Eliza Dushku

Dushku in 2011, photo by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Eliza Patricia Dushku

Place of Birth: Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 30, 1980

Ethnicity:
*father – Albanian
*mother – Danish, English, Irish, distant German

Eliza Dushku is an American actress, model, and producer. She is known for appearing in the films True Lies, Bring It On, The New Guy, and Wrong Turn, and for playing Faith on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Her father, Philip Richard George Dushku, is Albanian, from the city Korçë. Her mother, Judith Ann (Rasmussen), is of half Danish ancestry, with her other roots being English and Irish, and distant German. Her brother is actor Nate Dushku. Aside from American, Eliza has Albanian citizenship.

Eliza was raised in a Mormon (LDS) household.

Eliza is married to Peter Palandjian, who is the CEO of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation. The couple has two children.

Eliza’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to her third great-grandfather, Constandin Dushku.

Eliza’s paternal grandfather was George Vani Dushku (the son of Vani Naum Dushku and Aleksandra Peter Pochi). George was from Korçë, Korçë. Eliza’s great-grandfather Vani was the son of Naum Constandin Dushku and Gushe. Aleksandra was the daughter of Peter Pochi and Parashqevi Nuni Pema.

Eliza’s paternal grandmother was Vilermini Dhimitri Tontonozi (the daughter of Dhimitri Pando Tontonozi and Pandhora Angelo Floqi). Vilermini was from Korçë, Korçë. Dhimitri was the son of Pando Tontonozi and Athina Lako. Pandhora was the daughter of Angelo Floqi and Taska.

Eliza’s maternal grandfather was Richard Costley Rasmussen (the son of Aaron/Aron Frederick Rasmussen and Nancy Blanche Costley). Richard was born in Idaho. Aaron was born in Utah, the son of Danish parents, Lars Rasmussen, from Vordingborg, Sjælland, and Wilhelmina Hansina Clemensen, from Copenhagen. Nancy was the daughter of Richard Joseph Costley, whose parents were Irish, and of Rebecca Homer.

Eliza’s maternal grandmother is Barbara Porter Hegsted (the daughter of John Hegsted and Edna Margaret Porter). Barbara was born in Idaho. John was born in Utah, to Danish parents, Hans Christian Sorensen Hegsted and Ane Christine Olsen Iverson. Edna was the daughter of Aaron Benjamin Porter and Rebecca Margaret Poole, and was of mostly English, and at least 1/32 German, ancestry.

Sources: Genealogy of Eliza’s father (through her father’s sister) – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Eliza Dushku (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Eliza’s maternal great-grandmother, Nancy Blanche Costley, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org