It might be hard to believe considering just how talented she is, but Eliza Dushku didn't really set out to become an actress. That career is one that found her, but it was never her sole dream to be a Hollywood star. As she explained to The A.V. Club, acting is something that she "tripped and fell into."
Dushku revealed the full story to Bella Magazine. It turns out that when she says she tripped and fell, she meant it literally. It was her brother who wanted to pursue acting. When the 10-year-old Dushku accompanied him on an audition, she ended up losing her balance which caught the attention of producers.
Dushku was ambivalent about embarking on an acting career, explaining that her mother declined on her behalf when she was first invited to go in for a screen test. However, her brothers encouraged her to go, thinking of it as a free trip to Hollywood but not thinking she'd actually get the part. Dushku ended up crushing her screen test, though, and scored her first role in "That Night," launching an unexpected career.
