Sarah Michelle Gellar’s name is almost as synonymous with the Nineties as Tamagotchis, the AOL dial-up noise, and jelly sandals, so popular was her portrayal of teenager Buffy Summers in the hit supernatural TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Reflecting on what her most famous character would be up to in 2023, Gellar tells ELLE UK during a game of Ask Me Anything: ‘Hopefully she has a little more peace in her life because the weight of the world isn’t on her, and now she has her pack of “Slayerettes”, as we like to call them, to help her with her burden.’
On what she’d do differently if she could go back to the first day of filming the series, which aired from 1997-2003, Gellar jokes: ‘I’d need a lot of plastic surgery because I don’t look like a teenager. It’d be kind of difficult! I don’t think the approach would be any different. She was such a beautiful character and I don’t think that changes, but I’d probably recommend they get someone a little younger.
‘I don’t believe in regrets, but I think if there was one thing [I'd say] it’d be "to take it all in a little bit",’ she says on what advice she’d give her younger self approaching the character. 'It’s the same thing I say now to everybody because we’re so busy taking pictures on our phone and not living it... I was so into the work and had so much on my plate […] and I’d probably just say “take it in, it’s pretty cool”.’
Gellar currently stars in Paramount+ UK’s new TV supernatural series Wolf Pack, which follows a teenage boy and girl whose lives are forever changed when a California wildfire awakens a goosebump-inducing supernatural creature. Meanwhile, Gellar stars as arson investigator Kristin Ramsey.
At last year's The Wrap’s Power of Women Summit in LA, Gellar spoke during a roundtable about the 'extremely toxic male set' while filming Buffy. On the advice she now likes to give younger actors, she tells us: ‘Sets are a really emotional place and especially as an actor your emotions are so on the sleeve that sometimes it’s hard because everything comes pouring out. But if you’re feeling something, say it.’
With a career spanning over 30 years and appearances in everything from Scooby Doo, The Grudge, Cruel Intentions, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Gellar says that while she has 'stolen' several items from sets over the years, such as Buffy’s Mister Pointy and the headmasters wardrobe from Do Revenge, she always has her eye on the furniture. ‘My favourite is when you’re on set you normally get a chair which has your name on it and the project [title], so I’ve collected over the years all of my chairbacks,’ she admits.
Gellar recently opened on the US chat show The View about a night out she once had with The White Lotus star and Golden Globe 2023 winner Jennifer Coolidge. After meeting at a Christian Siriano fashion show, Gellar recalls asking the actor to come and join her and Siriano for a night out.
'She was in her hotel room, asleep', Gellar explained on the show. 'And she was like, "OK, I’ll come!" You can’t get me out past 9 [pm] if I’m home ― forget it. She got dressed, came to the club, danced all night ... She’s awesome.'
Opening up about Coolidge to ELLE UK, she adds: ‘I don’t know Jennifer Coolidge well enough to tell you things you don’t know, but I can tell you what you probably already do know and I can reiterate that she’s awesome, she’s kind, she’s funny, and she’s just cool as *beep*.’
From her Cruel Intentions character Kathryn Merteuil’s leather miniskirts and corsets, to Scooby Doo’s Daphne Blake’s lavender-hued skirt suits and matching headband, it’s safe to say Gellar has learned a lot when it comes to style.
‘Know your own body,’ she says of her biggest fashion tip. ‘I think it’s taken me a long time to understand that you [can't] fit something perfectly. So when it’s something important, like a wedding or a party, get a bigger size – get it tailored. I’m a big believer in that. Because it’ll make it look that much better on you. But never get down on yourself because no one is one size.
‘We come in all shapes and sizes, including me. I come in different shapes and sizes depending on the day.’
From taking ELLE UK on a night out at London's Sketch bar for a drink to her love of Netflix's The Crown, watch Sarah Michelle Gellar's full Ask Me Anything video at the top of this article.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
