Sarah Michelle Gellar
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Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in
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, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the teen drama series ''
Swans Crossing ''Swans Crossing'' is an American teen drama television series created by Mardee Kravit and Ned Kandel. The series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Daniel, Stacey Moseley, and Eddie Robinson. It aired in syndication from June 29 to September ...
'' (1992) was followed by her role as
Kendall Hart Kendall Hart is a fictional character from ''All My Children'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar from February 24, 1993, to July 3, 1995, and by Alicia Minshew from January 2002 unti ...
on the ABC daytime soap opera ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'' (1993–1995), for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. Gellar received international recognition for her portrayal of Buffy Summers on the WB/ UPN television series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although the events of the film are not consid ...
'' (1997–2003), which earned her five
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
, a
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
, and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
nomination. In film, her most commercially successful performances include ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely base ...
'' (1997), ''
Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, ...
'' (1997), '' Cruel Intentions'' (1999), ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'' (2002) and '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed'' (2004), ''
The Grudge ''The Grudge'' is a 2004 supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco, and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film '' Ju-On: The Grudge'', i ...
'' (2004) and '' TMNT'' (2007). She has also appeared in various independent films such as '' Southland Tales'' (2006), '' The Air I Breathe'' (2007), and ''
Veronika Decides to Die ''Veronika Decides to Die'' ( pt, Veronika Decide Morrer) is a novel by Paulo Coelho. It tells the story of Veronika, a 24-year-old Slovenian who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself. This book is ...
'' (2009). Since 2009, Gellar has occasionally ventured back into television, headlining the CW drama thriller series '' Ringer'' (2011–2012) and the CBS comedy '' The Crazy Ones'' (2013–2014), and providing her voice for the
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animated series '' Masters of the Universe: Revelation'' (since 2021). In 2015, Gellar, along with Galit Laibow and Greg Fleishman, founded
Foodstirs Foodstirs is an American cooking and lifestyle company that produces baking kits, mixes and baked treats for sale online, by subscription, or in retail stores nationwide. One of the company's co-founders is actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. It is he ...
, an
e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manag ...
startup selling baking kits, and in 2017, she released her own cookbook, ''Stirring Up Fun with Food''.


Early life

Gellar was born on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
, New York. She is the only child of Rosellen (née Greenfield), a nursery school teacher, and Arthur Gellar, a garment worker. Both of her parents are
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, though Gellar's family also had a Christmas tree during her childhood. In 1984, when she was seven, her parents divorced and she was raised by her mother on Manhattan's
Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the we ...
. While growing up with her mother, she lost contact with her father, from whom she remained estranged until his death in 2001; she once described him as "non-existent", and in the early 2000s, she stated: "My father, you can just say, is not in the picture. I'm not being deliberately evasive about him, it's just that there's so little to say." Besides being a working child at the time, Gellar was a competitive figure skater, once finishing in third place at a New York State regional competition, as well as having a black belt in
taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
. Gellar was given a partial scholarship to study at the Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, as her mother was not able to pay full tuition, for which she was constantly bullied. She said in an interview with ''
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'': "I was different and that's the one thing you can't be at school, because you're ostracised. I didn't have the money these kids had". Gellar was not present in class for most of the time at the school as she had to work in several acting projects simultaneously, recalling that she "had more absences in the first month than you're supposed to have for an entire year. I was telling them that I had back problems and had to go to the doctor the whole time". Gellar then briefly attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, but dropped out due to acting obligations; the teachers threatened to fail her because of her constant absence from classes as she was busy going to auditions, despite earning good grades. Gellar graduated from the
Professional Children's School Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades six through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an academic ed ...
in 1994 as a "straight A" student with a 4.0 grade average. As Gellar spent significant time working on ''All My Children'' while "trying to graduate", the majority of her senior year was completed through guided study.


Career


1980s

At the age of four, she was spotted by an agent in a restaurant in Upper Manhattan. Two weeks later, she auditioned for a part in the
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
''An Invasion of Privacy''. At the audition, Gellar read both her own lines and those of Harper, impressing the directors enough to cast her in the role. The film aired on CBS in January 1983. She subsequently appeared in a controversial television commercial for
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant ch ...
, in which her character criticized
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
and claimed to eat only at Burger King. The ad led to a
lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...
by McDonald's, naming Gellar and banning her from eating at the food chain; she recalled in a 2004 interview: "I wasn't allowed to eat there. It was tough because, when you're a little kid, McDonald's is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies." While growing up, Gellar also worked as a model for Wilhelmina and acted in numerous television commercials. During the 1980s, Gellar played minor roles in the films ''
Over the Brooklyn Bridge ''Over the Brooklyn Bridge'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by Menahem Golan, written by Arnold Somkin, and starring Elliott Gould. It has the working title of ''My Darling Shiksa'', referring to a Shiksa, a woman ou ...
'' (1984), ''
Funny Farm Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
'' (1988) and '' High Stakes'' (1989), and also guest starred in various television series, such as '' Spenser: For Hire'' and ''
Crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar ...
''. At the age of nine, she appeared in the off-Broadway production ''The Widow Claire''. She appeared in the Kids Klassics Sing Along videos ''Camp Melody'' and ''USS Songboat'' in 1986 and served briefly as a co-host of the teen girl talk show ''Girl Talk'', which aired in 1989.


1990s

In 1991, she was cast as a young
Jacqueline Bouvier Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...
in ''
A Woman Named Jackie ''A Woman Named Jackie'' is a 1991 American television miniseries chronicling the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was based on C. David Heymann's 1989 book of the same title. The miniseries was split into three parts: *''A Woman Named Jac ...
''. The miniseries won the
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Limited Series. Gellar next took on the leading role in the 1992 syndicated teen serial ''
Swans Crossing ''Swans Crossing'' is an American teen drama television series created by Mardee Kravit and Ned Kandel. The series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Daniel, Stacey Moseley, and Eddie Robinson. It aired in syndication from June 29 to September ...
'', which chronicled the lives of a group of wealthy teenagers. The series ran for one season and earned Gellar two
Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
nominations, for Best Young Actress in a New Television Series and for Best Young Actress in an Off-Primetime Series. She made her debut in the soap opera ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'' in 1993, playing
Kendall Hart Kendall Hart is a fictional character from ''All My Children'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar from February 24, 1993, to July 3, 1995, and by Alicia Minshew from January 2002 unti ...
, the long-lost teenage daughter of character Erica Kane ( Susan Lucci). As she got the role, Gellar was complimented as having the acting talent and the "forceful personality" needed to go up against Lucci's experience; Kendall was supposed to be like a younger version of Erica. Her stint on the show was successful as "longtime fans of the soap saw her as the second coming of Erica". Writers showcased her more after her initial reception and she became a household name to the soap opera medium. In 1995, at the age of eighteen, she won a
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series for the role. The same year, Gellar left the show to pursue other acting opportunities. Gellar moved to Los Angeles following her departure from ''All My Children'', and in 1996, she read the script for
Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television serie ...
's television series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although the events of the film are not consid ...
'', which follows Buffy Summers, a teenager burdened with the responsibility of fighting occult foes and supernatural occurrences. She screen tested several times originally for the role of
Cordelia Chase Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''; she also appeared on ''Buffy's'' spin-off series, ''Angel''. Portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, the character appears as a s ...
, but after approaching Whedon and producers about playing Buffy Summers, she auditioned again and was eventually cast in the title role. The show premiered in March 1997, to widespread critical and popular acclaim, and Gellar's Buffy, created to subvert the stereotypical female
horror movie Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...
victim, was described by
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as one of the 100 greatest female characters in U.S. television. ''Buffy'' ran for seven seasons and 144 episodes, and during its broadcast, earned Gellar five
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
, the
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
for Best Genre Television Actress and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She sang during the series' musical episode " Once More, with Feeling", which spawned an original cast album, released in 2002. During the early airing of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', Gellar made her first major film appearances in two successful
slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
s. In ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely base ...
'', she took on the role of an ill-fated aspiring beauty actress Helen Shivers. Budgeted at US$17million, the movie made US$125million globally. ''
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'' found the cast to be "solid", in what ''
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'' described as a "competent but uninspired" film. For her part, Gellar earned a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Horror and a MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. In ''
Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, ...
'' (also 1997), Gellar played a likewise ill-fated vain character, this time that of a
Sorority Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
sister. She filmed her scenes in between shots of ''Buffy'' and had only recently finished work on ''I Know What You Did Last Summer''. Despite the hectic scheduling, she agreed to perform in ''Scream 2'' without having read the script, on the basis of the success of the first film. ''Scream 2'' grossed over US$172million worldwide. In 1998, Gellar hosted for the first time ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'', and provided the voice of the Gwendy Doll in '' Small Soldiers'', a moderate commercial success. Gellar also had her first appearance on the 'Most Beautiful' list by ''People'' magazine, which cemented her "
It girl An "it girl" is an attractive young woman, who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th century. ...
" status at the time. In 1999, she had a
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in the
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
'' She's All That'', and took on the lead role of a struggling restaurant owner in the critically panned romantic comedy '' Simply Irresistible''. Gellar once called it a "bad choice", but
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, on the other hand, found her to be "lovely" in what he described as an "old-fashioned" comedy. In '' Cruel Intentions'' (1999), a modern-day retelling of '' Les Liaisons dangereuses'', Gellar played
Kathryn Merteuil Kathryn Merteuil is a fictional character who appears in ''Cruel Intentions'' and ''Cruel Intentions 2'', portrayed by actresses Sarah Michelle Gellar and Amy Adams, respectively. Based on the Marquise de Merteuil in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's 17 ...
, a brunette cocaine addict with an appetite for manipulating people. The US$10million film was a hit at the box office, grossing US$75million worldwide. Roger Ebert felt that she is "effective as a bright girl who knows exactly how to use her act as a tramp", and in an interview with ''
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'', director Roger Kumble, describing her work in the movie, said: "She unquestionably is the most professional actor I ever worked with". Gellar and co-star
Selma Blair Selma Blair Beitner (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She played a number of roles in films and on television before obtaining recognition for her leading role in the film '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998). Her breakthrough came when she s ...
obtained the "Best Kiss" award at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. Around that time, she guest starred in three episodes of ''
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...
'' and appeared as Debbie in the HBO series ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'' episode " Escape from New York".


2000s

Gellar played the daughter of a mobster in James Toback's independent drama ''
Harvard Man ''Harvard Man'' is a 2001 American crime comedy-drama thriller film written and directed by James Toback, and starring Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joey Lauren Adams, Rebecca Gayheart, Ray Allen, and Eric Stoltz. Plot The story concern ...
'', which premiered at the
2001 Cannes Film Festival The 54th Cannes Film Festival started on 14 May and ran until 20 May 2001. Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullmann was the Jury President. The Palme d'Or went to the Italian film '' The Son's Room'' by Nanni Moretti. The festival opened with ...
. While the film found a limited release in theaters, Gellar's performance in it, along with ''Cruel Intentions'', helped her shed her good girl image. Gellar portrayed Daphne Blake in the
live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
–comedy ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'', directed by
Raja Gosnell Raja Raymond Gosnell (born December 9, 1958) is an American filmmaker and editor. He is best known for directing comedies including '' Never Been Kissed'', ''Big Momma's House'', and '' Scooby-Doo''. As well as family films including ''Home Al ...
. ''Scooby-Doo'' made over US$275million and became Gellar's most widely seen film to date. She won the Teen Choice Award in the category of Choice Movie Actress – Comedy for her part in the picture. Alongside
Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), '' Shallow Hal'' (2001), '' Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ' ...
, she hosted the 2002 MTV Movie Awards, which attracted 7.1million viewers on its June 6 broadcast, achieving the show's highest rating ever at the time. During her growing film career, Gellar continued work on the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', but she left the show after the seventh season. When asked why, she explained, "This isn't about leaving for a career in movies, or in theater – it's more of a personal decision. I need a rest." In her feature in ''Esquire'' magazine, Gellar expressed her pride for her work on ''Buffy'', "I truly believe that it is one of the greatest shows of all time and it will go down in history as that. And I don't feel that that is a cocky statement. We changed the way that people looked at television." After the end of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', Gellar provided her voice for the character Gina Vendetti in ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' episode " The Wandering Juvie", which aired in March 2004. Her next film was '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed'' (2004), reprising the role of Daphne. While '' IGN'' felt that Gellar exhibited "marked mprovementover erwork in 002's ''Scooby-Doo'', the film was a commercial success, grossing US$181.4million around the globe. In the horror remake ''
The Grudge ''The Grudge'' is a 2004 supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco, and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film '' Ju-On: The Grudge'', i ...
'' (also 2004), Gellar portrayed Karen Davis, an exchange student living and working in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
who becomes exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse. Critic Rob Blackwelder wrote that she "played her part well, and her fear and disorientation are terrifically enhanced by the decision to keep the riginalsetting in this remake". The film was a major box office hit, grossing more than US$110million in the US, and US$187million worldwide. She received a MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Frightened Performance as well as a nomination for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Thriller for her role. Since 2005, she has voiced several characters in 13 episodes of the animated television series ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The write ...
'', as of 2018. Gellar starred in Richard Kelly's '' Southland Tales'' (2006) as an adult film star working on creating a
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...
show. Gellar had met with Kelly and was drawn to the original ideas for the movie, accepting the role before she even read the script. The film found a limited audience in theaters, but J. Hoberman for ''
Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
'' remarked that the director "contrives two memorable comic performances", one of them Gellar's. In 2006, Gellar also briefly reprised her role of Karen in the critically panned sequel '' The Grudge 2'', and starred in the psychological thriller '' The Return'', as a businesswoman haunted by memories of her childhood and the mysterious death of a young woman. The film was a critical and commercial failure, grossing only US$11million. ''
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'' called it a "career stagnation". In 2007, Gellar voiced Ella in the poorly received animated film '' Happily N'Ever After'', and also
April O'Neil April O'Neil is a fictional character from the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' comics. She is the first human ally of the Ninja Turtles. Her main love interest in the series is Casey Jones. April made her first appearance in the Mirage comi ...
in '' TMNT'', which made US$95million. She starred in the romantic comedy '' Suburban Girl'' and the drama '' The Air I Breathe'', both of which were screened at the 2007
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...
. In ''Suburban Girl'', she took the role of a New York City editor and the love interest of a much older influential man. The film was released for DVD in January 2008. In the likewise little-seen film ''The Air I Breathe'', Gellar portrayed an up-and-coming pop singer. ''The New York Times'' called it a "gangster movie with delusions of grandeur", while ''DVD Talk'' noted that "her character here has the deepest emotional arc, and she hits all the right notes." In 2009, Gellar starred in the psychological thriller '' Possession'' as a lawyer whose life is thrown into chaos after a car accident sends her husband and brother-in-law into comas. Due to financial problems at Yari Film Group, the film went to DVD in March 2010. In the film adaptation ''Veronika Decides to Die'', Gellar starred as a young depressed woman who rediscovers the joy in life when she finds out that she only has days to live following a suicide attempt. Like ''Possession'', the film failed to find a proper release in North American theaters, and was released for VOD in 2015. Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' found the actress to be "reasonably compelling" in what he called a "ponderous and silly misfire".


2010s

Gellar took a two-year hiatus from acting following the birth of her daughter in 2009, and in 2011, she signed to star and work as executive producer for a new drama titled '' Ringer'', in which she played the dual role of twin sisters, one of whom is on the run and manages to hide by assuming the wealthy life of the other. Gellar has stated that part of her decision to return to a television series was because it allowed her to both work and raise her child. The series received positive reviews from critics; ''
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'' found her to be "awesome" and "fantastic", while '' TV Line'' felt she "does a fine job" as both characters. ''Ringer'' went on to have a large fan base, but it was canceled after the first season. For her portrayal, she received several award nominations, including one for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Television Actress – Drama. In September 2011, Gellar returned as a guest star on the ABC soap opera ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'' before the show's ending but not as Kendall Hart; she portrayed a patient at Pine Valley Hospital who tells Maria Santos that she is " Erica Kane's daughter", and states that she saw vampires before they became trendy—a reference to ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She voiced a character in the ''
American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...
'' episode " Virtual In-Stanity", and again for the December 6, 2012, episode ("Adventures in Hayleysitting"). On September 30, 2012, she reprised her role of Gina Vendetti in the premiere episode of ''The Simpsons season 24. A fan of
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
for years, once Gellar learned that he was making the single-camera television series '' The Crazy Ones'', she contacted her friend Sarah de Sa Rego, the wife of Williams' best friend, Bobcat Goldthwait, in order to lobby for a co-starring role. She obtained the part of an advertising director who runs an agency with her father. ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' felt that Williams "shares a warm, genuine chemistry with his on-screen offspring Gellar," as part of a mixed critical response. The series was canceled after one season but earned Gellar the People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New Television Series. In March 2015, Gellar guest-starred as Cinderella in Whitney Avalon's official
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel video short '' Princess Rap Battle'', and joined the cast of '' Star Wars Rebels'' for season two, playing a recurring character known as the Seventh Sister. In early 2016, Gellar filmed for NBC a pilot presentation for a potential television series based on the cult-classic film, ''Cruel Intentions'', reprising her role of Kathryn Merteuil. The pilot was ultimately not picked up to series. On January 10, 2019, it was announced Gellar would appear in the
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
''Sometimes I Lie'', based on the best-selling book of the same name. The series would be produced by Gellar and others in association with
Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
. On May 16, 2019, Gellar appeared in the series finale of ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
''. On August 22, 2019, Gellar was attached to produce and appear in a pilot for Fox titled ''Other People's Houses''.


2020s

In February 2020, Gellar joined the main voice cast of
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
's '' Masters of the Universe: Revelation'' animated series for
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in the role of
Teela Teela is a fictional superheroine from the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Tee ...
. On March 31, 2021, it was announced that Gellar had been cast in comedy pilot ''Hot Pink'' from Amazon Studios. She also had a cameo role in Smith's film '' Clerks III'' (2022). At the 2022
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...
, it was announced that Gellar had joined the cast of the upcoming Paramount+ series, '' Wolf Pack''.


Public image

Gellar has appeared on the covers and photo sessions of numerous magazines during her career. In February 1998, she appeared in '' Seventeen'', and in subsequent years the list has grown to include ''
Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...
'', ''
Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...
'', ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', '' Glamour'', ''Esquire'', '' Allure'', ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'', '' FHM'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' and ''
Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' among others. In 1999, Gellar signed on to be the face of Maybelline – becoming the company's first celebrity spokeswoman since
Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of t ...
in the late 1970s. She was honored with a Woman of The Year Award by '' Glamour'' magazine in October 2002, and in the same year, her wax figure by
Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
, was unveiled as part of the "Trail of Vampires" exhibition. With her work in ''Buffy'' and mainstream films such as ''Cruel Intentions'', Gellar became a household name and a sex symbol across the globe, status she cemented with being a feature several times in the annual ''
Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
'' "Hot 100" list between 2002 and 2008. Wearing a black lace bra, she was on the cover of the December 2007 issue of ''Maxim'' and was named the 2009 Woman of the Year by the magazine. She was voted number 1 in ''FHM'''s edition of " 100 Sexiest Women" of 1999, and was featured in its 2005 list. She had also been in the magazine's German, Dutch, South African, Danish and Romanian editions of the 100 Sexiest Women list every year from 1998 onwards. ''Topsocialite.com'' listed her as the 8th Sexiest woman of the 1990s. She was featured in Google's Top 10 Women Searches of 2002 and 2003, coming in at No. 8, and was included in UK
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's 100 Greatest Sex Symbols in 2007, ranking at No. 16. Other appearances and listings include: ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' ranked her in its Top 100 TV Icons in 2007, and placed her No. 3 in its Top 12 Entertainers of the Year in 1998, and ''Glamour'' ranked her in its 50 Best Dressed Women in the World 2004 and 2005 at Nos. 17 and 24, respectively. BuddyTV ranked her No. 27 on TV's 100 Sexiest Women of 2011 list, as well. She has appeared in " Got Milk?" ads as well as in the
Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots (also known by the initialism STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric Kr ...
music video "
Sour Girl "Sour Girl" is a song by Stone Temple Pilots. It was written by singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Dean DeLeo and released as a single from the band's fourth album, '' No. 4''. Background Scott Weiland wrote the song about his first wife, Janina ...
" and Marcy Playground's " Comin' Up From Behind". Gellar was featured on the cover of '' Gotham'' and their main story in the March 2008 issue, in which she spoke about how her style has evolved since she passed 30. Gellar said: "It sounds clichéd, but when women turn 30, they find themselves. You become more comfortable in your own skin. Last night on '' Letterman'', I wore this skintight Herve Leger dress. Two years ago, three years ago? I would never have worn it."


Other endeavors


Charitable activities

Gellar is an active advocate for various charities, including
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
research, Project Angel Food,
Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a C ...
and
CARE Care may refer to: Organizations and projects * CARE (New Zealand), Citizens Association for Racial Equality, a former New Zealand organisation * CARE (relief agency), "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere", an international aid and ...
. Of her charitable pursuits, she says, "I started because my mother taught me a long time ago that even when you have nothing, there's ways to give back. And what you get in return for that is tenfold. But it was always hard because I couldn't do a lot. I couldn't do much more than just donate money when I was on 'Buffy''because there wasn't time. And now that I have the time, it's amazing." In 1999, she went to the Dominican Republic to help Habitat for Humanity's project of building homes for the residents; Gellar recalled in an interview she had worked with the cause a lot, explaining: "You actually get to physically do something, where you get to go and build these houses. I like working with things where you can directly affect someone in particular". With Project Angel Food, she delivered healthy meals to people infected with
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...
, and through the
Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquart ...
, she granted sick children's wishes of meeting her while working on ''Buffy''. In 2007, Gellar was featured in Vaseline's "Skin Is Amazing" campaign. She agreed to auction nude-posed photos of herself on
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
to raise money for the Coalition of Skin Diseases, an organization which supports clinical research, fosters physician and patient education. In May 2011, Gellar joined "The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program", which promotes reading to young children to encourage them to read during the summer break. The following year, she was presented with the Tom Mankiewicz Leadership Award during the Beastly Ball at the Los Angeles Zoo. The honor recognizes members of the entertainment community who have excelled in establishing meaningful and lasting programs that contribute to the welfare of the world's natural and civic environment. In 2014 and 2015, Gellar hosted two fundraisers for Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.


Foodstirs

In October 2015, Gellar, along with entrepreneurs Galit Laibow and Greg Fleishman, co-founded
Foodstirs Foodstirs is an American cooking and lifestyle company that produces baking kits, mixes and baked treats for sale online, by subscription, or in retail stores nationwide. One of the company's co-founders is actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. It is he ...
, a startup food crafting brand selling via
e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manag ...
and retail easy-to-make organic baking mixes and kits for families. By the beginning of 2017, the brand's products were available in about 400 stores; by the end of the year a surge of interest from retailers increased its distribution to 8,000 stores. In 2018, Foodstirs entered into a deal with Starbucks to carry its mug cake mixes across 8,000 of its stores.


Cook book

Gellar released a cook book titled ''Stirring up Fun with Food'' on April 18, 2017. The book was co-authored by Gia Russo, and features numerous food crafting ideas.


Personal life

Gellar met her future husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., while they were filming the 1997 teen horror film ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely base ...
'', but the two did not begin dating until 2000. They were engaged in April 2001 and married in Mexico on September 1, 2002, in a ceremony officiated by Adam Shankman, a director and choreographer with whom Gellar had worked on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Prinze and Gellar have worked together several times; they played each other's respective love interests as Fred and Daphne in the 2002 film ''
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'' and its sequel, '' Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed'', and both provided their voices for the animated feature film '' Happily N'Ever After'' (2007) and the animated science fiction series '' Star Wars Rebels''. In 2007, in honor of their fifth year of marriage, Gellar legally changed her name to Sarah Michelle Prinze. Together, Gellar and Prinze have two children, a daughter born in 2009 and a son born in 2012.Hochman, David (September 9, 2013). "Still Crazy: Years after Mork and Buffy, Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar hope to rope us in with a new sitcom". ''TV Guide''. pp.16 – 19. The family lives in Los Angeles. On February 10, 2021, Gellar expressed support for her ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' co-star Charisma Carpenter after Carpenter made allegations of abuse against series creator
Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television serie ...
. She also stated, "While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don't want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon."


Filmography


Film


Television


Other works


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gellar, Sarah Michelle 1977 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from New York City American child actresses American female taekwondo practitioners American film actresses American people of Jewish descent American soap opera actresses American television actresses American video game actresses American voice actresses Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School alumni Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series winners Daytime Emmy Award winners Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Living people People from the Upper East Side