With the news that the beloved TV hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is getting a reboot, star Sarah Michelle Gellar reflected that the original’s inclusivity was one of its strengths.
Gellar played Buffy on the WB from 1997 to 2003, slaying vampires and other creatures while dishing out witty quips and becoming a hero to young female fans. But while the show empowered its titular star, Gellar suggested it didn’t do so at the expense of its male characters.
“What I loved about Buffy was she was inclusive,” Gellar told Glamour. “Sometimes I think we go so far and become anti-man, and it’s not about that. It’s about just finding our inner strength and being accepting of the people around us. That was the ultimate message of who she was. She was different, and she accepted herself, and her friends accepted her, and they made their own family. And that’s what life is really about. And so that message, I think, more than ever, is timely.”
But while she praised “Buffy’s” message, Gellar has also acknowledged in recent years how “toxic” the set could be sometimes. Her comments came at a time when accusations of an abusive work environment surrounding creator Joss Whedon were swirling.
“For so long, I was on a set that I think was known for being an extremely toxic male set, and so that was ingrained in my head that that was what all sets were like,” Gellar said in 2022.
While Gellar is a tour de force in her professional career, she has often spoken fondly of her role as a wife and mom too.
“It’s always challenging,” Gellar said during her Glamour interview. “Being a parent is a full-time job. Your mind is always on them, thinking about them, worrying about them. But it’s also good for children to see parents doing something that they love and having a career and doing something that’s for them. So it’s a balance and there are good days and bad days, and you do the best you can. That’s really all you can do in life.”
SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR BLAMES AMERICA’S MARRIAGE WOES ON ‘DISPOSABLE’ SOCIETY
In an interview with Fox News Digital in December, the actress also sounded off on how society has negatively impacted the institution of marriage. In September, she and her husband, fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr., celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary.
“I think everything takes work in you, whether it’s a friendship or a work relationship or a marriage,” Gellar told Fox News Digital.
“You have to put the work in,” she continued. “And we live in an extremely disposable society now.”
“Your phone breaks, you don’t fix it. You get a new one,” Gellar added. “And I think that’s a lot of the attitude toward relationships.”
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG’S ‘BUFFY’ CO-STARS LEAD HOLLYWOOD TRIBUTE TO ACTRESS
The “Buffy” community experienced tragedy last month when Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s little sister Dawn on the original series, died at age 39. Gellar mourned her former co-star and friend in an emotional post on Instagram, referencing one of her most memorable quotes on the show.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you,” Gellar wrote.
Glamour asked Gellar to respond to the enthusiastic fan reaction to the announced reboot.
“Definitely overwhelmed, but also that’s why I am doing it,” she said. “When you realize what it means and how excited [sic], you’re on the right track with something.”
