to win an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Later, Baulk received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lizzie in the television film Shame.
Other significant early parts included those of Lucinda in the 1995 crime drama Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, which starred Andy Garcia, Christopher Lloyd, and Steve Buscemi, and Sonya in the 1994 period drama Imaginary Crimes. An impressive resume for someone who is only in their 20s.
The Craft
Everyone had their own area – and witch – they connected with thanks to the 1996 spooky teen film The Craft, which gave weirdos all across the world permission to be witchy. The cult film followed Nancy, Rochelle, and Bonnie as they searched for a fourth member for their coven and discovered Sarah, a new student at the school. You couldn’t take your eyes off of Fairuza Baulk because she had the perfect 90s cast: Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, Christine Taylor, Breckin Meyer, and Skeet Ulrich.
Fairuza portrayed Nancy Downs, a destitute teenager who resided in a caravan park with her intoxicated mother and violent stepfather. The group’s commander, Nancy, prayed to the goddess Manon for the four abilities they would employ to avenge their wrongdoers.
As the ruthless Nancy, Fairuza enthralled us, got us to question our morality, and had us searching for classmates who we believed would form a suitable coven to call the corners with. Nancy will be remembered as one of the greatest gothic characters ever, even though her story didn’t have the ideal resolution. She also made us feel a little in awe of Fairuza.
Baulk received several nominations for her portrayal of Downs and an MTV Award for that thrilling confrontation between Sarah and Nancy. Baulk returned Nancy for a brief cameo in the Blumhouse sequel The Craft: Legacy, which was released in 2020. There is a rumour that a third book could be published, bringing the witches from different generations together.
What did Fairuza do after The Craft?
After her stint calling the corners came to an end, Fairuza was cast in films including 1996’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, starring Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, and David Thewlis, and 1997’s American Perfekt, starring Robert Forster, Paul Sorvino, and David Thewlis.
Baulk co-starred with Edward Norton and Edward Furlong in the cult classic drama American History X as Stacey. In a funny turn of events, we saw her in the 1998 Adam Sandler comedy The Waterboy as Vicki Vallencourt. She received several nods for her subsequent role as Sapphire in the 2000 comedy starring Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson, including a SAG nomination and an Online Film Critics Society Award nomination for Best Ensemble.
Don’t Come Knocking (2005), Humboldt County (2008), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), Beyond Clueless (2014), and August Falls (2017) are among Fairuza’s other credits.
Baulk, who until the 2000s was only seen in television movies, made an appearance in an episode of The Sopranos in 2001 and was cast as Ginger for a seven-episode run on Ray Donovan in 2015.
What is Fairuza Balk doing now?
Our coven’s leader is still performing; her most recent project is Paradise City’s first season’s Lizzie on the American Satan spinoff series.
The actress also appeared in a cameo in The Craft: Legacy, the follow-up to the cult classic The Craft. She also spoke about the ghosts she thinks are residing in her studio on the Lifetime programme The Haunting.
Baulk made the announcement that she would host a podcast with Rachel True, her co-star on The Craft, in the spring of 2022. On her website, you can listen to the podcast.
However, Baulk also pursued a few side projects. She first released music in 2010 under the name Armed Love Militia, and in 2011 she held art exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles.
Fairuza occasionally attends conventions, but she also very often updates her Instagram.
Private life
There isn’t much information available on Fairuza’s private life. Since the 1990s, she has kept a lot of things private. But back then, Crispin Glover (George McFly in Back to the Future) and David Thewlis (Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter series) were also romantic partners for Baulk. Nobody is aware about Fairuza’s marriage history or biological offspring. But she will always be our Mama Witch, and we are fortunate to be able to see her at work.
We’re there if they need a fourth person to call the corners or just a strange supporter to encourage them, especially with The Craft’s 30th anniversary just a few years away. Hear us when we say that we want Fairuza Baulk to remain on our screens for many years to come. Hail to the watchtower guardians of the East.
