After her role as Nancy in "The Craft," Fairuza Balk took a step back from the public eye after speculation that she was not only a witch on screen but off-screen as well. Fairuza Balk now enjoys a life away from the spotlight.
Fairuza became a well-known face in Hollywood following her role as Nancy Downs in "The Craft." The young actress became the ultimate goth girl in the '90s following her character's signature dark makeup, studded collar, and supernatural powers.
However, after her breakthrough role began to take a toll on her personal life and taint her image, the young actress chose to steer clear of the limelight. Although she did not let go of her love for acting, her newfound privacy left fans wondering what happened to one of the most popular teen actresses of the '90s.
Fairuza Balk at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival | Source: Getty Images
Fairuza Balk Was Only 9 When She Started Her Acting Career
With a mother who was a former dancer, a father who was a musician, and a grandmother who was one of the youngest dance teachers in California, Fairuza's career in the entertainment industry was written in the stars.
As a child, her parents signed her up for everything, from dancing lessons to playing the violin and the piano, horseback riding, and acting classes.
Their efforts paid off, as, by the time she was nine, Fairzura was hand-picked from a crowd of 900 competitors to star as Dorothy in Disney's "Return to Oz."
Fairuza Balk at the BlackBerry 8700c Self Magazine Lounge on January 20, 2006. | Source: Getty Images
The Canadian was only in the fourth grade when people began noticing her in her local grocery stores. However, she was much older when the popularity of "Return to Oz" dawned on her. During a 2012 interview, Fairuza said:
"It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized just how special 'Return to Oz' ended up being. Throughout the years, fans would send me letters or even these incredible gifts with their stories about what the movie meant to them, and I was absolutely shocked."
Following her breakout role in 1985, Fairuza starred in many films and TV shows, including "The Worst Witch" in 1986 and "Almost Famous" in 2000.
Her role as Sapphire in "Almost Famous" earned Fairuza a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination in 2001. But she took home the win for Best Ensemble at the Online Film Critics Society Awards that same year.
Fairuza Balk at the premiere of "Artificial Intelligence: A.I." on June 26, 2001. | Source: Getty Images
At this point, Fairuza was landing acting roles regularly, which saw her traveling from The States to England and France. Fortunately, her mother, Cathryn Balk, said Fairuza was adaptable. Cathryn shared:
"She's the kind of person who likes diversity, a very adaptable human being, thank heavens."
After "The Craft," People Wondered If Fairuza Balk Was a Witch in Real Life
Following her convincing role involving witchcraft in "The Craft," which hit theatres in 1996, Fairuza became the center of attention in speculations about whether she practiced witchcraft in her personal life.
Fairuza Balk at AFI Fest on November 4, 2009, in California. | Source: Getty Images
The rumors only heightened when she bought an occult shop in Los Angeles while filming "The Craft." Almost twenty years later, she spoke on the matter and said:
"You can tell the truth and talk to people, but they want to believe what they want to believe. What can you do? I'm not involved with that shop anymore. It was a very long time ago."
Fairuza explained that she frequented the store for research and to ask questions for her role in "The Craft." After befriending the store owners, Fairuza learned the store owner wanted to retire because she did not have the funds to keep the store afloat.
When Fairzura discovered the store was about to close and be turned into a Chinese restaurant, she bought it. She added that the rumors that she was a practicing Pagan were also untrue.
Fairuza Balk at an after-party on March 27, 2009, in California | Source: Getty Images
Fairuza Balk Stepped Away from Hollywood Life for Her Well-Being
During an interview, Fairzura explained that she took a step back from Hollywood, which she discovered was a "strange bubble," as an act of self-preservation. The young actress felt like no matter what she said, the media would misconstrue it. She revealed:
"In my late 20s, I stepped away from doing a lot of press because people just kept taking my words and rearranging them the wrong way and just depicting me as this crazy bad girl, and it just really got old."
Although she loved acting and hoped she could act for the rest of her life, Fairuza explained that she was not "wired" for the other parts of Hollywood. She was a career-oriented person before she realized there was a life outside of acting gigs and fulfilling her roles.
Fairuza Balk at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival | Source: Getty Images
Fairuza Balk May Live a Life Away from Media Attention, but She Never Stopped Acting
After "The Craft," Fairuza explored other art forms, such as voice acting. She tried voice acting for the first time in 1999 on "Family Guy," and a stream of different roles followed. She also spent her time painting and creating mixed-media projects. She said:
"I started looking into and spending more time on other art forms that I really enjoy, and I'm far happier for it."
After her father's health worsened, the father and daughter duo spent more time together, and he taught Fairuza about goldsmithing and silversmithing.
Fairuza Balk on the second day of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival | Source: Getty Images
In 2016, Fairuza added being a recording artist to her already impressive résumé and went by the stage name Armer Love Militia. In 2019, she released a three-song EP.
Fairuza stayed true to her word about wanting to act for the rest of her life and reprised her role in "The Craft" in the film's 2020 sequel alongside Neve Campbell.
Although she was hesitant about the opportunity, Fairuza was sold after meeting the sequel's director. The actress also has a website where she sells her original art, autographed pictures, merchandise, and music.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmtwcW9mbXqnrcirrLOZXZeurbeMp6awZZ6Wu6TFjK2fnmWTp66nwIysq56ooJqxb7TTpqM%3D