'Dollhouse' Interview With Eliza Dushku

Eliza Dushku Q&A

She's your best friend, your lover, a hired assassin, a sexy stranger -- this might sound like your fantasies of Eliza Dushku, but it's also the premise of her new Fox show, 'Dollhouse.'

As Echo, an "active" at a secret agency called the Dollhouse, Dushku gets to transform from week to week based on her latest job assignment. From the mind of creator Joss Whedon -- the man behind cult favorites 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,' 'Angel,' 'Firefly' and last summer's Internet hit, 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' -- fans can expect a healthy dose of action and plenty of subtext to unravel.

Dushku, who also acts as producer on the show, chatted with AOL TV about playing tough, relaxing at work and her new faceless action figure ... and she also reveals which other star of an old Whedon show will be stopping by and cleared up some dating rumors, all while reminiscing about old times with Arnold. -- By Maggie Furlong

Fox

1. Do you read reviews? What would you want to tell fans out there that the reviewers aren't getting?

I read the reviews -- I think I have a more vested interest and important role in the show as a producer. So we read some of the mixed things about the pilot, but the pilot was absolutely ... you know, the studio and Joss sort of had a different vision in terms of what they wanted to accomplish in that very first show and we all feel like the show gets better and better. I love the pilot -- I love 'Ghost' -- and I think Joss did an amazing job in satisfying both, not compromising the story and vision that he has and also appeasing the studio's wishes. But once we kind of get going, it gets better and better, so we're psyched. 'Target,' the second episode ... I feel like a lot of guys will also get sucked in by that.

Fox

2. And are you guys happy now with your Friday night timeslot?

We really want people to come to the party this Friday night and show up in mass numbers, but the more people stick around, the more it just gets better and better. Once it gets into a rhythm, I think people will find it hard to not watch. The characters and the action and the possibilities and the mystery and the humor -- everything about it -- and, you know, it's kind of sexy too. [Laughs] At this point, Friday night is a great night, and now with 'Terminator' and doing the new 'Grindhouse' ads ... I think it's a really clever and cool idea that people can have a night of really strong women on Friday.

Fox (2)

3. This show has you really using all those acting class techniques -- is it easier or harder to play a new character each week?

Well, some are absolutely more challenging than others -- in the first episode, Eleanor Penn was more difficult for me than the tomboy in 'Target,' who was like bow-hunting and rock-climbing and river rafting. But the challenge is also what's so exciting about it and what makes this such an awesome opportunity -- it's why I'm so grateful to Joss for giving me the gift of such a versatile role. But yeah, some skins are easier to slide into than others for sure.

Fox

4. We know that Echo is starting to remember things, but does that mean she'll start building more of a personality and shaking things up?

Absolutely! But we wanted to sort of start with things in their proper space, in their proper form, and then sort of bring the audience with us as the walls start to crack and things start to deteriorate and as the actives start to glitch. That's basically the heart of the show -- when things start to go wrong -- and that's where we pick up. So she definitely starts asking questions, and starts hearing things and starts remembering things that she shouldn't. And that causes big problems for the Dollhouse.

Fox

5. What has been the most fun active profile to play so far?

Ooh, towards the end, we just recently shot a full-blown 'Natural Born Killers'-type episode where I was giving a real Juliette Lewis in [the movie] -- I actually watched the movie before we started shooting. It was a lot of fun.

Warner Bros. / Everett Collection

6. The set is so elaborate -- what's your favorite part of the Dollhouse?

I like the sleeping pods -- I think they're really quite cozy and quaint. [Laughs] I also like the massage room. Anywhere where I'm like laying down and, you know, in like a nightgown at work, it's really nice. [Laughs]

Fox

7. Joss is known for setting up his series with plenty of subtext -- what do you think is the real message underneath all the prettiness of the Dollhouse?

That objectification hurts. And that what people want, need and desire versus what they think they want, need and desire is to be revealed and explored. It's sort of the search for what our true identity is as individuals and as human beings. Those are some of the big themes of the show.

Fox

8. A lot of people -- myself included -- have compared the dolls to modern-day 'Charlie's Angels' -- did you have a favorite Angel growing up?

[Eliza asks her friend, Roman, "Who was my favorite Charlie's Angel?" Roman: "Um, Cameron Diaz." Eliza: "No!"] That was [my stylist] Roman Diaz. [Laughs] Jaclyn Smith. Yeah, I like the original ... Jaclyn Smith.

Gary Lewis, Camera Press / Retna

9. This show leaves the door wide open to have a multitude of guest stars -- has there been talk about bringing old Joss friends into the mix?

Yeah, there's always talk! Joss loves working with people he clicks with and that are great actors. We have Amy Acker on the show, and we have another fellow joining us toward the end of the season that'll excite some people ... his name is Alan [Tudyk] and he used to be the King from Spamalot, and he was in 'Firefly.' He's pretty awesome. But if we're to come back, Joss has laid out a five-year plan. Technically, Caroline, my character -- her contract [with the Dollhouse] is for five years, so we'll have to see. There are, of course, actives who would follow her and who have preceded her.

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