Friday, September 9, 2011

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer:' Where Are They Now?


Before "Twilight's" Bella and before "True Blood's" Sookie, one woman reigned over the fang-toothed creatures of the night: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Sarah Michelle Gellar became a teen queen thanks to the hit TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which took the small screen by storm between 1997 and 2003. She's returning to TV this fall with the thriller "Ringer," in which she plays a woman on the run who takes on the identity of her twin sister after she mysteriously disappears.

Speaking of disappearing -- while some of the cast of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" failed to transition from the drama into bigger and better Hollywood projects, others, including Gellar, have stood the test of time. Below, check out what Gellar and four of her "Buffy" co-stars have done since the show went off the air:

Sarah Michelle Gellar

As Buffy, Gellar fought to rid the fictional town of Sunnydale, Calif., of its supernatural annoyances. She won six teen choice awards for that role and scored a Golden Globe nomination. Gellar co-starred in a few popular movies during her "Buffy" reign, including "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (where she met her future husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., whom she married in 2002) and "Cruel Intentions."

Gellar's movie career floundered for much of the '00s. While her 2004 horror movie "The Grudge" was a box office success, its sequel flopped. At 34, she's thrilled to be returning to TV, and her real life role of taking care of her 2-year-old daughter has kept her in shape to kick butt on camera again.

"I just chase my toddler," she told "Access Hollywood" about staying fit. "That pretty much keeps me on my toes and puts me to bed by 8:30!"

David Boreanaz

Playing Angel, Buffy's forbidden vampire lover, David Boreanaz captured the hearts of teenage fans the world over. After two years on "Buffy," he starred in the spin-off "Angel," which ran from 1999 until 2004. Soon after his professional associations with the underworld ended, Boreanaz, now 42, found a new character on "Bones," in which he plays Special Agent Seeley Booth.

While his career has sailed smoothly, his personal life hasn't fared quite as well. Last May, he admitted that he cheated on his wife, Playboy Playmate Jaime Bergman, multiple times, including with Rachel Uchitel, one of the women linked to Tiger Woods' extramarital affairs. Boreanaz and Bergman still remain together with their two children.

Alyson Hannigan

Every vampire slayer needs a partner in crime, and Alyson Hannigan played Gellar's as Willow, "Buffy's" shy nerd turned magic maven. In 1999, Hannigan scored the role she's probably best known for apart from "Buffy" -- playing band geek Michelle Flaherty in the "American Pie" series of movies. (For people of a certain age, "This one time, at band camp" remains a beloved catchphrase.)

In 2005, Hannigan, now 37, returned to TV with "How I Met Your Mother." Her personal life is as constant as her presence in Hollywood -- she married actor Alexis Denisof in 2003 (who has also appeared on "Buffy," "Angel" and "How I Met Your Mother"). Together, they have a 2-year-old daughter.

Seth Green

Seth Green's "Buffy" alter-ego was Oz, Willow's guitar-playing/werewolf boyfriend. That role was the start of a successful Hollywood career. Green, now 37, has had a number of memorable roles, including Dr. Evil's son in the "Austin Powers" movies, the dork in "Can't Hardly Wait," the voice of Chris Griffin on "Family Guy" and himself on "Entourage."

He also serves as the co-creator and producer of the TV comedy series "Robot Chicken." Last year, he married actress Clare Grant.

Michelle Trachtenberg

Fun fact: Vampire slaying is genetic. It made sense, then, to introduce Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn, Buffy's little sister, in season five of the series. Along with her role on "Buffy," Trachtenberg built her career by starring in teen-centric movies like "Ice Princess" and "17 Again."

More recently, she's indulged in the manipulative (sometimes psychotic) Georgina Sparks, the scheming outsider on TV's "Gossip Girl." In real life, the 25-year-old Trachtenberg is a fixture of young Hollywood, and can often be caught party hopping with her co-stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester.

ABC News


Morrow-TV: Sarah Michelle Gellar chose 'Ringer' after 'Buffy'

Unlike many actors, Sarah Michelle Gellar won't dismiss her past so easily.

Going into "Ringer," her new adventure series (debuting 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday, The CW), she's well aware that her fans from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are still out there and very focused.

"When picking a show, I took into consideration who my fans are, because, let's be honest, I mean, we were a midseason replacement on The WB, based on a failed movie, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' If it wasn't for the outpouring of fans, and the journalists, too, supporting us, we would have been canceled after four episodes," Gellar told reporters recently.

"And I think as an actor, sure you want to stretch and you want to do different things, but I think it's also our job to think about who our fans are and what they want to see, too.

"Because, let's be honest, ultimately that's why we do it. I mean, I do it to entertain the people that want to watch what I do."

Gellar quit "Buffy" after several years because she was burned out on the demands of doing an hourlong comedy-adventure. She was in her mid-20s when she walked away from the show. Since then, she's gotten married, started a family and gone on to big-screen roles. Now in her early 30s, Gellar is ready to tackle weekly series work again.

"Ringer" has some faint similarities to "Buffy." While the new show has no supernatural elements, it does have a Hitchcocklike style -- double crosses, double lives and threats from every corner.

Gellar is once again in the thick of danger. She's tough and smart in the three roles she has here: Bridget, a former prostitute and recovering drug addict; Siobhan, who is Bridget's wealthy identical twin with a shady life; and Bridget-as-Siobhan, which has Bridget on the lam and assuming Siobhan's identity after Siobhan is assumed dead.

The switching from character to character has been a juggling act for Gellar, but one she relishes.

"It's interesting. I think it's like children," she says of the three roles.

"When you're each one, you have to love each one individually and understand that one. So when I'm Bridget, I feel that all of Bridget's motivations are hers, and Siobhan is wrong. And when I'm Siobhan, everything Bridget does is wrong.

"I try to get into the head of each of them."

Scripps News