Eliza Dushku has spent the better part of her career playing various ass-kicking heroines, but she may have set a personal record in the new Machinima web series The Gable 5.

Created by Kevin Tancharoen, who's struck gold on Machinima in the past with his Mortal Kombat: Legacy series, Gable 5 focuses on a group of five uniquely gifted people who are put into a mysterious and violent government experiment that could change humankind.

Screen Rant recently had the opportunity to chat with Dushku about the pilot episode of the series, which you can check out above, as well as her connection to fans and her future ambitions.

SR: What attracted you to The Gable 5?

I'd say the world that we were going to be messing up and playing in; Kevin Tancharoen, who I think is a brilliant storyteller and creator; and Machinima. Those were the top three reasons I got involved.

SR: There are so many more of these web series now than say three years ago, and it's largely in part to companies like Machinima who are driving original content. What does it mean for you as an actress, and your peers in the acting community, to have the web as a viable channel for new projects?

As an actor, it's exciting to have new ways to have your work accessible to your fans. Sometimes, networks and studios in the traditional model can get things hung up, or there are crazy notes processes. I think this is a more direct way for the creator to bring their original idea to the table and let the audience decide if they want to see more and get behind it and share it. It's faster and stronger and better. [Laughter] But I've still got love for the studios! They do things right sometimes.

SR: And it's not like you're sacrificing production value. Watching the pilot episode, you're kicking as much ass in this nine minutes as I've seen in anything you've done.

I think it was actually a new record for me. We shot it in a day and I think I took out like 15 dudes. I really enjoyed it.

SR: Kevin is a bit of a pioneer when it comes to web content with the work that he's done with the Mortal Kombat series. How has it been working with him on this project?

I'm a massive fan. I was completely struck by how talented he is and what a great vision he has. He was a joy to work with. He has a young, fresh sensibility. You didn't have the sense that he's done this a zillion times, so he has a different kind of passion and energy that was really infectious. I think he really brought it.

We talked about the character and how to get her where she needed to go and the world he has in mind beyond this is super exciting. We have confidence that the fans will absorb that and demand more.

SR: You have a really loyal fan community that you engage with regularly through things like Twitter and Instagram, or at comic book conventions. Why is it important to you to have that type of immediacy and accessibility to fans?

The accessibility to your fans has really changed. I've been doing this since I was nine years old, so I've lived through the time where the only way to get the message out there was through a publicist or multiple different middle men and I was always frustrated by that because I have a lot to say. I'm kind of an open book and I really enjoy the back and forth of hearing what people want to know, versus what one interviewer or publication wants to know.

I get to feel the way the work that I do effects their lives and that fuels you to keep doing what you're doing and find new stories that you want to tell and be a part of. I love it and I love them. I wouldn't be here without them.

SR: As we were talking about before, you kick a lot of ass in this one, which is no surprise since you've done that throughout so much of your career. This even extends to your voice work, where you’ve done a couple major comic book characters: Catwoman and She-Hulk. What is it you like about doing voice work for comic book animations?

It's fun because you're the voice, but it's a different physicality. You get to be kind of a shape-shifter, but without seven hours of makeup and hair. Playing She-Hulk and Catwoman and trying to infuse them with something a little bit different. And getting to do work with some incredible veteran voice over actors like Fred (Tatasciore) and Clancy (Brown) and Seth Green. These guys have taught me a lot about how to tune the instruments and play with my instrument in a way that I didn't know before. And of course it gives me a chance to be a part of these iconic worlds and characters.

SR: Even though you've been in the business for a long time, you're still young and have a lot ahead of you. Where do you want to go? What's next?

I really value that I was raised by a feminist mother and three female-empowering men in my brothers and father, so I was never told I couldn't do something because I was a girl. I was really blessed to have that kind of upbringing, so I love that I get to be that for people. Fans will say that characters I've played have made them feel they can confront an abuser or made them feel strong or see their situation in a different way. What more could I want to do?

For myself, I like to laugh and mix it up. Now is actually a time when I'm looking to go back to school and get a degree and have another career. Keep one foot in this world, but also do some other things.

--

The Gable 5 can be seen only on Machinima Prime.