Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cult classic TV show, and one of the best supernatural teen dramas in history. The beloved series (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) is regularly re-watched, and Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role for a revival series New Sunnydale. Retired actress Eliza Dushku played Faith Lehane in both that show and Angel, and recently spoke about why she's so grateful for the Joss Whedon series to this day.

While Whedon's controversies surrounding these two shows broke the internet, fans are still watching the horror comedy series to this day. Dushku offers a truly iconic performance as Faith aka the Bad Slayer. In an interview with THR, the Bring It On actress spoke about her ongoing love for Buffy, offering:

How sweet is that? In addition to the many Buffy fans out there who have felt seen by the iconic '90s TV show, Dushku has seen firsthand as members of her own family similarly connected with the teen drama. Because while the Scooby Gang was fighting monsters and creatures, those adventures usually mirrored the demons of adolescence.

Halfway through Season 3, Faith became on of the best Buffy villains, fighting Sarah Michelle Gellar's title character prior to the two-part finale. After that she's return in the fifth and seven seasons, in addition to a few episodes on Angel. Faith was able to eventually redeem herself, battling the First Evil in the show's final episodes.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer's series finale perfectly set up the revival series, and fans are wondering about which OG Buffy stars might join SMG in the fun. Unfortunately, we probably shouldn't hold our breath to see Eliza Dushku. In the same interview she spoke about no longer having a real passion for acting, saying:

There you have it. While Dushku is an executive producer on the new documentary In Waves and War, she seemingly isn't hoping to get back in front of the camera anytime soon. This is sure to be a bummer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans who were hoping to catch up with Faith when the forthcoming Hulu series is released. But maybe we can get an update about her whereabouts without the former actress having to come out of retirement.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are both streaming on Hulu. It's unclear when the new Buffy series will premiere on Hulu, but fans are hoping to see it sooner rather than later. Whether or not it ends up on the 2026 TV schedule remains to be seen.

Every superhero has their weakness, like Superman with Kryptonite and Wonder Woman with gunfire and melee weapons, for instance. As a human being, Batman can be slowed down by plenty of things, but his skills as a strategist and indomitable typically keep him defiant in these situations. However, the one thing – or, person, I should say – who rarely fails to weaken his knees is one of Gotham’s greatest criminals, Catwoman.

The popularity of Selina Kyle’s thieving alter ego – who is more of an anti-hero than a straight-up villain and has been known to team up with her batty on-and-off beau – has transcended DC Comics, thanks to iconic interpretations in various animated or live-action Batman movies and TV shows. Let’s explore some past portrayals that most fans would consider purrr-fect. 

Zoë Kravitz As Catwoman In The Batman

How fitting that my personal choice for the best live-action Batman movie so far also features my favorite interpretation of Catwoman yet. Now, you could accuse me of recency bias, but you cannot deny that Zoë Kravitz gives a breathtaking performance as Selina Kyle – her second time playing the role, actually, after voicing her in The LEGO Batman Movie – that is key to why Matt Reeves’ The Batman is observed as a classic detective fiction throwback. Her interaction with Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is a perfect reflection of the film noir femme fatale persona that inspired the character in the first place.

Elizabeth Gillies As Catwoman In Catwoman: Hunted

When Selina Kyle got her own DC animated movie in 2022, they cast an actor who really had a great handle on how to voice the character in the form of Elizabeth Gillies. Taking inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer (whom we will get to soon), the star of CW’s Dynasty absolutely nails the burglar's alluring qualities in Catwoman: Hunted – a funny, action-packed thriller that sees her teaming up with Batwoman (Stephanie Beatriz) after an attempt to steal a priceless jewel puts her at odds with a powerful crime cartel.

Sanaa Lathan As Catwoman On Harley Quinn

Now, if we really want to talk about funny portrayals of Catwoman, there are few greater examples than on the hit, Max exclusive series, Harley Quinn, which is also home to many other great, comically inspired depictions of classic DC characters. However, I believe Sanaa Lathan’s portrayal is something really special, reinventing Selina Kyle as a fully self-serving woman who actually gets a little fed up with all the attention she gets from Diedrich Bader’s Bruce Wayne. It is a clever and hilarious reinvention of their relationship on par with Batman and Joker in The LEGO Batman Movie.

Naya Rivera As Catwoman In Batman: The Long Halloween

That being said, I am still a sucker for the Bat and the Cat’s moments of solidarity, such as when they team up to investigate an ongoing case of serial killings in 2021’s Batman: The Long Halloween. However, the two-part, animated adaptation of Jeph Loeb’s acclaimed series does shed light on Bruce Wayne (Jensen Ackles) and Selina Kyle’s (Naya Rivera) romantic troubles, for which the former Glee cast member also brings an enriching sense of authenticity and gravitas. As one of Rivera’s final performances before her untimely death, it succeeds as an all-time great moment for Catwoman in my book.

Julie Newmar As Catwoman On Batman 

Catwoman made her live-action debut on Season 1 of the 1960s Batman TV show with Julie Newmar in the role. The star of stage and screen was noted for her keen sense of humor, which made her a perfect fit for the series’ signature campy tone. While she would later reprise Selina Kyle in two DC animated movies (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders in 2016 and 2017’s Batman vs. Two-Face), she is not the only actor to steal the heart of Adam West’s Bruce Wayne.

Lee Meriwether As Catwoman In Batman: The Movie

With Newmar unable to appear in 1966’s Batman: The Movie – which contains many of the funniest Batman movie moments – Lee Meriwether joined the cast to assist The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) in a sinister world domination plot. However, the Emmy nominee and former Miss America is not just playing Catwoman, because Selina Kyle disguises herself as the Russian Miss Kitka to lure Bruce Wayne into a horrible trap. Regardless, Meriwether’s devilishly funny and tastefully seductive performance makes for a memorable big screen debut of the character.

Eartha Kitt As Catwoman On Batman 

Meriwether would also appear on the Batman TV series, but in an entirely different role, because Catwoman had once again been recast by Season 2. Emmy nominee and recording artist Eartha Kitt (whom younger audiences might recognize as Madame Zeroni in Holes or as the voice of Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove) would make history as the first Black actress to play the supervillain in 1967. Her performance is just as historical, nailing the character’s most essential traits with a scenery-chewing glow.

Michelle Pfeiffer As Catwoman In Batman Returns

Even though Batman Returns goes hog wild with its interpretation of Selina Kyle by making her a murdered secretary magically resurrected by cats turned into an agent of chaos, many fans still call Michelle Pfeiffer their favorite Catwoman to this day, and it is easy to see why. For one, among the strongest elements of Tim Burton’s otherwise controversial 1992 sequel is its refreshing examination of Selina’s relationship with Bruce Wayne, especially in one of Michael Keaton’s best moments in the role when the turbulent pair show up maskless to a costume party, reflecting how the masks they usually wear best represent their true selves. Plus, the line “I am Catwoman, hear me roar” saw the beginning of a wave of feminism in new superhero movies.

Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman on Batman: The Animated Series

The success of the Tim Burton movies (1989’s Batman, particularly) led to the creation of Batman: The Animated Series, which boasts the quintessential version of the Dark Knight (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy) in many fans’ eyes. I would say that the Emmy-winning cartoon’s iteration of Catwoman (voiced by Scream Queen Adrienne Barbeau) is the first to really get the character right in all facets, from her stunning thievery (aided by one intelligent feline) to her romantic connection with Bruce Wayne. The relationship feels even more authentic and naturally well developed overtime than even Keaton and Pfeiffer’s pairing, if you ask me.

Eliza Dushku As Catwoman In Batman: Year One

Selina Kyle (voiced by Eliza Dushku) and Bruce Wayne (voiced by future Gotham cast member Ben McKenzie) only share one direct interaction in 2011’s Batman: Year One that is very fervent and shows neither of them in costume. However, this animated favorite – based on Frank Miller’s acclaimed reimagining of Batman’s origin – has one of the most grounded and grittiest takes on Catwoman we have seen yet, portraying her as a sex worker from the seedier areas of Gotham City who turns to crime to help make ends meet. 

Anne Hathaway As Catwoman In The Dark Knight Rises

Of course, it is tough to deny how grounded and gritty Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway’s take on Selina Kyle in the final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy turned out to be. To be frank, I actually believe her consistently earnest and faithful approach to playing Catwoman as a conniving, ruthless femme fatale who finds she has a soft spot for Christian Bale’s Batman is one of the few reasons why 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises is worth revisiting. If there was ever a chance of her returning the role – which Hathaway said she would be game for – I would be game to see it.

Camren Bicondova As Selina Kyle On Gotham

There are plenty of reasons why fans love to revisit Gotham – the Batman prequel series that aired on Fox for five seasons – and its own take on Catwoman is certainly one of them. This version of Selina Kyle (played by Camren Bicondova before Lili Simmonds takes over in the series finale) is a teenage orphan who befriends a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and becomes his ally in the early days of his crusade against crime… when she is not dabbling in crime herself.

You may have taken notice of the fact that Halle Berry’s Razzie-winning performance in 2004’s Catwoman as Patience Phillips (not Selina Kyle) is nowhere to be seen on the list above. It was actually not until recently that I learned some audiences might take offense to her exclusion, as they find the portrayal to be exceptional and even important to the character’s legacy. Well, I am happy that they feel that way, but, personally, I am thankful for how dramatically different and more accurate to the source material the other Catwomen we have listed above proved to be.

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer will likely continue to stay in the TV history books as one of the best series to ever exist, its creator's legacy has certainly been tarnished as of late. The alleged on-set behavior of Joss Whedon, who was also head writer on the fantasy hit, has now been called out by star Charisma Carpenter, with Sarah Michelle Gellar and several others standing by her, in the wake of similar disturbing claims by Justice League star Ray Fisher. Now, fellow Buffy and Angel actress Eliza Dushku has joined those who've offered emotional support to Carpenter after her Whedon claims.

It was just a couple of days ago that Charisma Carpenter, who was a major part of both Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff, Angel, with her role of Cordelia Chase, came forward with her supposed account of how she was treated by the writer / producer, especially while pregnant on the latter series. Carpenter claims that Whedon "abused his power on numerous occasions" during her time on both sets, and now yet another star who worked with him on each series has come forward to support Carpenter. Here's what Eliza Dushku, who played vampire slayer Faith in the franchise, had to say on Instagram:

Even though Eliza Dushku admitted in her post that she hadn't know anything about what Charisma Carpenter reportedly went through while working with Joss Whedon, it's obvious that Dushku supports Carpenter's decision to come forward with what she alleges are the specifics of what happened on Buffy and Angel. Unfortunately, these kind of alleged abuses are something that Dushku knows about personally.

Two bombshells dropped about the actress' time on separate projects in 2018. In January of that year, Dushku herself came forward with allegations that, while she was working on the Arnold Schwarzenegger hit True Lies at 12 years old, she was molested by the movie's stunt coordinator, Joel Kramer. Then, in December of the same year, it was revealed (due to an investigation into former CBS chief Les Moonves and the overall "cultural issues at all levels of CBS") that Dushku was given a $9.5 million settlement by CBS after complaining about the on-set behavior of Bull star Michael Weatherly while she worked on the series, and then being fired.

Eliza Dushku wrapped her Instagram post by saying that it was her hope that others like Charisma Carpenter and Ray Fisher "feel the solidarity and connection you have likely missed for too long," because of being afraid to tell their stories, adding:

Hopefully, Eliza Dushku is correct, and more people coming forward with alleged abuse will, indeed, lead to profound changes where needed.

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Netflix has films that appeal to horror junkies, thrill-seekers, even hopeless romantics, and so many other movie genres. Its wide selection of movies is what makes it one of the most popular streaming services. And if you’re a fan of dance movies, then Netflix has plenty, including their latest film Work It.

Work It stars Sabrina Carpenter, Liza Koshy, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Jordan Fisher. The film follows teen Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) as she forms a new dance group in order to impress an admissions representative at Duke University. The film takes a similar path as other dance movies: a studious girl spends her entire high school life studying, then she discovers the power of dance. Work It has all the ingredients of a fun dance movie, including the learning how to dance montage.

If you’ve already watched Work It, and are now in desperate need of some more dance movies in your life, then I have a few suggestions.

Save The Last Dance

What It's About: Julia Stiles plays aspiring ballerina Sara, who moves to an inner-city after her mother dies in a car accident. Sara gives up her dancing dreams because of the accident, that is until she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who helps her find her love of dancing again.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Save the Last Dance are kindred spirits in that they are both about teen girls who find their rhythm while falling in love. Unlike Quinn, Sara has a dance background, so dancing is already part of her nature, but she also must learn the complicated hip hop dance style.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Rent It here.

Leap!

What It’s About: Leap! is an animated film featuring voice acting by Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff, and Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s about two orphans who run away to Paris. There, Félicie (Fanning) starts to train to become a ballerina.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Leap! is a lighthearted dance film that also revolves around someone who doesn’t have any formal dance training, but gets mentorship from a fallen expert. Félicie and Quinn both train and find their groove and achieve their dance dreams. For Quinn it’s winning the major Work It competition, for Félicie, it’s to perform alongside principal dancers.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Footloose

What It’s About: Dancing is outlawed in small-town Bomont, Oklahoma, but rebel Ren (Kevin Bacon) refuses to just live a life without dancing and rock music. Footloose’s cast includes Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The original film was released in 1984, and a remake was made in 2011.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Footloose and Work It highlight the power of dance and its symbolic tie to freedom and passion.The teens in Work It and Footloose discover their true identities through dancing.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

Center Stage

What It’s About: Center Stage follows several young dancers as they try to prove themselves at a prestigious dance academy. It details the personal and professional struggles they undergo to be considered one of the best ballet dancers. Much of Center Stage’s storyline revolves around Jody (Amanda Schull) not quite fitting the dance mold, but having a strong desire to prove herself. Center Stage’s cast includes Zoe Saldana, Peter Gallagher, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Susan May Pratt.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Center Stage both include a cast of real professional dancers, as most of the main cast of Work It has experience in dancing as well as acting. Jordan Fisher even won Dancing with the Stars. Both films are also underdog stories told in the dance world.

Stream on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Battle

What It’s About: Battle is a Norwegian drama about Amalie (Lisa Teige), a rich girl who has her life turned upside down when her father loses his entire fortune. Amalie and her father have to move to a rougher area. Amalie still keeps her dance dreams, but ends up practicing in a free dance studio where she meets Mikael (Fabian Svegaard).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Battle very much feels like a Norwegian Saved the Last Dance, so it’s all about a girl who is used to structured dancing finding a passion for hip-hop and the cute guy who instructs her. Work It also feels like a younger sibling to Save the Last Dance in how it takes a girl used to structure and discipline and allows her to find the beauty of listening to her heart and the beat.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Dirty Dancing

What It’s About: Dirty Dancing is a romantic movie about a resort dance instructor falling for one of the girls vacationing there. Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) get to know each other and start to fall in love through dancing, but Baby’s father doesn’t trust Johnny, especially because he comes from a working-class family.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It plays up how Quinn and Jake (Jordan Fisher)’s attraction grows every time they dance together. Dirty Dancing and Work It demonstrate the seductive nature of dance and how it can create authentic chemistry between people.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

You Got Served

What It’s About: You Got Served is a dramedy about a street dance crew that battles other hip hop dancers. The dance crew has ups and downs before they try to win the big prize at the major dance competition hosted by MTV. You Got Served’s cast mainly consists of B2K band members, including Marques Houston, Omarion Grandberry, J-Boog Houston, Raz-B Thornton, and Lil Fizz Frederic. Steve Harvey also appears in the film as Mr. Rad, the owner of the club where many of the dance battles take place.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: You Got Served is a bit more serious than Work It but they’re both overall fun dance movies that don’t take themselves too seriously. Each film also has the power of friendship and being there for one another as one of the driving themes.

Stream it on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Dance Academy: The Comeback

What It’s About: Dance Academy was an Australian teen series that aired from 2010 to 2013. In 2017, it had a continuation movie that followed some of the main characters from the series trying to make it in the dance world. The Dance Academy: The Comeback cast includes Xenia Goodwin, Alicia Banit, Jordan Rodrigues, Dena Kaplan, Thomas Lacey, and Keiynan Lonsdale.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It had a subplot about ambitious dancers trying to prove themselves to get into top-notch dance programs and universities. If Work It only focused on that aspect, then it would probably have a more similar plot to Dance Academy: The Comeback about the journey of young dancers. Both films also share Lonsdale as an actor.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Fame

What It’s About: Fame follows a group of New York City teens as they attend a performing arts school. It follows the students from freshmen to senior year. The Fame cast includes Gene Anthony Ray, Irene Cara, Debbie Allen, and Lee Curreri.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Fame depicts various art forms and shows the obstacles that come with being an artist. It mixes these issues with typical teen problems, like meeting parental standards. Work It dealt with Quinn’s struggle to please her mother, while also feeling the draw towards dance. Fame and Work It share in that they don’t just address the struggles of a career n the arts, but also typical teen everyday difficulties.

Rent it here.

Bring It On

What It’s About: Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) has just become the cheer captain of the cheerleading squad the Toros. The Toros have won multiple national titles, but Torrance learns that they have won most of them by stealing dance moves from the Clovers team. Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union also star. Bring It On later inspired a franchise of sequel films.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Bring It On is more of a cheerleading movie than a dance one, but they both deal with characters who have to start from scratch and find their own style of dance to compete on a grand scale level against a much better team.

Rent it here.

Strictly Ballroom

What It’s About: Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote Strictly Ballroom, an Australian romantic comedy about Scott (Paul Mercurio), a professional ballroom dancer who loses his partner and must train a newbie, Fran (Tara Morice) to compete in a major championship.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: If you were charmed by Quinn and Jake’s dance romance, you’ll be even more dazzled by Fran and Scott’s love story. Strictly Ballroom is a quirky dance movie that has a similar tone to Work It in its playful nature, but also passion and excitement for dance.

Rent it here.

Step Up

What It’s About: Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan star in Step Up as Tyler and Nora, two dancers from different backgrounds forced to pair up. Of course, after a combative partnership, they learn to understand each other and work together, and also fall in love. Step Up eventually had five spin-off films (and counting).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Step Up and Work It both highlight how dancing can break down barriers and help people form bonds. They show how dance is universal and how the combination of dance styles leads to really fun final dance numbers.

Rent it here.

Billy Elliot

What It’s About: 11-year old Billy Elliot dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Billy has to hide that he takes lessons because his father and brother disapprove of his dream. Jamie Bell plays Billy.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Billy finds himself not being supported by his father because of how a boy ballet dancer will look to others. Quinn faces some similar parental disapproval from her mother, who believes she should just focus on her school work. Billy Elliot and Work It both end with the parents seeing the error of their ways and learning to support their children’s passions.

Rent it here.

Flashdance

What It’s About: Jennifer Beals plays Alex, a young woman who dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Flashdance and Work It both focus on young women who have no professional dance training, but their determination allows them to try (and succeed) to compete when they go up against more seasoned professionals. Both films are also about taking chances, even when the odds seemed stacked against you.

Rent it here.

Work It is a cheery dance movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, allowing it to hit the right notes and beats. The films on this list have a similar love of dance spirit.

Stream Work It on Netflix.

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While it’s a movie that still stings writer/director Kevin Smith just a little bit when mentioned, Jersey Girl is still a movie that the man behind the various films in the View Askewniverse holds near and dear to his heart. And if it wasn’t for a very important suggestion, it sounds like Smith would have cast none other than Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back co-star Eliza Dushku in the very role that would have went to Jennifer Lopez.

It was during Kevin Smith’s recent double feature watch party, which ran both Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Jay And Silent Bob Reboot, that he admitted this near-casting with the following story on his Twitter account:

As much as it was easy for Kevin Smith and cameoing co-star Carrie Fisher to bond over a pair of beaver chairs, all it took was a very sly reference to the very recent Bring It On to put Eliza Dushku on the short list for a Jersey Girl role. And that would have been a pretty different movie from the one that audiences saw in the end, as Ben Affleck’s suggestion that his then-girlfriend play the role of his on-screen wife would define the rest of this movie’s history.

Just as Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s breakup became fodder for the headlines, Jersey Girl found itself released to crowds that weren’t exactly thrilled with what it had to offer. Outside of the fact that its on-screen romance was tinged by very off-screen image shifts, the 2004 movie wasn’t what folks expected from the man that taught the world how to Stink Palm. So while some might have said that the box office for Jersey Girl was put on ice thanks to the curse of Bennifer, it wasn’t entirely the truth.

Thinking of how Eliza Dushku could have played Jennifer Lopez’s character in Jersey Girl does set one’s mind into motion about how things could have played out differently. Not only would Kevin Smith’s comfort level with the actor have been a plus in the production process, the avoidance of romantic baggage between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s breakup might have saved the film some of the ire it unjustly drew.

As the current chain of events stand, Jersey Girl tanked, but Kevin Smith kept on trucking into the future of his career through various other films that would take him in and out of his View Askewniverse. And as for Eliza Dushku’s career, she would go on to star on the cult classic series Soul Survivor and Dollhouse, as well as reunite with Smith for Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! in 2013.

Some would say that these sorts of things happen for a reason, and for all we know, there might be room in the future for Eliza Dushku and Kevin Smith to reunite yet again. If there’s anything that Jay and Silent Bob Reboot has proven, it’s that Smith’s really good at the whole reunion thing.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is available to rent or own on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD; while the legacyquel Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is also available through such means, as well as currently being streamed on Prime Video with membership. And if you’re so inclined, Jersey Girl is currently available for streaming on HBO’s various digital platforms.

Bull actress Eliza Dushku was paid a $9.5 million settlement by CBS, after complaining about show lead Michael Weatherly's behavior and then subsequently being written off the show. Her confidential settlement is only coming to light now due to a larger investigation connected to claims against CBS's former chief Les Moonves and the larger "cultural issues at all levels of CBS."

The New York Times shared details on Eliza Dushku's experience on the Bull set. She was initially hired for three episodes starting in spring 2017, and that was supposed to lead to a full-time role in the cast.

Eliza Dushku told investigators how behavior from Michael Weatherly led her to feel uncomfortable -- like saying "Here comes legs" when she was wearing a suit; saying in front of the crew that he would bend her over his leg and spank her; making jokes about having threesomes (that the crew picked up on and continued); and joking about taking her to his "rape van" on set.

Eliza Dushku approached producer Glenn Gordon Caron with her concerns, and they agreed that she should talk to Michael Weatherly. So she did, and told him that since everyone loves him on set, they follow his lead -- bringing up the example of how someone one the crew made a threesome comment to her after he did.

According to the New York Times report on the investigation, Michael Weatherly followed that talk with a text to David Stapf, the president of CBS Television Studios, saying he wanted to talk about Eliza Dushku's sense of humor. Stapf replied that she made Bull a better show.

Eliza Dushku told her reps at that point that she was worried that Michael Weatherly would try to get her fired. Just days after their talk, Dushku was indeed written off the show, with the plan to make her a full-time cast member scrapped. Caron reportedly told her, via the interview notes used in the investigation, that he "didn't know how to write" her into the show anymore.

Eliza Dushku and her team responded by entering into mediation with CBS. Outtakes from Bull were used at first to try and back CBS's case, because they reportedly showed Dushku cursing on set. But the outtakes ended up capturing some of the alleged harassment on tape, which helped Dushku's lawyers in their case. The investigators called out CBS's failure to recognize the instances of harassment that were caught on tape, calling it a symptom of the larger problems at CBS.

A settlement agreement was reached in January, with Eliza Dushku prohibited from discussing what happened in exchange for $9.5 million. Dushku had initially been hired at $35,000 an episode, but that figure was meant to increase significantly when she continued on the show as a regular cast member. The $9.5 million was based on how much she was meant to make after four seasons on the show.

In a statement to The Times, CBS confirmed the settlement and vowed to improve working conditions:

Michael Weatherly also shared a statement with the New York Times on his alleged behavior:

Michael Weatherly was a star of NCIS for 13 seasons before joining Bull, where he plays Dr. Jason Bull. Eliza Dushku is probably still best known for her role as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but she's also known from her roles on Tru Calling, Dollhouse, True Lies, and voice work for video games.

Bull Season 3 is currently airing on CBS. Here's what else is still airing in the fall 2018 season, and what's ahead for midseason 2019.

Eliza Dushku is a married woman. And she has been a married woman for nearly one month now. As the actress revealed on the eve of her one month wedding anniversary on her Instagram page, she got married in private late in the summer, and she's only sharing the wedding photos to her fans now. You can be sure to check out the collection of nuptial photographs below, which show the former Buffy actress during the ceremony and embarking on the next stage of her life in marriage. As you can see in the well-photographed collection below, it was an extremely intimate affair, which probably explains why nobody outside of her closest friends and family likely knew about it. Or, if there was an announcement, it wasn't commented on much.

While it wasn't a public service, it was definitely a beautiful occasion, filled with great weather, beautiful locales and many smiles, if these photos provide a proper indication. The actress has been good about keeping her private life and her public life separate, which is apparent by how private this wedding was. Nevertheless, it's impressive that pretty much nobody knew about this wedding until a good month after it happened, and it wasn't news that was leaked by TMZ or anything like that. Instead, it was announced by the television actress herself, and she seems to be deeply drunk on love right now. Many congratulations are in order for Eliza Dushku and her new husband, real estate executive Peter Palandijan, on their marriage!

The wedding took place at the Boston Public Library, and it serves as the actress' first marriage. In addition to her work on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Eliza Dushku is known for her work on Dollhouse, as well as in Bring It On. Most recently, she made a memorable turn in the final season of Banshee. She's a well-established actress with years upon years of work under her belt, and it seems like marriage is the next step for her personal life. We're happy to know that this big change in her life is treating her well so far and that she is welcoming marriage with open arms as she embarks on this new path.

Recently, though, Eliza Dushku hasn't been working much on the screen, either big or small. She was last seen in the TV movie The Saint in 2017, and was also in the horror mystery Eloise that same year, along with a three-episode run on the CBS procedural drama Bull. But, she hasn't had any projects appear in 2018 and doesn't seem to have any lined up for the immediate future. And, it seems like a quieter, married life away from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood is what the actress would prefer right now. That's certainly understandable, and we're happy to know that she seems to be happy and doing well in this new stage of her life. Celebrity life isn't easy, but we're glad that she was able to get married on her own terms, and that she was able to announce the nuptials when she felt like it, which was this past weekend. Congrats!

It has been a few days since Eliza Dushku took to social media to share a story about when she was molested as a young actress in Hollywood on the set of the famous movie True Lies, which was directed by James Cameron. The man who hurt her was allegedly the stunt coordinator on the movie, Joel Kramer, and although Dushku at the time did tell some of the adults in her life about the incident, it doesn't seem as if any of the stars of the movie knew at the time. Responding to a tweet from fellow actor Tom Arnold, who also appeared in True Lies and seemed genuinely shocked by the news, Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke out about Eliza Dushku telling her story. The former governor said:

Hearing that something horrible may have happened right under your nose is never the best feeling, and in a tweet Arnold Schwarzenegger makes it known that he would have been there for then 12-year-old Eliza Dushku had he been aware of the situation, which allegedly involved Joel Kramer inviting Dushku to use the pool at his hotel. When she got there, she says he took his clothing off and molested her. Tom Arnold explained that he himself would also have tried to do something for the actress had he known about what Dushku says went on during the making of True Lies, as would other co-star Jamie Lee Curtis and director James Cameron, who previously made a statement on his own, saying,

The stunt coordinator, Joel Kramer, has since responded to Eliza Dushku's comments, telling The Wrap that he was "just shocked" and had "never sexually assaulted her." The stunt coordinator, who most recently worked on Blade Runner 2049, was let go by the Worldwide Production Agency following Eliza Dushku's allegations. Other people who worked with or were close to Eliza Dushku during the True Lies time period have also spoken out to explain what they knew at the time.

Eliza Dushku continued working in the industry following True Lies and was later known for playing tough-as-nails characters on programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse. She most recently guest starred on the CBS drama Bull for a three-episode stint and appeared in the TV movie The Saint.

Over the weekend, Eliza Dushku became the latest celebrity to speak out about being harmed by a male co-worker on the set of True Lies a movie she filmed when she was only 12-years-old. In a detailed post, she said she had been molested by stunt coordinator Joel Kramer during the making of the film and that after the incident, which occurred in a hotel room, she continued to have to work with the stunt coordinator. Now, True Lies director James Cameron has responded about the incident at TCA, noting he wasn't aware at the time but that there would "have been no mercy" had he known. He said:

There are a lot of moving parts that need to come together to make a movie work. The director has a key hand in a lot of these things, including making decisions on the fly. But although a director is ultimately responsible for the final product, he or she isn't necessarily aware of every single thing happening on -- and off -- of the set each day. Retrospectively, James Cameron can look back and wish he had known more on the set of True Lies, but that wouldn't change what already happened. Really, a person can only look to make things better in the future.

During the TCA event on Saturday (via People), James Cameron also expressed his feelings on Eliza Dushku speaking out about her experience on the set of True Lies.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Eliza Dushku said that Joel Kramer had taken her back to his hotel room on the pretense of letting her use the pool. Reportedly, he then put a movie on and headed into the bathroom, emerging naked a few minutes later. According to the actress, he then rubbed himself all over her before intimating Dushku should keep what happened a secret. She said she told people involved in her life at the time, but that even adults like her parents were unsure how to handle what happened. She continued working with Joel Kramer on the set of True Lies after the alleged incident.

It's a tough story to read through, and Eliza Dushku is one of many who have come out in recent months as Hollywood has continued to work to clean up behavior that was long swept under the rug and not really spoken of in the industry. We'll keep you updated as more stories and experiences emerge.

Eliza Dushku has been in the acting business for a long time. She'd already appeared in a couple of movies as a child actress before she booked a gig on the movie True Lies in 1994. At the time, she was 12 years old, and the actress recently recounted that her experience on set wasn't exactly the stuff of Hollywood dreams. Instead, she says she was working on the movie when the stunt coordinator, Joel Kramer, with full permission from her parents, brought her back to his hotel room on the pretense of using the hotel's pool.

She reports she went up to his room, where they were supposed to eat sushi---her first sushi meal, in fact. Instead, she says he put the movie Coneheads onto the TV, cranked up the air conditioner and disappeared into the bathroom. When he re-emerged, she says he was naked. But that wasn't the worst of what was to come. She noted,

In the aftermath of the incident, he reportedly took her home in a taxi, where she says he became aroused again. In the time following, she continued to work on True Lies, although she says Joel Kramer grew distant. She says she told her parents, her brother and two other adults about what had happened, but in 1994 no one seemed to know how to cope with what had happened or have a clear game plan about what to do.

She says she decided to speak out now because she felt the time is right, as she would like to liken herself to some of her most popular characters like Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Faith, Bring it On's Missy and Dollhouse's Echo.

Joel Kramer is still working in the industry, most recently working as a stunt coordinator on Blade Runner 2049. If you'd like to read the entire post from the actress you can head over to Facebook, where her story is shared in full.

Eliza Dushku first made a name for herself on the small screen way back in the 90s as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has since gone on to star in a variety of series, many of them featuring a sci-fi twist. Now, fresh off the end of Banshee, the actress has signed on for a new role in another engaging genre. Assuming the project goes to series, Dushku will star was a dominating sorceress in a fantasy show based on a popular book series.

The series will follow the events of the book series called The Black Company. Written by Glen Cook, the series is comprised of ten books that chronicle the misadventures of the elite mercenary unit known as the Black Company. The unit does all kinds of dastardly deeds for those who can pay the right price, and they're the scourge of the land for many. When they learn of a prophecy stating that the "embodiment of good" has been reborn, the men are forced to re-evaluate their positions and their loyalties. Eliza Dushku will play The Lady, who is a dark and domineering sorceress who controls the Northern Empire, using the Black Company in a variety of ways to prevent losing her place on top. The prophecy will come as very bad news for The Lady.

The Black Company is being developed by Eliza Dushku and David S. Goyer, who is best known for his contributions to the superhero genre, including penning the screenplays for Batman Begins and Man of Steel. His series Krypton is currently awaiting a decision over at Syfy. Both Dushku and Goyer are slated to work as executive producers on the project, should it go to series. THR reports that no network is attached at this point. Given the successes of other fantasy series like Game of Thrones and Outlander, the odds are pretty good that a new drama backed by significant names in showbiz will find a home somewhere on the small screen.

The project will pull elements from the books, although it is not currently known how faithful of an adaptation the prospective show would be. We can confirm that it would include details from the next book in the saga, Port of Shadows, which is scheduled for release in 2018 and will be set between the events of the first and second books.

We'll have to wait and see if The Black Company impacts Eliza Dushku's upcoming role on CBS' Bull. She signed on earlier this year to appear in three episodes of Bull Season 1, with an option to join the cast as a series regular in the future. If The Black Company moves forward, Dushku may not have time to tackle a major network series regular gig on top of her producing and starring duties for the new show.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest on new and developing TV shows. Don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere guide and our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations.

Eliza Dushku is a veteran of a number of small screen projects, and her biggest shows early on took place on network TV. She's still known to fans of Joss Whedon's works for her contributions to both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse, but she hasn't done much on broadcast TV in recent years. Now, she's poised to return to a major network for a role in one of the biggest new shows of the 2016-2017 TV season. Dushku landed a part on CBS' Bull.

On Bull, Eliza Dushku will play a lawyer by the name of J.P. Nunnelly. She's an intelligent attorney who can hold her own with the best in New York City, where she heads up the greatest and most highly sought-after criminal defense firm. Nunnelly will make her debut when Dr. Bull hires her to contribute to his team after one of the regular members faces the prospect of prison. The episode will air on May 9.

The actress is currently slated to appear in three episodes of the remainder of Season 1, according to Deadline. Assuming all goes well with Eliza Dushku's first few appearances and there's room in the story, CBS has the option to bring her in as a series regular in the future. Given that the network recently renewed Bull (and a whole slew of other CBS series), there is at least one more guaranteed season for Dr. Bull and Co.

A lot likely depends on how well Eliza Dushku can fit into the existing dynamic of Dr. Bull's team. The mystery team member may only be facing prison for a brief stint, so J.P. Nunnelly may need to make a big impression as quickly as possible if she's going to work well with the crew. Bull could probably use another lawyer on the side of the good guys for another point of view, and an attorney coming from a successful criminal defense firm would certainly provide a different legal outlook.

All things considered, J.P. Nunnelly sounds like a big departure from Eliza Dushku's past TV gigs. She's probably best known for her portrayal of Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer on The WB and Echo on Dollhouse on Fox. She's currently coming off of a recurring role on Cinemax's Banshee, and she's appeared in other cable series over the years, including White Collar and The League. Her Bull appearance will mark her first return to network television since she played an FBI agent in a single episode of The Big Bang Theory back in 2010.

Tune in to Bull on Tuesday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS to catch Eliza Dushku in her debut as J.P. Nunnelly. Check out our midseason TV premiere schedule and summer TV premiere guide to see your other viewing options, and don't forget to drop by our rundown of the big TV cancellations and renewals so far in 2017.

You almost can’t have a teen movie without having cheerleaders in it. I mean, really, how can you talk about jocks without the ultimate jock enablers being a large part of the picture? Fifteen years ago, audiences were treated to the definitive cinematic word on all things cheerleading, Bring It On. Along with your typical teenaging-is-so-hard storylines, the film also managed to deal with classism, prejudice, and homosexuality, so, hey, not bad for a teen movie about cheerleaders battling for a championship. But the cast also got up to some behind the scenes shenanigans that ended in arrest.

Cast members Gabrielle Union (Isis), Kirsten Dunst (Torrance), Jesse Bradford (Cliff) and Eliza Dushku (Missy) reunited to talk to about their experiences making the teen film, and Yahoo Movies boiled the info down to the essential dirt we all want to know. As people in their twenties will sometimes do, many of the cast members of Bring It On felt the need to cut a little loose between days of filming. And, as any young person within a few hours drive of the border is wont to do, some of them, including Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford, headed for good old Mexico to get their rocks off. And things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Bradford relayed the story of an apparently wild time in Mexico with his cast mates that led to them all spending time in the slammer. That’s right, jail. In Mexico.

Bradford managed to reveal this information without throwing anyone under the Mexican-jail bus, and without giving up major details like what they did or how long it took them to get carted off the pokey. Eliza Dushku did, however, make sure that everyone knows they were not your typical spoiled actor types who got thrown in jail in a foreign country and then panicked, made everything worse, and had to be bailed out by a squad of agents, handlers, and film producers. Oh no, these actors handled their own business. Check out the full interview below.

So, a warning to anyone starring in a movie that films anywhere near Rosarito, Mexico. Watch yourself. Or, if you can’t, be prepared to bust out some Clover style moves to convince a judge to let you go. Because, you know, how else could a bunch of actors gotten out of a jam like that so fast and with so little scandal?

Bring It On went on to be a surprise hit and even led to four direct-to-video sequels, making it (probably) the only cheerleading movie in history to spawn such a huge cult following. For the actors involved in this cheerleading saga, though, they have more memories than just being part of a huge hit. 

Eliza Dushku has landed herself a new television gig. The Leap Year and Dollhouse actress has joined the remake of the popular past British TV series The Saint, a backdoor pilot that will pitch to the networks after shooting. The actress often plays a tough figure, but this time around, she’ll play a character living out a romance.

Dushku is set to play Patricia Holm, a young woman who has a rocky relationship with Simon Templar, the criminally-inclined star of The Saint. Just a few days ago, we reported Hunted's Adam Raynor was set to star in the pilot, and his character is based on the Roger Moore TV series from the sixties and the Val Kilmer movie that came in the late nineties, among others. If you are unfamiliar with either endeavor, Templar has sort of the “rob from the rich and give to the poor” personality, which may seem noble to some, but still gets him into trouble with the law on many occasions. I’m guessing this will make it difficult for him to romance the lovely Ms. Holm, as well.

According to Deadline, Moore himself will have a bit of a say in The Saint pilot, having signed on as a co-producer. Additionally, Brad Krevoy, Jesse Alexander, and Roman Viaris will executive produce. Alexander will be even more hands on with the pilot, having written the script and running the gig as showrunner. Although The Saint is a backdoor pilot, the wheels are already in motion, with production set to begin this Friday. TV Blend will keep you posted if this one land's a network home.

In the ongoing war between Marvel and DC for comic book supremacy, when one super power releases a new piece of promotional material, it is usually met with an equally interesting tidbit from the other camp. For example, if DC were to release the first teaser for Beware the Batman, the new animated series featuring the caped crusader, Marvel might retort with news that one of Joss Whedon's leading ladies is voicing the She-Hulk for Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.. Let's just put it this way, don't mention Dollhouse around Marvel's animation studios because you might make Eliza Dushku angry and you wouldn't like Eliza Dushku when she's angry.

Yes, the star of Whedon's short lived spy drama will be voicing the She-Hulk in Marvel's animated Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.. Dushku's casting in the highly anticipated series is especially timely because of her connection with Joss Whedon, the director of Marvel's The Avengers, what is likely to be the blockbuster of the summer, even with competition like The Hunger Games and The Dark Knight Rises. Adrian Pasdar revealed Dushku's casting in an interview with IGN when discussing his recurring role as the voice of Iron Man on the new animated Ultimate Spider-Man series. Pasdar is certainly no stranger to superheroes, starring in NBC's Heroes and voicing Tony Stark for a few animated projects (not to mention stints as Hawkeye and Captain America). He began working as Iron Man for the Marvel Anime: Iron Man series and in the interview mentions how Mr. Stark will be guest starring on Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. which is, of course, how he is also aware of Eliza Dushku's casting as She-Hulk.

The slip came when Pasdar began musing about the difference between their appearance on-screen and off, "If people were to actually visit these animation rooms and see the guys and the girls that are doing it, with the exception of Eliza, who's a stunning beauty, the rest of us, we don't look quite as good as the animation characters they draw for us." And jumping right on the name-drop, the interview continues with the actor mentioning how he's been doing voice-work with Dushku on Hulk a few days and that, "she does She-Hulk." Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. has no premiere date as of yet but with Paul Dini the driving creative force bring the project, I have high hopes for the series set to feature Hulk, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar and A-Bomb (among some other superhero cameos, obviously). And, a final note on Dushku's involvement, according to the article, Marvel TV head Jeff Leob said at New York Comic-Con that "She-Hulk has some of the best lines in the show." She'll likely also have the best curves. SHE-HULK SMASH!

If you’ve been wondering all these years why there was never a Faith-centered Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff series, Eliza Dushku finally dishes the dirt on why the project never came to pass.

Personally, I had no idea that such a spinoff was ever an option, but then again I didn’t jump on the Buffy bandwagon until after the series was cancelled. Apparently there were rumors that there was going to be a spinoff series focusing on the Faith, the bad-girl slayer who seemed somewhat redeemed when Buffy wrapped up its seventh and final season but it never happened.

According what Dushku said in a recent interview posted by SFX, there were a number of factors that led to the project being scrapped.

Dushku went on to say that while she loves Tim Minear, Whedon’s unavailability to do the project was a contributing factor. She also wanted to explore other characters. Dushku admitted that, while she doesn’t regret the decision to move on with her career and leave Faith behind, she does think talks could have gone on a bit longer.

I’d say that her initial decision not to pursue future Faith projects was a good one. As much as I loved both Buffy and Angel, when I think of a Faith-centered series, I picture Dushku rescuing and mentoring other misguided wild-child girls and giving them speeches about how she too once lived recklessly and it led to bad things. I like how her character was fleshed out in Angel and then resolved somewhat in the final season of Buffy. I don’t think her story needed to go any further than that.

What do you think? Would a Faith series been an excellent Buffy/Angel spinoff? Or do you think it would’ve been disastrous?

I have no doubt that the die-hard Whedonites out there have already pre-ordered their copies of Dollhouse: Season 2, which hits Blu-ray and DVD October 12th. But if haven't, now might be the time, at least if you like free stuff.

If you pre-order Dollhouse: Season 2 via the Fox Connect website, you'll get a free lithograph poster from Comic Con. Even better, enter the code "Echo" and you'll get free UPS Ground Shipping and a 10% discount toward your purchase. The offer only lasts through August 15th, so click on over to the Fox Connect website if you're interested. And remember, you have to enter the code "Echo" to get the goodies.

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse has not exactly been a hit for Fox, even though the network has apparently promised that they won't cancel the show before the season is over. Still, that isn't stopping the show's star Eliza Dushku from looking into her other options.

According to MTV, Dushku is reminding everyone that she might make a great Wonder Woman if the movie ever happened. "It wouldn't disturb me if it became a reality. At this point, it's been so hyped up it that it would be a challenge. But like I said, I'm not one to take the easy road. I like a challenge."

The word "challenge" is key here, given that Dushku isn't exactly a giant star as a result of Dollhouse, and Whedon spent years trying to get a Wonder Woman movie off the ground with no success. Really, this seems more like a pipe dream than even something as substantial as a casting rumor.

Dollhouse’s second season only arrived last Friday, but this week actress/producer Eliza Dushku chatted with journalists, and we’ve got the full transcript for you below. Scroll on down to learn how her approach to playing Echo has changed, what it’s like working with Summer Glau, and how she might owe her career to a judge who happened to be a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Dollhouse airs Friday nights at 9/8c on FOX.

How do you feel the direction of this season is different from the last one?

Well, there’s so much being cracked open and explored, especially with Echo having this new place that she’s in, in terms of what we picked up from last year. She had all of the personalities downloaded into her in one swift punch, and they’re not going away. So, she’s still tapping into these personalities. Sometimes it’s not in her control, and other times it is. Overall, she’s really absorbing things from her engagements, and from the Dollhouse, and she’s really becoming self-aware – not necessarily as Caroline, but as Echo, as her own person. So it’s definitely complicated.

It’s a little darker all around. We’ll explore some of the things, the origins of some of the other dolls and the other characters. And then bringing in a bunch of guest stars and fabulous people, so there’s a lot of exciting stuff happening with those things as well.

What trouble will Echo run into in her attempts to save everyone?

I’m sure every kind and all kinds, because it’s a Joss Whedon show. We’re starting episode seven, and there are so many directions and so many layers. It’s all over the map. Of course, a main storyline is Agent Ballard, who spent last season trying to get into the Dollhouse, and now that he’s in and Echo’s handler, he’s working with her, and they may possibly be trying to bring the Dollhouse down from the inside out.

Also, we get some backstory for Adelle and her superiors, and other Dollhouses around the country and around the world, just to give you an idea of how big the Rossum Corporation is. And Summer Glau will join us and play a programmer from the D.C. Dollhouse, and we’ll get an idea of the way the other houses are being run.

How does a Watertown girl become Joss Whedon’s muse?

That’s such a funny, good question, and I have no idea. I literally remember when I made my audition tape for Buffy. I went to the Arsenal Mall. I got my outfit at Contempo Casuals in the Arsenal Mall and put some safety pins in my jeans. I remember telling whoever the clerk was that I was making a tape for Buffy, and they were so excited. Then I was actually emancipated by a Boston judge who was also a Buffy fan, so I could go out to L.A. and shoot Buffy, which obviously dealt with vampires who come out at night, and I was still technically a minor. So I had a great judge that emancipated me so that I could come and do the show. I was already out of high school at that time. I guess I always have gotten by with a little help from my friends, Boston and everywhere.

What do you like about working with Joss and doing his shows?

I would say, first and foremost, that I just love the guy as a friend. He’s been a friend, a brother, a teacher, a mentor. The other, obviously, is just his talent. His skill is so beautiful to me, and he’s just wildly creative and smart and feminist and funny and dark and scary and twisted, and he just combines it all in such a sweet little package. He gets me every time.

So, for as great as the show is, and as talented as the cast is, and as clever as Joss and his team are, obviously you want people to watch the show. I’m just wondering, do you think Fox has put you in a position for that to happen, airing you on a Friday night after a comedy?

Well, I think they realized last year that people who want to find the show, did, and obviously there’s been a lot of talk about DVR and Tivo and how we really are alive for a second season because of that in a major way. So, I can see how they would say people found the show last year, and so we’re just going to leave it where it is and hope that that continues.

Also, ratings are obviously important, but having a professor for a mother, she always taught us about qualitative versus quantitative research, and I know that we’re making a quality show and that we have quality fans and people that come to experience something different and out of the ordinary. There are so many shows on TV that are instant hits, and we’re not that, but we have a core following, and I think that people that check the show out and aren’t intimidated by it, find themselves being sucked in pretty easily.

I mean, it’s sharp, intelligent fun. It’s sort of sometimes off-the-wall TV, and I know that when I’m spending an hour of my life sitting down to watch the boob-tube, I love getting a rich experience out of it, and I’ve always found that with Joss, in particular, and his shows. We just, we do our thing, and given the second season, we’re just so grateful to the fans, and we’re grateful to Fox for giving us another chance, and we’re making the most of it. We keep doing what we were doing.

You and Summer shot the promo last year. Your two shows then were fighting for the last spot in the lineup, and now she’s obviously a part of your show. What’s the dynamic like between you and her?

She’s great. I love her. We’ve had such a good time the last two episodes. She just has come in with her A-game. She’s just a sweet, positive, fun actress. She’s great to play off of. Our characters have some backstory that we have to fight out, and so that's a lot of fun. Also, anyone that is from Joss’ past and he’s bringing back, I assume he had a great working relationship with them. He wouldn’t bring any bad eggs into our house, so I always can pretty much safely know that we’re going to have the cream of the crop coming back and coming in.

You mentioned that Echo was kind of all over the place as a character. As an actor, how do you approach that?

She’s a full on schizophrenic.

As an actor, how do you find that throughline that you can grab onto when you’re playing the different parts that she plays?

It’s easier this year, because we don’t have as much of that sort of dumbed-down-doll Echo. First of all, the personalities, and now this core Echo being a sum of all these parts, including Caroline, but not really any of them. She’s Echo.

There’s something grounded in that, and there’s a strength in the personality that she’s forming through that. She’s sort of picking, pulling information from all of the different people that she’s been, and as a result, she’s sort of coming to understand and form her own ethics and morals.

But she’s absorbing, and she’s thinking, and she’s processing, and so whereas last year it was from dumbed-down doll to this singular imprint, and it was always different. This year, there’s – you never know, but you always know at the same time that there’s something going on inside Echo that’s not just what you’re seeing on the surface. So, it’s sort of a little more grounding in that way, and fun for me to play.

You guys had such a strong fan base, it seemed, before the show even premiered. Do you guys pay attention to the blog sites and what the fans are saying when you’re coming up with how to shape the episodes and the series?

I know that Joss and I, we’ve always paid attention to the fan love, and we love the fans right back, absolutely. I don’t know how much he takes tips from storylines from the fans. I mean, on the contrary, from what I’ve seen, when he sees someone falling in love with a character, he’s known to assassinate them or, you know, or do something terrible. So I think maybe that is a blessing in itself, so maybe yes. But he definitely has a mind of his own. Within the group of writers, they aren’t really conformists, I can confidently say. So whether it’s fans or critics or studios, for that matter, they do their best work when they’re sort of left alone and they reveal things as when they feel they should be revealed, and that goes for me and the other actors as well.

Sometimes it’s really exciting for me. I don’t want to know necessarily what’s going to happen in three episodes, because it may affect the way I’m playing Echo today. That thrill, that adrenaline from reading the next chapter and the next layer that Joss brings in is one of the most exhilarating things that I know as an actress.

Is there a particular role or character in an upcoming episode that you’re going to play that was hard for you to get into, and if so, why?

Let me think. Well, I’ll tell you, playing a mother was certainly something I hadn’t expected. You know, I’m an auntie, and I’ve always loved other people’s children and babies, but playing a mother and trying to tap into that maternal instinct was a challenge, but also a thrill, and a beautiful thing. You’ll have to let me know how you think I did after this week’s episode. Mother was harder than serial-killer sorority girl, I can tell you that. Maybe that tells you something about me.

Was there anything funny or unusual that happened on the set, like behind the scenes while filming, that you could tell me about

Trying to breastfeed someone else’s baby is difficult. I’ll just leave it at that. When you’re not an actual mother, and trying to breastfeed a baby is harder than it looks.

This season, because Echo is a little bit more self-aware, but has sort of got fragments going on through her, is that easier or harder to play when she thought she was entirely one person?

Well, that’s sort of touching on that with the few questions ago. There’s something a little more grounded about it. I mean, when the pieces start to fall apart, and when she starts to be taken over by a memory that she can’t control, I think it’s difficult. But at the same time, there’s that processing going, and there’s that authentic self that’s holding on and keeping her from completely losing it and from completely being controlled by the personalities. She’s starting to gain control of the personalities, and there’s something grounding about that and something really strong about that. For me, I find it a little – I don’t know if it’s easier. It’s more complex, so I enjoy it more, I guess, because there’s more going on besides just blank-slate doll and engagement Echo. There’s Echo, who is a sum of all the parts.

When you get a script going, “now she’s flashing on this,” do you sit down with the script and break it down as to how aware Echo is, or do you just sort of do the scene and see what feels right in how to play it?

No, we’re absolutely breaking it down more this year, because those realized moments are so much stronger. I definitely would not say it’s been easier. It’s actually been deeper work for me, but again, deeper work for me is more interesting and more challenging to play. I have to say, it’s been a blessing this year to also be shooting on HD, because we have more time. I get to spend a lot more time with the material and with these characters and with these glitches, and so I feel like that’s paying off for me a lot this year. I feel like my performance has gotten stronger and even more honest.

Even in that first episode with Jamie Bamber, when we had the scene in the office where it goes from him catching me and then bashing my head off the table and then me sort of in the backspin, in that tailspin. I sort of famously now burst into tears in the middle of that scene, because it was just so emotional, and I now feel this real connection that came from the inception of the show.

And Joss and I making this character a little bit based on me, where it’s this struggle, this battle of who am I, and even with all the pressures of society and things pouring in on me, where does that break, and where is my authentic self? How it feels to stand in that and to live in that. So, it’s very personal and very exciting and terrifying and gratifying.

You talked before about how this show kind of reflects your experiences as a woman and trying to be all the people that people want you to be. Do you feel like Dollhouse is really about the experience of being an actor in particular, like in L.A.? Like people expecting you to fulfill their fantasies, and the dark side of that? Is that something you’re putting into it when you’re playing Echo?

Yes, I think there’s absolutely a layer or a few layers of that. When Joss and I had our infamous lunch, that was one of the threads and one of the themes, but I think it also translates to young women all over world. I remember my mother; I was the only girl in a family with three boys, and my mother did extensive reading about – I remember her reading this book called Reviving Ophelia, about adolescent girls and breaking the way young women are broken down at the early age in their teens. Where they’re starting to get hit from all sides by media and images and the way the men in their lives, their fathers and their peers, and everything starts to change. It’s like, the spirit of young women is so fragile and can be so toyed with and broken.

My mother was always really aware of that and really tried to fight against that, and to teach me to stand in my authentic self and be comfortable in my skin. With all of that research she did and applying it, it still haunted me, and at various times in my life has almost, has wounded me or come close to breaking me.

When I sat talking about that stuff to Joss, as a man, it’s so extraordinary that he taps into that in such a profound and intelligent way. I can’t think of anyone else that gets that or can create an entire fantasy show that encompasses such a universal and serious thing in our society. So, it’s absolutely parallel to me, and I also feel like to women all over the world.

I wanted to know how much closer Echo will get to rediscovering her true self this season?

Every single episode, it’s been a little bit more. We’re on seven now, and we have 13, and this next episode is very – this episode seven that we’re doing, we’ve been building. We have a real extreme. I’m scared to say too much, because the feeling I get when I read these scripts and I get the surprise of what’s next, I would never want to ruin for the viewers. But she really is becoming an entirely different character in many ways, because she is getting sort of farther away from Caroline, even though Caroline is still the initial, her original self. So Caroline is in there, but I think she starts to realize there are things about Caroline that she’s discovering are unsavory or are not Echo.

The development of the character of Echo now has just been so exciting and so fascinating, because when the way our writers and the way Joss can pick pieces from each of her experiences and weave them into this new character is just fascinating. So, you’ll absolutely see a whole new Echo this season.

I noticed in episode three, you’re imprinted with the personality of a college student. Does that trigger any memories of Caroline’s?

It does. You’ll have to watch the show. Definitely I start out as a college girl, but when an imprint goes sort of haywire, I spend more of the episode – I think it’s more serial killer than sorority girl. Also, I don’t think Echo, I don’t think Caroline was a sorority girl. She’s a college kid, but far from who Caroline was.

I’m sure Dollhouse has been keeping you busy, and yet you still find time to kind of squeeze in some features on hiatus. First of all, when was the last time you actually slept a night?

I slept this weekend! And it felt so good, because the weekend before I went to Italy for a day to see the Robert Mapplethorpe Exhibit at the Michelangelo Museum. I worked Friday night, slept a few hours, flew Saturday morning. And everyone is like, oh, it must be easy when you’re flying first class. I did not fly first class. We bought cheap tickets for under $1,000. We flew economy to Rome, took a train to Florence, and went to see this exhibit for some research [Eliza is producing The Perfect Moment, a biopic about artist Robert Mapplethorpe – Ed.]. It was definitely an exhausting weekend, and then I came right back to work, and we shot all day, but I signed up for it, and I just love it. It’s my drug, you know, and it’s just – I sleep when I find time. You know people say, I’ll sleep when I’m dead. I have too much to live for right now.

Right. Now, they just released a film that you did called Open Graves that kind of flew in under the radar. Can you kind of tell us a little bit about it?

It did. I shot Open Graves about two-and-a-half years ago. We shot the movie in Spain, and such is this business. There are some times movies don’t come together at the pace or with the expectation that was initially intended, so I actually haven’t even seen the movie. It premiered on SyFy the weekend I was in Italy, but I have yet to even watch it on my Tivo, and it was a cool experience. I was interested in working with the director, who had worked very closely with Pedro Almodovar, and I thought the script had some interesting and different sci-fi/horror twists to it. I enjoy working in that genre, but it never quite gelled into the movie that I had anticipated, but, you know, it happens. You keep going. You don’t quit. I certainly won’t quit horror and that genre forever.

How much of a factor does “Epitaph One” play into season two, because it wasn’t originally broadcast, but it was part of the DVD set, and Joss Whedon [has said] that he’d like to revisit that future. Could you tell me a little bit about that, please?

Absolutely. Yes, “Epitaph One” was so well done. I was so impressed. It brought me to tears. Truly, when Joss told me about it, I wondered how the hell he was going to do it, how he was going to pull it off, but I was just so impressed and so proud of him and everyone involved. I thought it was such a beautiful episode. I think it’s a shame that it didn’t air here. But the fact that it didn’t air sort of – the reason that we came back was that they didn’t want to end the story. Getting picked up for a second season, I feel like the network probably wanted to pick up where we left off.

I know that Joss had originally this season planned on weaving some of that into episode one, but there was so much to cover in the first episode. We had Amy Acker, who we’re not going to be able to have with us for the entire season, so we had Amy’s storyline, and we had to have a big, fierce engagement, and there was just a lot to do. It was a little bit too much. So we took it out of that, but I do know that Joss wants to splice in some stuff in the future episodes, and I love Felicia Day. I loved the way the future looked, as dark and terrifying it was. It was just so raw and so fascinating to me that I hope we see more of it.

Another thing Joss brought up was that this season Echo is going to be looking for allies and to form some kind of a team or a family based on all the memories that have been imprinted, and how she, as you noted, is changing this season. I was just wondering if you could give me any details in terms of specific characters or what Echo is looking for in a sense of sharing what she’s learned and also sharing a similar experience with other people.

Absolutely. She is looking for allies because, as she is becoming aware of her surroundings and what’s going on and all of these personalities that are creeping up and out of her, she’s also in an entirely vulnerable place. If the wrong person catches on to what she’s experiencing and what she’s remembering, she could very well be sent up to The Attic, and cancel Christmas. She could be done forever. She’s being very careful with the tools and the knowledge that she has gained to sniff out who she can trust, who she can manipulate, who she can use.

Agent Ballard was trying all last season to get in, and now he’s in, and he’s her handler, and I think it remains to be seen if he can be trusted. But in the beginning of the season, and actually the first episode, it seems like there’s a pretty strong connection there. Then, with the introduction of the other Dollhouse and some of the other players, it’s just makes more of a maze for Echo to navigate and to find her way through, realizing that one wrong, one bad step, and she’s done.

Dollhouse’s second season hits the airwaves this Friday, and to get you ready we’ve got the transcript from last week’s Joss Whedon conference-call interview. Check it out below to find out Joss’ tentative plans for the “Epitaph One” timeline, how Eliza Dushku helped create the concept for her character and the show, and how The Attic resembles an episode of Small Wonder.

How will Echo, and of course the many other characters she is flashing to, come into her own this season?

Basically, through force of will. She did have all those personalities dumped into her at once, and as we pick up, we’re going to find out that that’s starting to affect her. Rather than be at sea in between engagements, she’s much more directed and driven, and even in her Doll state is growing and learning and starting to try to access these personalities to see what they can help her with, because she has a mission that she understands now, which is to get back to her personality and get everybody back to theirs.

How many seasons do you see Dollhouse going for?

Dollhouse, the premise is limited, and I think by season 17, you’re really going to see us repeating ourselves.

Last season you began with a number of restating pilot episodes where you wanted to make sure that you could bring in new viewers. This season doesn’t begin with that sort of episode. Could you talk about how you approached the idea of new viewers following the show?

Well, we always try to make, especially in the first episode of the season, we try and make the premise clear enough so that if you haven’t been watching it, you don’t have to do a huge amount of math. There’s a lot of exposition in the first pilot, in the first episode of the season, to help that. But at the end of the day, you do have to go, “Well, if they don’t get the premise…” We’ve even rejiggered the opening credits to make it clearer. They’ll either become involved in these peoples’ stories or they won’t. You have to move slow enough so people can grab a hold and jump on with you, but you have to keep moving.

Do you have a pitch to new viewers on how to reintegrate themselves, or is the answer as simple as, “Watch the DVD?”

No, I think the answer would be more like, “Buy the DVD, and buy some for your friends.” Then have discussion groups where you buy more. Was there too much integrity in that response?

Can you tell us what Ray Wise is going to be playing and when we might see him first?

Ray Wise, I believe, will be appearing in episode six, and he’s going to be playing the head of another house, so he’s going to interact with young Olivia [Williams], and it should be very exciting.

My follow-up is actually for Dr. Horrible. That started as a homegrown effort for you guys, and has it stayed that way moving forward with all of the acclaim and success you’ve had?

The acclaim and success is not a problem for us. We’re totally comfortable with it. We are working on a follow-up. The question of whether it stays homegrown or whether it outgrows that is one that we ask ourselves. It doesn’t affect the storytelling. The story we want to tell is about the people, whether we do that on a shoestring, the way we did it for before, whether we do something bigger and invite other people into the process.

Is there a difference between having Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas [Both former writers for The CW’s Reaper – Ed.] on this season, as opposed to Sarah Fain and Elizabeth Craft?

There is enough of a difference in sensibilities to make it interesting, but not so much of a difference in quality as to make it problematic. They really are similar in that they are rock solid, very story driven, really good producers, and delightful to be around. But then, they have different obsessions, and they come up with things differently. I love and miss Liz and Sarah, but Tara and Michele have really brought a fresh eye to it.

How arced is the show going to be this season?

The show is going to be pretty arc-y. Clearly, what people responded to was the workings of the Dollhouse and the progression of the characters in it, and we’re going to honor that. At the same time, I’m very much of the mind that you do need to resolve something in an episode. You can’t just create a series of twists and turns. You need an episode to have a sense of completion, so there will still be engagements, or at least problems that need to be dealt with, but they will feed into the main arc as well.

Obviously, you can’t give too much away, but is any of [the storyline from unaired episode “Epitaph One”] going to factor in to Dollhouse, or are you just totally throwing it out?

No, no, we’re absolutely not throwing it out. It had originally been my intention to start in that era and then come back, but I just had too much information in my first episode. What we’re talking about doing is perhaps revisiting that timeline towards the end of the 13 in a similar fashion, but we’re also looking at the show through the lens of that episode and saying, “Well, this is taking us to a more global concept of how this power is used and abused.” That’s a lot of what informs the season. You don’t have to have seen it to understand that, but it helps if you do. I think it adds a layer.

Every television show should have an episode like that.

I think so. I want to know what post-apocalyptic future was caused by Two and a Half Men.

There were a lot of people who were worried that you might be cancelled after your first season. What do you think it was that convinced FOX to sign you on for another round, and hopefully longer?

I think it’s the nature of the business and the nature of the fan base. The nature of the fan base is, they’re in it for the long haul, and they’re nurturing, and they’re intense about it, and they will see it through. They will stick with it, and that means years after it’s cancelled. Firefly still sells, Buffy still sells, and that’s also a business thing for the studio. They’re in it for the long haul, because they know the long haul is how my work pays off. I don’t make hit shows. I make shows that stick around, that people come to long after they would have stopped generating revenue in the old system.

With the advent of DVD and the eventual monetization of online, there’s a market there that exists beyond your Nielsen numbers, and the fans showing up and DVRing, and buying a DVD, and proving on all my other projects that they don’t do these things lightly, that it runs deep in them, means that the base doesn’t have to be as broad for the studio to think it’s worth it to try and eke out another season.

I have read a couple of interviews with Eliza Dushku in which she talks about how she had a hand in developing her character. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about some of the ways in which she helped shape who Echo has become and will become.

Well, she really wants to dance burlesque. We keep forgetting to put that in. Eliza has specific things she’s interested in, specific things she feels comfortable with. Sometimes I like to go to that place, because I know that she can knock it out of the park, and sometimes I like to go in the opposite direction to take her out of her comfort zone, because that’s the best thing you can do with an actor.

The fact is, she shapes it because she is very specific as a person. She’s very specific in the way she presents, and even though there are many different aspects to that, people don’t usually get to see how funny she can be, how elegant. She doesn’t always have to play the tough girl, but she really just presents. It was a conversation about all of the different things she was supposed to be, or had been, or was trying to be, or trying to get away from that led to the creation of the show. It made me think, “Wait a minute. That’s what the show should be about.” So it wasn’t so much that she said, “I’d like to be the following things,” although we talked about what the characters are, it’s just that she is so many people that we pluck from them. She did go bow hunting. I understand, however, that she herself was not hunted.

Dollhouse deals with people manipulating emotions, and your upcoming film, Cabin in the Woods, it deals with people that deal with fears. Is there something about these themes that really sparks you?

The two pieces were written, or conceived, very far apart and then they ended up at the same time, which is awkward for me because it does seem like, “Well, he does like to do that.” But the fact of the matter is, I am obsessed with it. People are constantly being manipulated, and controlled, and conditioned, and lied to. I feel like it’s a valid thing to discuss and to use. “There is an evil corporation that is controlling your every thought as a concept,” [that] is something that is so not that far removed from how we live our lives in terms of socialization, and advertising, and our society. I can’t seem to get past it, because it does fascinate me. How do we create ourselves when society is telling us who to be?

Do you think there will be another one-off episode that will be exclusive to the season-two DVD of Dollhouse?

I don’t think we’ll have a DVD exclusive, because I don’t think anybody’s going to pony up the dough for it. But I do think we will be revisiting the world of “Epitaph One.”

You guys haven’t even probably thought far enough for the DVD, but what kinds of things can we expect as far as visiting the “Epitaph One” world?

We’re so fascinated by that world and really in love with the actors in it, and we also want to answer some of the questions we asked about. Where is everybody, come the future? Who’s doing fine and who didn’t make it? So, we keep trying to go back to the future and then realizing, no, it’s not time yet. It’s going to be towards the end of the season that we’ll be able to do that.

I’d like to know a little bit more about the relationships that are coming up this season – what it’s going to be like with Echo and Paul, and even among the Dolls this year?

Victor and Sierra just can’t keep their hands off each other. They’re like monkeys, and it’s something that we’re going to be treating, they’re going to be seeing through for a while. It makes some people very uncomfortable and sometimes it’s just extremely sweet. Sometimes it’s just funny.

But Echo is very much building herself, and she sees it as an indication that they’re ready to be pushed to a level like hers. She’s looking for allies, and Paul is the first person she’s going to turn to for that. A lot of the season is going to be her attempt to put together some kind of team, even though she has trouble articulating it at first. She’s looking for the sense of family that I think the audience was looking for last season. So, we’re going to be seeing who’s on her side and who, not so much.

I was really impressed with what Amy did in this premiere. Is Dr. Saunders going to factor in a little more in the season?

Dr. Saunders would factor in much more in the season had we not lost her to another show. She will factor in as much as we are allowed to factor her in, which is exactly three episodes worth. They will, however, be three extraordinarily memorable episodes.

Amy Acker is ridiculously talented, and the character’s dilemma is fascinating to us. We grit our teeth that we didn’t have the funds, or the support, or the success, to just make her a regular, and now we’re paying for it. It means that every time we have her on screen, we’ll squeeze every drop out of her that we can. We’re seizing the day. We just don’t get to seize as many of them as we’d like.

The guest-star lineup looks really impressive this season. You had Alan [Tudyk] on last season and Summer [Glau] this season. Are there plans to get the rest of Firefly on here at some point?

It’s a death match between Firefly and Battlestar and which of them is going to get all their people. The fact of the matter is, they’re people I admire and they’re people I know I love to work with, and this season I’m a lot less concerned with how the cast is perceived.

Last season, we felt like we wanted to make sure that this was new territory and that people didn’t think of it as just, “Oh, it’s just these faces and he’s doing his old thing.” Now I’m like, “I know these people can act,” and honestly, the people that are watching it are fans anyway. If they know who these people are, they’ll be thrilled. If they don’t, they’ll see good acting, so it doesn’t matter to me as much. So yes, I have no fear of throwing anybody that I have worked with or just want to work with in anytime I can.

What ways are you going to stretch the parameters of the tech this season?

We’re going to stretch the tech fairly heftily. I actually can’t answer the question directly, because a lot of it has to do with the different ways in which this tech can be manipulated, and we’re going to see that it’s not all the simple chair treatments. There’s more that can be done, and the excitement and the danger of that is a large part of this season.

Can you talk about the casting of Summer and also what’s in store for her character?

The casting of Summer was based on the knowledge that Summer existed, and the character was created with the hopes that she would play it, which she is right on stage right now doing. She’s playing the programmer of another Dollhouse. It’s a somewhat eccentric part, but hopefully different than what we’ve seen her do before. The most useful part of that is that the writers work twice as hard to make sure that the character really pops and pays off, because they know it’s going to be played by somebody extraordinary.

Is it safe to assume that Summer’s character works at the same Dollhouse that Ray Wise runs?

I think that would be safe.

And is it safe to assume that that makes it a super-cool Dollhouse?

I would say much cooler than this lame one that I’m in.

We’ve got some glimpses at the back-story of some of the other characters like Sierra and Victor, but still a lot to fill in. Will we be delving into that more as the season progresses?

Yes, we will. We know how extraordinary those two performers are, and we are very curious about their stories, as much as we are about Caroline’s. So yes, we will definitely be seeing some episodes that highlight them and their pasts and where they’re heading.

Lastly, can you hint at all, we know that November/Mellie will be returning, but how she will return, since for her, it would seem that her time with the Dollhouse is over?

It would, wouldn’t it? I can’t tell you exactly how. I can tell you that she’ll be back early on and that we’re definitely not done with the character, and that probably means there’s going to be some pain involved. More than that, you’re going to have to wait for it.

You have a number of interesting guest stars in the new edition of the season, in addition to Summer. Can you tell me a little bit about Jamie Bamber’s character and a little bit about Alexis [Denisof] as a senator? I think I read he’s trying to shut down the Dollhouse.

Yes, he’s got his own crusade going. He’s a very different person than Paul, but he’s in a similar position except that he’s gone public with it. How much the Dollhouse loves a senator who has gone public with an attack on them, we will find out in later episodes. But he’s not the Paul of the season, because he’s going to have a different set of problems thrown at him, but he has a similar vibe, in terms of he’s very tenacious and righteous. Then, I forget what the other part was?

Jamie Bamber, I read that Bamber marries Echo early on in the season.

If you were those two, wouldn’t you get married? They’re so cute. He came in as the guest star in the first episode, which was just – besides a geek dream for me – an extraordinary experience, because he’s not just very professional and precise and talented, but he fleshed out a character that could have been a little bit of a cardboard cutout. He has such sincerity and gravitas that you feel terrible. He makes you feel you’ve betrayed him, even if he’s completely in the wrong. It’s something that he shares with Adelle. Maybe it’s a British thing; I don’t know.

I read an interview with Eliza where she said that you’re shooting in HD this year. How is that affecting the style of the show, the shooting of the show? How the show is going to match up to how it appeared last year?

We’re keeping a lot of things basically the same, but we are trying to free up the camera and to create more depth and emotion with the lighting and the camera work. The HD packet is smaller. It takes less time to light. The lighting is more environmental. We get more time for the actors. We get more opportunities to do different angles. Something that still has some of the elegance of the first season but is also a little more visceral.

It also means that, occasionally, we finish our days extremely early, and nobody’s hating that. Our DP, Lisa Wiegand, has done a lot of independent features, and so she’s got some really interesting ideas and she can give us classical-looking television. It looks, I think, very beautiful, but at the same time we can tweak it a little bit more, or we can take it a little bit farther and do that faster.

In the EPK, you hinted that The Attic is heinous, and it’s an episode of Small Wonder that you can’t escape. I was wondering if you were being figurative or literal?

I’ve never even seen Small Wonder. I am a bully who picks on people who aren’t my type. It is going to be creepy, but I think, ultimately, what it’s going to be like, it’s going to be something that we’re going to hold onto pretty tightly. I don’t want to say, but it ain’t pretty.

Is the set a designer’s dream?

It depends on the set designer. It might be a dream where he’s screaming.

With Amy Acker gone, are we going to get a new doctor character to tend to the wounded?

We haven’t featured the doctor. We see somebody in the background. We will be seeing Dr. Saunders again, and the stories just haven’t lent themselves to bringing in another person in that capacity. So if we need to, yes, but not so far.

A big thing that people discussed in the first season is, “Who’s the Doll?” Who is secretly a Doll? But now that we know that people can be remotely programmed in a flash, without necessarily being dolls to begin with, is that still a meaningful question?

No, that’s the case in the far future. It’s not the case right now. I’ll tell you right now, everybody is not a Doll, because it would be very easy for us to pull that trick over and over and ultimately shoot ourselves in the foot, because you would find that nothing was at stake and that everybody would see the plot coming. We’ve actually grounded the show fairly heavily. People who are Dolls are Dolls, and the other people…every now and then, I’m not saying never. I’m not saying we won’t question reality every now and then, but basically, we’re taking the people we have and we’re pushing them around as much as possible.

We’re trying to keep it grounded so that people know that there is something at stake, and if somebody did have their personality altered or taken away, that that would be a huge deal. That’s like The Attic; that’s like death. That’s like the worst thing that can happen to a character, so we want to make sure that the characters are grounded enough that people feel those stakes. If we just make people Dolls willy-nilly, then it’s the rabbit hole and none of it really connects or means anything.

Dollhouse premieres Friday, September 25th at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

Dan Akyroyd has been out talking about casting for the long-gesting third Ghostbusters movie and apparently, if he has any say in it, he’d base the cast on the recent Ghostbusters video game. Or at least that seems to be what he’s saying in a new interview with the LA Times.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The game featured the voice talents of super-hotties Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku and let’s face it, if you're going to hire Milano and Dushku you really ought to use them in a way that let's your audience see them. Their physical appearance is generally regarded as extremely pleasant. Of them Akyroyd says, “I think they're amazing, and I'm excited about the whole idea of getting this done.” Does he mean “getting this done” as in getting them in the movie or just getting this done as in simply making the movie at all? The Times' somewhat vague piece doesn’t say.

Milano was quick to address the rumors on her Twitter feed where she says "... this is the first I'm hearing of Ghostbusters 3." Dushku followed with another denial on her Twitter saying, "...it's nuthin' I know of." So Akroyd really was saying he wants them, it must be more of a wishlist than something they're already pursuing.

Dan did confirm that Sigourney Weaver is now on board for Ghustbusters 3, which is great news for fans. And of course the rest of the original squad: Akyrod, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson are all in or it wouldn’t be happening. In the past it was Murray’s reluctance to do it that kept the project from happening. Not returning is director Ivan Reitman. Akyroyd confirms “he’s too busy”.

So the whole thing’s moving forward and maybe they’re looking for a couple of high-profile, youngish, new female Ghostbusters. I like it, especially if it’s Milano. Dushku has Dollhouse to keep her busy and besides, Milano’s better when it comes to over the top comedy. It doesn't hurt that she has more tattoos which, weirdly seems like something a female Ghostbuster needs. Slime her!

We promised you more on Eliza Dushku and Dollhouse, and here we are keeping our promise. I’m so torn between wariness on another Joss Whedon project with FOX, and the idea of this show, which is quite appealing. If given the time Dollhouse could prove to be the best thing Joss has done so far, and that’s saying a lot coming from a huge Buffy geek.

But enough jibba jabba, how about Eliza tells you what to expect from Dollhouse when it premieres this Friday night on FOX.

Eliza, it’s been great following the first three episodes of the show they sent us and so far Echo has gotten an asthma attack, gotten hunted by a client and gotten wiped in the middle of a mission. What else can go wrong?

Eliza: Anything and everything at any given time is sort of the point I think. We’re dealing in real situations and that’s why we have our handlers there, to hopefully protect us from the bad, but yes; each show I think that sort of thing is going to go down because it’s obviously not a perfect system and it’s not a perfect world.

Can you give us a hint of any more of those conflicts? I was also wondering how the relationship with Sierra is going to develop.

Eliza: Well, I can tell you I enter a cult of the blind cultess and they send me in with cameras implanted into my eyes and some things go down there. I can tell you that there’s upcoming contact with Agent Paul Ballard, who is Tahmoh Penikett, and there is going to be some charged stuff in those episodes.

Sierra. I don’t know. How much can I tell you? I don’t know how much I’m allowed to give up.

It looks like they’re just starting to interact.

Eliza: Well, again, we pick up in the Dollhouse and the dolls are starting to have these memories and develop these little flickers of self awareness and recognize one another and remember things from engagements. Of course, that’s considered a glitch in the Dollhouse system and that’s where all hell breaks loose. That’s kind of where the show expands and that’s where it gets interesting to me.

I enjoyed the episode that I saw. The fact that you’re essentially a different character every episode, is that a large part of what blew your skirt up about the premise of the show?

Eliza: Well, Joss and I came up with the show together and we were talking about what kind of show would suit me right now in my career and in my life. Basically, Joss and I have had a ten-plus-year friendship at this point and he knows me very well and he knows how hard it is for me to sit still for five minutes, not to mention for an entire episode, so the premise of the show was sort of based on my own life and on keeping things moving and on keeping me active and having the chance to play and jump around in between these characters every week and sometimes multiple times every show. That was planned from the get-go.

So you’re just wound so tight that you couldn’t be a character that’s slow and methodical?

Eliza: You’re putting words in my mouth there. I’ve never said I’m wound so tight; I just have a lot of energy and I just have sort of an appetite for people and stories and telling different stories and being in a different place and traveling and experiencing just different emotions. One thing that Joss gave me in this project is the ability to sort of show some other colors of mine that other creators and other writers, directors, executive producers haven’t given me in the past, but he has seen them in me and wanted to give me the stage to act them out.

Eliza, given that you were with the show sort of from the ground floor and, as you say, you and Joss developed it, could you talk about how the show has sort of developed from that first meeting and that first kernel into what it actually became and what we’re going to see starting Friday?

Eliza: Yes. Well, when we first sat down I had just sort of negotiated a deal with Fox to ultimately come up with a show to do with them and Joss was really the only person on my mind. I thought if he wasn’t going to do a show with me he at least knew me well enough to sort of guide me and to sort of help me put together the ideas that were in my head and to help me sort of figure out what kind of woman I wanted to play and what I wanted to be a part of. So when we sat down and we just started talking about life and talking about our careers and different projects, we’re really like-minded people and we were talking about sort of what it’s like for me, Eliza, waking up every day and having to somewhat be a different person every day and we were talking about the Internet and how people can get so much and with just the click of a button find anything that they want or need or desire or think that they want or need or desire and then what actually happens when they get that.

We were absolutely talking about sexuality and what’s taboo and objectification and just things that are relevant to us. Four hours later Joss absolutely sort of sprang forward with the idea, with the basis for the show and said, “It will be called Dollhouse and it will be basically exactly this. It will be you with the ability to be imprinted to be someone sexy or to be anything or to be objectified every week or multiple times a week and how that affects people. We’re going to stir people up and we’re going to make people uncomfortable because that’s sort of interesting to us.”

Here we are 13 episodes later and we think we’ve done that. I mean the first show on Friday we’re super excited about. I love Ghost. I love Target. I love the first three, four, five episodes, but the cool thing is the show gets better even from there. I mean Joss is really a novelist and you have to give him chapters to tell the story. He and the other writers just – I participated on a lot of levels as producer also with ideas of my own. I mean the show just goes so deep and it’s so exciting and so thought provoking and relevant.

Does that answer your question?

Well, I guess sort of as a follow up I want to go with sort of how the show has changed from the original pilot that you read, because, of course, there was the famous rewriting of the pilot, etc. and I’m just sort of wondering what your thoughts are on how the show has evolved specifically since then.

Eliza: We changed the pilot for sort of more logistical reasons. I think that any time you’re dealing with a lot of cooks in the kitchen and FOX had sort of an idea of a pace that they wanted in the first show or in the first couple of shows. It maybe differed from how Joss originally wanted to set it up, but I think that absolutely Joss and I both feel that where we came out is exactly what we had talked about when we sat down at the first meal when the idea first came up. We’re telling this young woman’s story and following her and following these others as they go through these first 13 trials of engagements and of self realization and identity.

Being an executive producer of the series and sort of coming up with it with Joss, has that given you any new perspectives on making a TV series that you might not have had before?

Eliza: I mean yes; it’s sort of been what I expected. I have been in this business now for over 15 years. I sort of grew up in this business and it was just exciting and it was sort of, I don’t know, I guess I could say validating to have a friend and a partner like Joss in this and to have him acknowledge that this was something that he believed, an undertaking that I could make or take with him. He obviously has ten million things to do in a day, most importantly, being up in the writers’ room and breaking stories and knowing that this is sort of our baby and this is something that we, at that meal, decided to do together with passion and with enthusiasm and that I would be the constant and on the set every day.

I have sort of picked up and learned a lot about how the machine operates. It was just more exciting than anything and it also just sort of made me that much more invested in just the fine details of the show and then just even in things, the political aspects and everything from moral on the set to making sure our crew members felt heard and looking for warning signs. There are just so many elements, but I absolutely loved it because, again, this is something that I asked for. I mean I asked for every single bit of it and I can truly say I’ve loved every bit of it, like the responsibilities, the effort, enthusiasm, the whole crew, the whole cast, everyone involved in the show has wanted it as badly as Joss and I have.

Those are the people that we wanted to surround ourselves with and by and so it has certainly been challenging, but it’s been the best kind of challenging, because I mean I’ve learned so much, but I’ve also just gotten the opportunity to be more hands on than project I’ve ever worked on.

Are we going to find out exactly is there a reason that Echo is the one that is becoming more aware? Is there going to be a reasoning behind her glitch or is she just the one that we’re following because she’s the main character and we’re just following a doll becoming aware?

Eliza: No. I think you’re going to. Well, I can tell you that you’re going to find out sort of what kind of time frame the Dollhouse has been operating under and what maybe happened to previous dolls. I think that we just come into the story with Echo, but there have certainly been dolls before her and there will certainly be dolls after her.

Why Echo? Probably because I’m me and Joss and I came up with the idea together, so we decided to bring the story up with me sort at the head of the herd.

Eliza, reading about this show it’s being described in terms of sort of game changing and mind blowing. What about it sort of makes it game changing and mind blowing?

Eliza: Well, it’s provocative. It’s disturbing in some ways. It’s controversial. We’re dealing with altering and programming people and I think that that’s a very sensitive topic, but I think that it’s relevant and I think that it’s exciting because I’ve always wanted to do work that has to do with us evolving and questioning, making people uncomfortable I guess. That’s sort of what interesting storytelling is to me is asking different questions and taking a closer look at desires and fantasies and taboos and sexuality and these are all things that Joss and I initially discussed in our infamous first lunch when we were talking about making a show.

They were things that I knew he, as a creative genius, which I truly believe he is, had the ability and the imagination to create with me and at the same time roll in a story that just puts those parts together tightly, cleverly, with drama and humor and pain and joy. Obviously, anyone who’s known his work in Buffy and then anyone who knows him as a person knows that he’s just all of those instruments. That’s, I think, what makes this such an extraordinary show.

Given that the clients of the Dollhouse are expecting their fantasy girl are we going to see any episodes from a client’s perspective where they learn that that’s a curse instead of a gift or will it always be a curse because she has a few glitches?

Eliza: I kind of understood your question at first, but then I think will we see any episodes where what?

Where the clients basically learn that getting what they want in their fantasy girl is more of a curse than a blessing.

Eliza: Absolutely. I mean I think that’s sort of the point; that’s one of the main themes in this whole story that we’re telling here is that objectification hurts ...

Whether you’re the one, whichever side you’re on because that’s why we’re all different and that’s why there are certain parameters and morals in our society. When you step outside of those things and you put such control in certain people’s hands in terms of what people want and need and desire versus what they think they want and need and desire they may be surprised at sort of the Frankenstein story. You’re absolutely going to see clients wishing perhaps that they had not decided to add that extra element to their Active or to their doll I guess you could say.

I was curious. Are all 13 episodes mapped out or are they done?

Eliza: We just finished them last week. Yes.

I read that you had tattoos, but I didn’t actually see any in the show. Are they covered up for the show?

Eliza: I have a few, yes, but they’re all actually in places that can be covered with just a swimsuit.

Sometimes we cover them up.

Was there one character in particular when you were doing your different personalities in the episodes, maybe one we haven’t seen probably, that you liked best? I mean did you like being the bad girl or did you like being the sweet girl? Was there a certain type of personality that you enjoyed playing?

Eliza: Yes. No. It surprised me, because on the one hand it’s awesome and exhilarating to be the sexy assassin, but at the same time I’ve been surprised time and time again how much I also really enjoy playing; like I play this blind cultess and it was just so different than anything, than any skin I had ever been in and I really, really enjoyed it. It was challenging and yet it was like liberating to have the opportunity and to see the world, not see the world, but to be in the world in these different skins. That was a particularly special episode, as was being the personality of a 50-something-year-old woman in my own body. That was another one that’s coming up that was very interesting. I don’t know if I have a favorite, but they’ve all had their own special nuances and places for me.

I understand listening to some of the press and what not that you felt out of your comfort zone playing a woman with a 1940’s up do.

Eliza: Yes. You have to understand. I mean I grew up a total tomboy with three big brothers and I was sort of like this little girl running around with this mop of hair, tangled hair, climbing trees and playing tag football with my brothers. I don’t know. There’s just something about a polished, bobby-pinned, hair sprayed up do. I don’t know; the composure and the sophistication. It’s thrilling and it’s fun for me to play and now that I’ve done it once I kind of am excited to try it on again, but it definitely threw me at first. It was something that was out of my comfort zone, but from the very get-go Joss told me that he intended on taking me out of my comfort zone as much as possible on this show, so I welcome it. I welcome it. I’m up for any challenge and any uncomfortable scenario he wants to throw ... because that’s what this is about.

Eliza, you touched on this a little bit in an earlier question, but what would you say is the main theme or message that Dollhouse is going to explore?

Eliza: I mean without over simplifying it too much I’d say it’s sort of about not the search for one’s true identity, but it’s about sort of identifying what makes us who we are and our thoughts and our surroundings and what happens when you start to allow other people or a big corporation or a mass of people; I think objectification is a huge theme of the show and just sort of how and why we are authentic individuals and what helps make us sort of – I guess I’m now getting so philosophical it’s just getting so big in my head, but just what it means to be an individual and to have that toyed with or to have that taken from you and what that means and how we come out and how strong our sense of self is at the end of the day no matter up against what, any kind of technology or any kind of tampering, like what makes us who we are. There you go; I got it out.

I think Dollhouse is like the best thing Joss and you have ever done. I’m wondering, I have total faith in this show and I’m wondering like four years from now when you’re working on season five do you still think that you’ll have places to go with this character? Do you think that there will still be places you haven’t gone yet with the concept of Echo?

Eliza: Absolutely. I mean I think look at how much we as human beings have evolved in a day. There’s constant evolution. There’s constant, if you think about how many desires and how many scenarios; apparently from day one Joss has had a five-year plan for the show and we’ve talked about what some of those are. I think that’s one of the things that’s so exciting about this show is that it’s so open for endless possibilities.

You’re dealing with so much. It’s human. It’s mankind and its thoughts and its thoughts and wishes and desires; they’re by the millions, by the trillions.

Eliza, I was doing research on your career just on-line and I saw you have a really big lesbian following. Are you aware of that?

Eliza: I have been made aware of that over the years, particularly around my Buffy years. Right on.

Why do you think that is? Where did that come from?

Eliza: I know during Buffy there was a lot of people really dissected that show. I remember a lot of people leading in to Faith and Buffy having this deep down love for one another. I don’t know. I’ve been told in the past maybe it’s a mixture. I don’t know. I’m obviously very girly, but I grew up with a lot of boys and so there’s definitely a tomboy in me and I’ve found just that I have fans equally in males and females. I have a lot of lesbian love fans out there and a lot of gay men, who still do cheers in supermarkets from Bring It On. I think it’s awesome. I love loving from all sides in my fan world, so I appreciate every individual that appreciates watching me at work.

Is there anything in Dollhouse that they’ll be able to connect to? I don’t know if there are any gay elements into it or just something they can find in there.

Eliza: To be honest, there was one that was pitched and some how it didn’t make it into the first 13 episodes, but we’ve only told 13 stories here and we’re all so excited. I mean even Joss and I today were going ... finally here and yet Joss said it’s crazy because we just finished these 13 episodes and it’s been such a hustle and it’s been so crazy and yet now that I haven’t been in the writer’s room in a week I’m already thinking up ideas for the next 13 episodes. I mean I already am dying to get back in the writer’s room and tell more stories and tell stories that we had ideas and plans for from the get-go. We’re exploring every element of human desire and I think - I know that given the opportunity we’ll explore every form of sexuality or that’s 9:00 p.m. FOX allowed.

Thank you. My question is, and you’ve talked a little bit about it, but not exactly what I’m going for, what are the best and worst parts about getting to play such a variety of people, yet playing a single character as the base?

Eliza: Well, the base character, Echo, is in a word, simple or in a few words, she’s simple. She’s blank. She’s had her personality and memories erased and she’s ... child with no inhibition, no fear. She’s sort of a blank slate and it’s exciting in the sense that every week there’s sort of a new star of the show and it’s whatever character I am imprinted to be.

We found sort of early on that one of the challenges was each character, when they’re introduced, sort of needs a good scene full of story. You basically need to sort of give this character’s background and we found that it was nice to get me in the role in some of the easier scenes first, before having me step on set in the outfit as the person with five pages of dialogue explaining who I am. There was something about sort of easing into it whenever possible and when locations permit and shooting schedules. It’s nice to sort of get in the skin and find something to latch on to that makes that person distinct as opposed to forcing it and using the dialogue or the scene or exposition to tell the story.

I mean I somehow, I, Eliza, am a really adaptable person. I was just sort of raised that way. It’s sort of like throw me in the water and I can hopefully learn how to swim and survive and get very comfortable very quickly, but there is that initial sort of shock to the system and so we figured that out early on; that it’s helpful to do some of the other scenes first, but some scenes are easier than others to slide into and I have worked with Joss specifically on certain roles. I also have a coach that I’ve worked with since I was ten-years-old, who actually lives in New York and we work on the phone or he comes out to LA. I’ve taken it very seriously and I really want to, as much as possible, take Elizaisms out when they’re not necessary and add other elements and add other colors to these characters to portray the reality that I’m a different person every week as much as possible, so it’s absolutely been challenging. It’s been humbling. It’s been exciting and I’m ready for more, more, more.

Those of us who geek-out equally over all things Joss Whedon and all things Battlestar Galactica were likely to be disappointed when we learned that Whedon wont be directing an episode of BSG due to his commitments to his new series, Dollhouse. On the bright side, at least the reason he’s unavailable is because he’s working on a whole new series, right?

So while Whedon wont be directing an episode of BSG, it looks like someone from the Galactica crew landed a spot on Whedon’s new series. TV Guide’s Ausiello reports that Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on BSG will be playing the role of Paul Smith in Dollhouse. Smith will be the love interest of Eliza Dushku’s character, Echo. He’s an FBI agent who according to Ausiello, “becomes obsessed with both the urban myth that is Dollhouse and its most recognizable inhabitant, Echo.”

I can definitely see Penikett playing an FBI agent. His character in BSG is probably one of the most kind-hearted, boy-scouty characters in the series. Plus, he’s fairly hot so that works too, especially if he’s going to be paired up with Dushku.

Also added to the Dollhouse roster is Fran Kranz (recently seen in the CBS sitcom, Welcome to the Captain). He’ll play a “nerdy programmer” named Topher Brink. His job is to imprint the dolls. For some reason, that role kind of reminds me of the guy in The Matrix who worked on the simulation programs (I think his name was Mouse but it’s been a while since I watched that movie.). Or perhaps Brink will be more like the stuttering Marshall from Alias. Sorry, I love to compare TV nerds. They often make the best characters in TV series and given Whedon’s ability to create great characters, I’m sure we have a lot to look forward to with Dollhouse.

In the meantime, if you want to hear some of Whedon’s thoughts on Battlestar Galactica, click here or check out the SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon special, which will air on Friday (3/28) night.

I’m currently at the Sundance Film Festival and while I’m all about the movies right now, I’m always on the lookout for any juicy TV news. After a press conference with the cast and crew of the film Bottle Shock, I had the opportunity to approach Eliza Dushku, who has a role in the film. She was on her way out but was nice enough to answer a couple brief questions about her upcoming small screen project with Joss Whedon, called Dollhouse.

It was announced late last year that Dushku and Whedon were set to team up for the series about a girl named Echo (Dushku), who is “imprinted” with different personalities and skills. She is then sent on assignments and afterwards, her mind is wiped and her memory of whatever the assignment she performed is gone.

Obviously the strike has thrown a wrench in the development of the project but Dushku sounded very enthusiastic about Dollhouse and pleased to be working with Whedon again, whom she referred to as her buddy. She went on to say that they’re just waiting for everyone to start playing nice again so that they can get back to working on it. I asked her if there was a goal premiere date for the series and her response was, “The goal is for people to start playing nice sooner rather than later.” Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to give me any more information on it than that but then again, when it comes to the strike, everyone’s pretty much in wait-and-see mode at this point.

While the strike has certainly halted development on Dollhouse, Dushku has been hard at work preparing for the series. With regards to training for the role, she said “I definitely realize that my body in motion is my body how I like it. So I’ve been in a lot of motion and getting ready in a lot of ways. So when it comes, it’s going to be explosive.”

For more of Cinema Blend's 2008 Sundance Film Festival coverage, click here.