Sarah Michelle Gellar has admitted she’s “still not taken seriously by men” on movie sets as she returns to the industry.
The actress, 45, who was catapulted to fame with her starring role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, looks back on her career that she took a break from in 2014 following the death of her boyfriend and co-star Robin Williams.
In a brand new interview following the launch of her Paramount+ series Wolf Pack, she spoke about the burnout she experienced as a teenager on the favorite 90s series.
Candid: Sarah Michelle Gellar has admitted she’s ‘still not taken seriously by men’ on film sets as she returns to the industry
Speaking of moving to the west coast of the US after graduating from New York high school at age 16, Sarah told The protector about the pressure of working on the series with little free time to be young.
She admitted, “22 episodes burn everyone out, not just the writers…Now we live in a world where TV can be eight to ten episodes, and not kill you.”
After ending up as Buffy Anne Summers when the show came to an end in 2003, Sarah’s most notable role was as Sydney Roberts in the sitcom The Crazy Ones in 2013.
The series co-coperated with Hollywood royalty Robin Williams and ended in April 2014, and it was his first regular TV role since Mork and Mindy in the 1970s.
Teen star: The actress, 45, who rose to fame with her starring role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (pictured in 1997), looks back on her career
They were the leading two of the CBS series, as Robin, who played Simon Roberts, ran a creative agency with his daughter Sydney (Sarah) as he “struggled to maintain different facets of their lives.”
But just four months later, 63-year-old Robin took his own life, and it was something that triggered a “reset” in Sarah’s life.
She explained, “When we lost Robin, it was this whole reset for me, ‘Everything passes very quickly, and I miss it”. When I did the pilot for The Crazy Ones, my son was two months old – it was non-stop and I had to be home for a while.’
And despite being in the industry for over 25 years, Sarah revealed that men on sets still don’t take her seriously.
Returning to the spotlight: In a brand new interview following the launch of her Paramount+ series Wolf Pack (pictured at the premiere this month), she spoke about the burnout she experienced as a teen on the favorite 90s series
Lead role: Sarah took a break from her career in 2014 following the death of her boyfriend and co-star Robin Williams, with whom she starred in 2013’s The Crazy Ones (pictured together during the show’s press tour) – he just died four months after the last episode)
“I still don’t get taken seriously by men on sets,” Sarah said. “I still sometimes feel the need to read my resume, like, ‘How many of these shows have you done? How many experiences have you had at 2 a.m. with 250 extras, a late shot, a stunt — all these things? I not only produced it, but I’ve been in it. Listen to me, because I know where I’m from.”
It comes after Sarah said she rose to fame at a time when it was “difficult” for young actors on set.
The actress recently returned to the spotlight with her role in the new supernatural drama Wolf Pack, saying she wants to create a “safe” environment for the younger actors on the show.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show last week, Sarah added that she wants to “protect” the cast, after claims of bullying on the set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer were made public in recent years.
Interview: It comes after Sarah said she rose to fame at a time when it was ‘difficult’ for young actors on set
Asked if she is an executive producer on the series, she said, “It’s important to me to be able to protect the material and, more than that, I can protect the cast.
“I grew up in Hollywood at a time when it was difficult for young actors. It’s not perfect yet, but I can help create a safe working environment.”
Graham asked the star if she was hesitant before joining another teen drama, with Sarah admitting she didn’t want to do the show initially.
She said: “I wasn’t going to read it, but then we got deeper into the conversation about mental health, which is very timely. The werewolves are a metaphor for teenage anxiety.’
Show: Sarah added she wants to “protect” the cast, which comes after claims of bullying on the set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer went public last year
Sarah also discussed her time on Buffy The Vampire Slayer which aired from 1997 to 2003 and brought her worldwide fame.
The star joked: “People like to remind me it’s 20 years old. I love that people still refer to it, but I don’t need the actual date and time lapse for people to realize how old I am!’
In 2021, allegations of “toxic behavior” on the set of Buffy emerged, directed against the show’s creator, Joss Whedon.
Actress Charisma Timmerman originally came out to Whedon in a lengthy Twitter post, claiming he called her fat and killed off her character after she had a baby.
Interview: The actress has recently returned to the spotlight with her role in the new supernatural drama Wolf Pack (LR Claire Foy, Sarah, M Night Shyamalan, Rob Beckett and Sam Smith)
Sarah said: ‘It’s important for me to be able to protect the material and, more than that, I can protect the cast’
The 50-year-old actress, who played Cordelia Chase on the show and spin-off Angel for three seasons, made the accusations in a Twitter post.
Charisma said she decided to speak out to show solidarity with actor Ray Fisher. Fisher previously accused Whedon of “abuse” and “unacceptable behavior” on the set of Justice League in 2017.
She said, “For nearly two decades I have kept my mouth shut and even made excuses for certain events that still traumatize me to this day.
Speaking: Actress Charisma Carpenter originally lashed out at Buffy creator Joss Whedon in a lengthy Twitter post, claiming he called her fat and killed off her character after she had a baby
Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while collaborating on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
“While he found his misbehavior funny, it only served to increase my fear of failure, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers.”
Citing a series of “disturbing incidents,” Charisma claimed her interactions with Whedon, 56, triggered an unspecified “chronic physical condition” that she said she still suffers from today, some 20 years later.
“When Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss last summer of abusive and unprofessional behavior towards the cast and crew during reshoots on the 2017 Justice League set, I was gutted,” she continued.
“Joss has a history of being casually cruel. He has created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career. I know because I experienced it firsthand. Repeatedly.’
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 27 January 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
