Fairuza Balk

Fairuza Balk is an American actress, musician and visual artist. Influential in popular culture, Balk is known for her portrayals of distinctive "goth-girl" characters, often with a dark edge. She has appeared in numerous independent films and blockbuster features, typically in both leading and supporting roles. Following a series of television film roles, Balk made her feature film debut as Dorothy Gale in the fantasy Return to Oz (1985), for which she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Starring Performance By a Young Actress - Motion Picture. Her career progressed with roles in the drama films Valmont (1989) and Gas Food Lodging (1992), the latter earning her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. After appearing in the historical drama Imaginary Crimes (1994) and the crime drama Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Balk earned acclaim for her role in the horror film The Craft (1996), which earned her a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, and a cult following. She has since appeared in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), American History X (1998), The Waterboy (1998), Almost Famous (2000), Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002), Deuces Wild (2002), Don't Come Knocking (2005), Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006), Humboldt County (2008), and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009). On television, Balk portrayed Mildred Hubble in the 1986 adaptation of The Worst Witch, based on the book series of the same name. She appeared in the recurring role of Ginger on Showtime's Ray Donovan in 2015, and currently stars as Lizzie Thomas on the Amazon Prime series Paradise City (2021). Balk has been releasing music since 2010 under the name of her unsigned act, Armed Love Militia.