Born on May 21, 1974 in Pingree, Idaho, Fairuza Balk is a stage and film actress best known for her appearances in The Craft and The Waterboy. The daughter of a belly dancer and a traveling folk musician, Balk moved to Turkey at the age of 10. She lived there for six years and learned Greek, Turkish, and Persian music. Her name came from the Persian word for turquoise, which was her father’s initial reaction upon seeing her eyes when she was born. Soon after her parents divorced, Balk and her mom started traveling the world. Raised for the first part of her in San Francisco, they moved to Vancouver when she was 9, then to London when she was 11. It was in the U.K. where she attended various prestigious ballet and acting schools.
In London, Balk was selected by Walt Disney Productions to star in Return to Oz, a sequel to the 1939 picture The Wizard of Oz. Prior to this, she made a little-known television move called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in 1983, but it was Oz that brought her attention as an actress. The role caught the attention of casting agents and it led to more minor roles, prompting her to move to Paris in 1988 to do more acting work. In 1989, she returned to Vancouver to finish High School. She went back to Hollywood shortly, however. In 1992, she received an Independent Spirit Award as best actress for the film Gas Food Lodging.
In 1996, Balk appeared alongside Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and Robin Tunney in the cult picture The Craft. Her other film credits include American History X, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Water Boy, and voice-acting for animated films and video games, such as the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.