Sarah Michelle Gellar ‘Never Thought’ She’d Play Buffy Again, Says You Can Understand ‘Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Without Watching Original Show

Sarah Michelle Gellar admits she “never thought” she’d reprise her role as Buffy Summers again.

via: Variety

She played the titular role in the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for seven seasons before the show ended in 2003.

“It was not a place that I ever saw myself, so it definitely felt very surreal,” Gellar told me Tuesday night at the Neiman Marcus Celebrates 2025 Fantasy Gifts party at Bar Marmont in Los Angeles. “But this is why you never say never, and I’m sure I said ‘never’ many times and I’ve learned my lesson because I’m sure someday you’re gonna go back and find all the times I said, ‘No, never. I’m too old. It’ll be Buffy with a walker.’”

Officially titled “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale,” the Hulu reboot recently wrapped its pilot episode. Ryan Kiera Armstrong stars as a new slayer with Gellar appearing in a recurring role as Buffy.

Gellar said it was director and reboot executive producer Chloé Zhao who convinced her to reprise the iconic character. “Chloe had this idea in a world and the passion with which she spoke both about her idea and the show made me realize that now more than ever we need those heroes to believe in,” Gellar explained. “It’s tough times for everybody right now, and I think people feel more isolated and more alone and we live in an incredibly digital society. But ultimately the more and more technologically connected we get, the more disconnected we’re becoming and so found family and those true moments become more and more important.”

Gellar also said viewers don’t have to watch the original series to understand the reboot.

“This is a show that will cater definitely to the [original fans]. There will always be Easter eggs because there was Easter eggs in the original…but we also want to introduce it to people that maybe haven’t seen the show.”

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” originated as a 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson in the title role. Joss Whedon wrote the film with Fran Kuzui directing. Five years later, the series version starring Gellar debuted on The WB. It would air on The WB for its first five seasons before airing its final two seasons on UPN. The cast also included Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green and James Marsters, among others.

Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman wrote the new pilot.

In August, Gellar posted a video on social media showing her and Armstrong training at a gym together with the caption, “Warrior 1 and 2 We don’t sweat … we sparkle.”