Why Eliza Dushku Missed Bring It On Reunion

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Eliza Dushku‘s former costars are cheering her on in her new career.

Following the 25-year reunion of *Bring It On* on September 21st – which was attended by Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Jesse Bradford, and Lindsay Sloane – Eliza explained her reason for not being there.

She shared on Instagram September 26th that she was sad to have missed the 25th anniversary celebration for *Bring It On*, posting some old photos from the movie. She explained that she’d just started a new job as a counselor and behavioral therapist and spent the weekend getting everything ready – writing reports and preparing for sessions.

I was so thrilled to see Eliza post that she’d finally earned her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling! She shared a sweet message saying how proud she was to have been a part of the *BIO* world – she called it a cultural phenomenon, and honestly, she just seemed to have had the most amazing time with all of us. She signed it ‘Missy P.’ with lots of love – it was just so heartwarming to see!

However, Gabrielle, her colleague, was very supportive, responding with a message on her own Instagram Story that simply said, “So proud of you.”

“Always a badass!” the Being Mary Jane star added. “Congratulations on your new job!”

Released on August 22, 2000, the movie *Bring It On* focuses on cheerleaders in Southern California. For Gabrielle, leading the East Compton Clovers cheer squad was a pivotal experience.

I never expected that playing for the East Compton Clover would bring so much good into my life,” the 52-year-old posted on Instagram on August 23rd. “It’s a gift that continues to reward me even now.”

She explained that when the movie was made in 2000, no one on set could have predicted how successful it would be-it even became a Broadway musical twelve years later!

“We just thought we were having a fun summer in San Diego, making a movie about cheerleading,” she reflected in the video, “but we made an instant classic about so much more—politically, socially relevant topics that are still resonating today.”

And she noted she has the fans to thank for continuing the legacy.

She continued, saying that they’ve been supportive from the very beginning and consistently remain so.

To see what the Bring It On cast has been up to since then, keep reading.

Torrance Shipman had always wanted to be cheer captain, and her dream came true when she was chosen to lead the team. But when the squad started falling apart, she had to quickly bring everyone together before the national competition.

Kirsten Dunst began her career as a young actress in films like *Interview With the Vampire* and *Little Women* and has consistently worked as a successful performer ever since. She’s appeared in many notable movies, including *The Virgin Suicides*, the *Spider-Man* trilogy, *Marie Antoinette*, *Melancholia*, *Midnight Special*, and *The Beguiled*. Recently, she’s gained acclaim for her darkly comedic roles on television, receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for *Fargo* and another Golden Globe nomination in 2020 for *On Becoming a God in Central Florida*.

She had her first child, a son named Ennis, on May 3, 2018, with her Fargo co-star and now-husband, Jesse Plemons. They had another child in 2021.

Missy initially came across as completely rebellious and tough, but once she realized the cheerleaders were more than just superficial, she became just as determined as anyone to help the Toros succeed.

Before her role in *Bring It On*, Eliza Dushku was known for playing Faith in *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* and *Angel*. Earlier in her career, she played Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter in *True Lies*. Later, she starred in the short-lived TV series *Dollhouse*, a spy drama, and *Tru Calling*, a supernatural crime show where she played a medical student who could communicate with the dead – a skill that proved useful for solving murders. Dushku has also done extensive voice work, including roles in *Torchwood: Web of Lies* and *Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.*, and she appeared in the CBS series *Bull*. She was also in *The Saint*, a pilot for a revival of the 1960s TV show, but it wasn’t picked up for television and went straight to video on demand.

Dushku and businessman Peter Palandjian married in August 2018 and had a son, Philip Bourne, in 2019. Their second son, Bodan, was born in August 2021.

Dushku also had a positive update: she graduated from college in May 2020, joining the rest of her class in a virtual ceremony. She’s now planning to pursue a Master’s degree in Holistic Counseling, focusing on psychology and its practical applications.

He truly believed in her! Missy’s brother, Cliff, tried to act aloof and sophisticated – he even read a provocative book called *The Naked Ape* during football games – but he found himself attracted to the cheerful and lively Tor.

Like many actors, Bradford began his career as a child. He gained recognition in the early 2000s with roles in the thrillers *Swim Fan* and *Clockstoppers*. He’s also known for his memorable part as Ryan, Josh Lyman’s intern, on *The West Wing*, and for playing a hesitant hero in Clint Eastwood’s *Flags of Our Fathers*. Beyond these roles, he’s appeared in numerous independent films and recent television shows like *NCIS*, *Shooter*, and *Magnum P.I.*. Interestingly, in 2005, he joined Chris Noth, Damon Dash, and Petra Nemcova as an investor in the New York City nightclub NA, where Eliza Dushku even celebrated a birthday.

Bradford married wife Andrea Watrouse (his actual last name) in 2018.

Gabrielle Union is still known for her role as a cheerleader, and the iconic cheerleading outfit from her movie, featuring the East Compton Clovers, has been kept within her family.

Honestly, I’ve been following Gabrielle Union forever, and she just keeps getting better! Since those early roles, she’s been *in* everything – I mean, The Brothers, Deliver Us From Eva, even Bad Boys II! And it doesn’t stop there – The Perfect Holiday, Cadillac Records, Think Like a Man, Top Five, Birth of a Nation, Girls Trip, and Breaking In… she’s incredible! I was so proud when she won that NAACP Image Award for Being Mary Jane – she absolutely *killed* it as that journalist. And now? She’s brought that amazing Syd Burnett character back from Bad Boys II in LA’s Finest! It’s like she’s tailor-made for that role, and I’m obsessed with seeing her back in action.

Gabrielle Union served as a judge on *America’s Got Talent* for one season. After leaving the show, she claimed the set had a harmful work environment and that she experienced racism and sexism. However, an independent investigation found no evidence that anyone connected with the show made inappropriate comments about her appearance, according to NBC and the show’s producers, who released their findings on May 27, 2020.

Before the investigation concluded, Gabrielle Union told *Variety* that she wants to see lasting improvements – not just on the show, but throughout the entire company. She explained that she’s aiming to build a workplace that’s truly happy, productive, welcoming to everyone, and prioritizes the health and safety of its employees, and believes this starts with leadership.

Gabrielle Union married former NBA player Dwyane Wade in 2014, after dating for nearly six years. They had their daughter, Kaavia James, through surrogacy in 2018. Union is also a stepmother to Wade’s three children from previous relationships.

Courtney didn’t wear anything under her cheer pants, so… there’s that. 

Following her appearance in *Bring It On*, Eliza Dushku played Gloria, arguably the most formidable villain Sunnydale had faced, during the fifth season of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*. She also appeared in the 2002 film *The Rules of Attraction*, along with several horror movies and supernatural TV shows, including a guest role on *Tru Calling*, a show also starring Dushku.

Clare cofounded the website Geeknation because, as she explained at Oz Comic-Con in 2018, she’s a dedicated fan just like everyone else. She also really enjoyed hosting the podcast *Take Five With Clare Kramer*, and continued to work as an actor – recently appearing in the Lifetime Movie *Dating to Kill* – while also hosting and moderating events for fans.

Oh my gosh, you guys, Courtney Kramer is *married*! To Brian Keathley, a producer – seriously, perfect, right? And they have *four* kids! But the best part? She’s one of us! She totally calls herself a ‘Mother of Dragons’ on Instagram – I checked, obviously – and it just *gets* me. It’s amazing to see someone so high-profile embrace the fandom like that. I mean, she *is* a Mother of Dragons, let’s be real!

She fondly remembered filming *Bring It On*, telling GEEKisH that she initially struggled to understand the script because of all the cheerleading terminology. Despite that, she was eager to join the project. After eight auditions, she finally landed the role and then went through intense cheerleading training to prepare.

Five years after first appearing in the film *Clueless*, Bilderback portrayed Whitney – a character who initially seems mean, but ultimately shows herself to be a supportive member of the group.

While she’s best known for her role in *Bring It On*, Eliza Dushku has consistently worked in television and film. She had a recurring part as Heather on *Dawson’s Creek* and went on to appear in popular shows like *House*, *Heroes*, *Cold Case*, *Numb3rs*, *Castle*, *The Mentalist*, *Bones*, *NCIS: New Orleans*, and *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*. A skilled martial artist and dancer, she’s performed all her own stunts throughout her career.

In a 2018 interview with the Huffington Post, Korean-American actress Bilderback explained that she often landed roles originally written for white actresses or where ethnicity wasn’t a factor. She felt fortunate to avoid being typecast as solely an Asian actress, attributing this to being among the first in a wave of actresses – including Lucy Liu and Lindsay Price – to break that mold at the time.

When asked about still auditioning after all her experience, Bilderback-who tried out for *Crazy Rich Asians* but wasn’t cast-explained that she’s always been lucky to have consistent work. However, she personally feels she should be further along in her career at this point.

This year has been a turning point for me because I started writing again. I completed a pilot for a half-hour comedy series, inspired by my own experiences, and I’m now producing my first feature film. I realized there are many paths to success as an actress, not just through traditional auditions.

Isis’ fiery friend and squad mate Jenelope didn’t hold back, leaving diplomacy to her captain.

Natina Reed was a singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the girl group Blaque. Their second album was released in 2001. Before dedicating herself fully to music, Reed also acted in the TV show *V.I.P.* and the film *Honey*, starring Jessica Alba (Blaque’s song “I’m Good” was featured on the *Honey* soundtrack). Blaque disbanded in the mid-2000s, but came together for a short reunion in 2010.

In 2002, she and rapper Kurupt had a son named Tren, and her father, Reverend Paul Reed, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she was overjoyed to become a mother. From then on, Tren was her main focus.

Reed tragically passed away in October 2012 at the age of 32, after being struck by a car while walking on Lawrenceville Highway, near Lilburn, Georgia.

In 2013, Brandi Williams, who was in the group Blaque with Shamari DeVoe, shared a memory with You Know I Got Soul. She recalled the last time they were all together – in the recording studio. They didn’t realize it would be their final time together, and it felt completely normal, like they hadn’t been apart. It was as if they’d been seeing each other every day, and being in the studio together that last time felt like they’d never been separated.

When Big Red graduated, the Toros were left without a coach, and it quickly came out that she had been stealing from the East Compton Clovers and other cheerleading teams for a long time. What a terrible thing to do!

Since then, Sloane has consistently worked in both film and television. He’s appeared in movies like *She’s Out of My League* and *The Other Guys*, and the *Horrible Bosses* films. On TV, he’s been on a wide variety of shows including *The West Wing*, *Entourage*, *How I Met Your Mother*, *Weeds*, *Psych*, *Kroll Show*, and *Drunk History*.

She married talent agent Dar Rollins in 2004, and they have two daughters, Maxwell and Pippa.

Oh, Sparky Polastri, the charlatan expert on the difference between jazz hands and spirit fingers.

Amy Poehler’s comedy partner, Matt Besser, is one of the original members of the famous improv group Upright Citizens Brigade. He’s contributed his skills to a number of popular comedies, including *Anchorman*, *Talladega Nights*, *Reno 911!*, *Step Brothers*, *Workaholics*, *Key & Peele*, and *Drunk History*, and many other funny projects.

He has two children, Declan and Josie, with wife Katie.

East Compton Clover Lava also had Isis’ back no matter what.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’ve always admired Shamari DeVoe – you might remember her as one of the members of the group Blaque alongside Natalie Reed. Beyond her music career, she’s built a beautiful life with her husband, Ronnie DeVoe, of the iconic groups Bell Biv DeVoe and New Edition. They’ve been happily married since 2005, and in 2017, they became proud parents to adorable twin boys, Roman and Ronald!

In 2018 Fears joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and appeared in season 11.

Tor’s unpleasant boyfriend, Aaron, began cheating on her almost immediately after he left for college, but she did manage to confront him about it.

I was such a fan of Hayden Christensen – I first noticed him in films like *Detroit Rock City* and *Boys and Girls*. After his role in *Bring It On*, he had smaller parts in *Legally Blonde* and even showed up on *Jack & Jill*. It was really surprising to me when he seemed to step away from acting around 2002, especially after a solid ten years in the business. It was incredibly sad to hear about his passing in 2009 at just 34 years old, and the details were never really made public.

During a conversation with Missy, Jan awkwardly tried to emphasize his straightness by revealing that Courtney doesn’t wear underwear under her cheerleading uniform. He shared this knowing she intentionally did so, and she gave him a significant look beforehand, suggesting she was aware he might mention it.

Following appearances in films like *The Skulls II* and *Miracle* (where his background in Canadian junior ice hockey came in handy), he stepped away from acting in 2010. He now focuses on raising his three children with his wife, Chyler Leigh-best known for her role as Lexi on *Grey’s Anatomy*. The couple met while auditioning for a WB series called *Saving Graces*. Though the show never aired, their connection did.

As far as sexuality goes, Les—as he told Missy—was “controversial.” Oh, 2000.

I was thrilled to see Matthew Ritter in so many films after his early roles, including favorites like *The Wedding Planner*, *Wishcraft*, and the really moving *We Are Marshall*. It was a surprise when he stepped away from acting around 2007, but he didn’t disappear completely! He transitioned into producing and the business world, eventually becoming an executive with the Virgin Group, and then even started his own interactive advertising company called USeek. It’s amazing to see how his career evolved!

Ritter shared how his interest in producing began on the set of *Bring It On*. While filming in San Diego, he approached a lead producer and asked if he could shadow him, hoping to learn the ropes. The producer playfully pointed out that Ritter already had a great job as an actor, but eventually agreed to mentor him, giving Ritter a valuable, firsthand learning experience.

Soon after, I joined the production and agency team at Stafford, a role I still hold. We began creating short advertising campaigns and collaborating with Comcast’s sales teams to develop innovative proposals and bundled offers. We also experimented with early e-commerce click-through technologies, which ultimately inspired the creation of USeek.

Okay, so you won’t BELIEVE this. When the Toros were prepping for Nationals – seriously, they were throwing everything at the wall to get creative – they had a mime coach come in. And get this… it was Peyton Reed! Yes, *the* Peyton Reed, the director of the movie, teaching them how to, like, *be* mimes! It was so meta and amazing, I couldn’t even breathe when I found out. He was right there, showing them the ropes! It just proves how much he cared about making the movie perfect, down to every little detail.

Before directing feature films, he gained experience in television, including work on *Mr. Show With Bob and David* and *The Love Bug* for *Wonderful World of Disney*. He made his feature film debut with *Bring It On* and has since directed popular movies like *Down With Love*, *The Break-Up*, *Yes Man*, *Ant-Man*, and *Ant-Man and the Wasp*. He’s currently working on *Ant-Man 3*.

When asked in 2018 if big-budget Marvel movies were overshadowing the smaller films he started his career with, he didn’t think so.

He told Tech Crunch that breaking into the comedy world isn’t any harder now than it used to be. In fact, he thinks it might even be a little easier, with studios and streaming services like Netflix investing in comedy projects. Ultimately, he believes it’s always been a challenging field.

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2025-09-27 01:20