Few movies have maintained quite the cult following of “The Craft” — the 1996 supernatural thriller about four teenage girls who discover the power of witchcraft. And few performances from the movie are as memorable as Fairuza Balk’s portrayal of Nancy Downs, the troubled outsider whose fascination with magic takes a dangerous turn.
Balk launched her career as a child actor and was already an established actress by the time she appeared in the film. Prior to “The Craft,” she starred in films such as the 1985 fantasy movie “Return to Oz,” “Valmont” and “Gas Food Lodging.”
Fairuza Balk’s Career
After cementing her place in young Hollywood in the 1990s, Balk continued building an impressive filmography. She appeared in several notable movies, including “American History X”, opposite Edward Norton, and “The Waterboy” alongside Adam Sandler.
Balk’s filmography continued into the 2000s, with appearances in both independent films and larger productions. She also lent her voice to animated projects, including the series “Close Enough”.
Despite her memorable performances, Balk has generally maintained a more private life than many of her contemporaries. She has never seemed particularly interested in the constant Hollywood spotlight, and her on-screen appearances have become less frequent over the years.
She opened up about taking a step back in an interview with Los Angeles Times in 2020, saying, “I had to step back for my own well-being and sense of self-preservation.”
“In my late 20s, I stepped away from doing a lot of press because people just kept taking my words and rearranging them the wrong way and just depicting me as this crazy bad girl and it just really got old,” Balk explained. “Hollywood is a very strange bubble, a very strange world, and some of the things — as the general public is starting to find out — some of the elements of that game are things I just couldn’t do. I’m just not wired that way or brought up that way.”
Fairuza Balk Today
Balk’s most recent screen appearance was in the 2021 television series “Paradise City”, a music-industry drama in which she played Lizzie Thomas, following a brief appearance in the third season of “Ray Donovan” in 2015.
Outside of acting, Balk also pursued her passion for music. She leads the dark folk and murder ballad musical project Armed Love Militia.
She also launched her own jewelry line, which she sells directly to customers.
“Each piece of jewelry is one of a kind and I was going to keep them as prototypes for building my first collection but in light of all that’s happening, I’ve decided to sell them to raise as much as I can as fast as I can,” she shared in January 2025, announcing that she was hoping to raise funds to help those who lost their homes in the devastating Palisades fires.
In June 2026, the actress offered followers a rare glimpse into her life when she shared a rare selfie on social media.
“Still haven’t learned how to use the filters yet hahahaha, sun hat for a sunny day, just saying Hello and sending you guys my love,” she captioned the post.
What Happened to Fairuza Balk? Where ‘The Craft’ Star Is Now