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Sarah Michelle Gellar - Interviewed at the Buffy soundstage, 2001
Big Responsibility
Do you consider yourself a role model, or is Buffy the role model?
I think it’s two separate things but I remember what it was like to be that age and have those magazines and look up to those girls.
There are people on television and movies, musicians - whatever they were - that I admire, that I strive to be like, and if it can be even the smallest bit of an inspiration… To believe that your dreams can come true and that you can follow your dreams, I think that’s an honour.
Still Fun?
Getting out of character and into different clothes
I was just joking today that, in the beginning, I always had to wear skirts and little dresses as Buffy and I [now] can’t remember the last time I did an episode where I wasn’t wearing jeans.
It’s definitely a relief for a little bit. As with anything, you need to keep your creative juices flowing and keep the character interesting. Because Buffy really has become the straight man, every once in a while it’s nice to be the one that tells the joke and it’s nice to be the one that is the joke and it’s nice to do something that’s a little bit different.
I wouldn’t change Buffy for anything and I wouldn’t change the course in which she has evolved but it is nice to be able to do something that is a little different.
Spike Smoochies
Will Buffy ever love Spike?
There’s a part of me that will always believe that Angel is Buffy’s true love. That there will be a piece of her heart that will always be with him for the rest of her life. It doesn’t mean that’s the person that she’s meant to be with eternally.
The thing about Buffy and Spike is they understand each other on a level that nobody else understands her. They’ve both lived a hundred lives and I think there’s a connection there that we will see evolve over the next couple of years where she realizes that he really is someone that she can trust, someone that’s a companion to her and someone that really understands her unlike anybody else.
Big Sister
Do you feel your age now you've got a little sister?
Do I feel old? Is that what the question is? (laughs). Because that’s what everyone keeps asking, do I feel old? Like, I’m getting too old and they bring someone younger on? Huh?
Do you find yourself acting in a sisterly way towards Michelle?
To the point where she probably hates having me around. She already has an older sister - and I think I’m harder on her than her older sister is - but she’s capable of so much, and so it raises the bar that much, so I expect that much from her.
All dolled up
What does it feel like to have a doll of yourself?
I look like Erica Estrada from Chips, okay! That’s what I think of the Buffy dolls and to be truthful, the audience of Buffy - I’m sure people [will] hate me for saying this - they don’t quite seem like the doll playing people, if you know what I mean. Except maybe to undress them.
Did you have to go through the whole laser scanning process they use now to capture the details of your face?
You would think they just worked from cartoon sketches, but I did. I’ve done many laser scans for lots of different reasons.
Lifetime Achievement
On winning the Teen Choice Outstanding Achievement award
The old person award, lifetime achievement award, yeah. They spelled my name wrong, just for the record.
I’ve been asking for a new one but I haven’t gotten one. We actually have, I think, six or seven in our house.
Doing Scooby Doo
Working on the Scooby Doo movie in Australia.
It was my second time working in Australia, actually at the same [sound]stages.
I love Australia. My dream would be to have a place to live there and be able to commute back and forth.
The crews are amazing, the people are amazing, the culture is amazing, it felt like a working paid holiday.
Advance Knowledge
When did you learn of Season Five’s spectacular ending? (Spoilers)
We knew for quite some time. I’ve actually known the [plot of the] entire last season for about three years. There was a dream sequence that Buffy had - I think it was year three - with Faith. Faith had a riddle, and it was something like "Little Miss Muffet, sitting on her tuffet, counting down from whatever the numbers were," and I went to Joss to ask what it meant.
That’s when he explained to me that I was going to have a sister, that Dawn, the character of Dawn, would be coming on the show. I think that’s exactly when I became aware also of what the future plans were, for the big surprise that we’re not mentioning. So I think that was when I found out.