Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of ‘Buffy,’ addresses show’s complex legacy
For a whole generation, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s and Buffy Summers’ stories will remain intertwined. The relationship between actresses and characters has been complicated to manage in recent decades, as new reports reveal what really happened on set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer It was a cult TV favourite during its seven-season run. Allegations of “toxic” behavior by the show’s controversial creatorJoss Whedon has been documented by Buffy Amber Benson, Charisma Carpenter, and Amber Benson are co-stars. And while Gellar has publicly referred To Buffy She describes herself as an “extremely toxic male group” and has avoided talking about the experiences she had during her long collaboration with Whedon.
In a new interview with The Hollywood ReporterGellar indicated that she will continue to keep her silence. “I’ll never tell my full story because I don’t get anything out of it,” says the 45-year-old actress, who is returning to the small screen this month as a cast member on the Paramount+ series, Wolf Pack. “I’ve said all I’m going to say because nobody wins. Everybody loses.”
Gellar didn’t mention Whedon by name since a 2021 Instagram post Carpenter’s public allegations led to Carpenter’s resignation. “While I am proud to be associated with Buffy Summers’s name, I don’t want to forever be associated with Joss Whedon,” she wrote. She also stated that “I stand alongside all survivors of abuse and I am proud of their courage in speaking out.”
Talking with THRGellar expresses pride in the character she created that made an impact on television. Gellar says, “I will always be proud” Buffy. I will always be proud to see what my castmates did and what I did. Is it a great working environment? No. But it’s OK to love Buffy for what we created because I think it’s pretty spectacular.”
Despite this, she confesses to having mixed feelings after rewatching it with her children and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. Gellar said that Gellar and her family watched the first five seasons together, but then took a break when they got to Season 6. Season 6 features a attempted rape, as well as other mature topics. “I have trouble understanding.” [season] She admits that she was six. “It wasn’t appropriate for them at the time, and I just don’t want to rewatch it.”
Gellar was reluctant to share her “full” story, but Prinze offered a glimpse of what she faced. “She had to deal with a lot of bulls*** on that show for all seven years it was on,” the actor tells THR. “The stuff they pressed upon her, without any credit or real salary, while she was often the only one doing 15-hour days … yet she was still able to get the message of that character out every single week and do it with pride and do it professionally.”
Emma Caulfield, Gellar’s costar and star, suggested that Whedon was jealous about her star’s success during the series. “It was evident that Sarah lacked support to be a leader she needed and desired to be,” the actress who appeared in the Disney+ hit recently said. WandaVision. “There was a great deal of resentment, animosity.” [toward her] from a certain someone — and I suppose now we can all guess who.”
Gellar prefers to look forward, rather than backwards. THR Profile looking forwards, showing how she transformed her negative experiences into positive change in order to help the new generation of actors with whom she is working. Wolf Pack. “I hope that I’ve set up an infrastructure, a safety net for these actors that I didn’t have,” she remarks. “My generation just didn’t have that.”
Wolf Pack Paramount+ premieres January 26