Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sarah Michelle Gellar speaks out on the toxic environment

buffy the vampire slayera separate series

Whether we want it or not, Sarah Michelle Gellar will always remain associated with its role in buffy the vampire slayer. For seven seasons, between 1997 and 2003, the actress played the Slayer Buffy Summers, a teenager whose destiny is to fight the forces of evil. Created by Joss Whedon, the show was much more than a series for teenagers. And much more than a series of vampires.

The themes covered are numerous (initiatory journeys, emancipation, questions about sexuality, responsibilities, feminism, etc.) with endearing but complex characters. Over the seasons, we realize that not everyone is perfect and the pressure that weighs more and more on the heroine is a real problem.

Thus, beyond the sympathy released by the interpreters around Sarah Michelle Gellar, there was a real work of writing. Creative and original proposals from a serial point of view, and deeply mature. It is for all these reasons (and more) that buffy the vampire slayer has become an iconic series and that the universe is also popular. In addition to the series, the universe has expanded in comics and with in particular the spin-off Angel.

Joss Whedon’s ‘unacceptable’ behavior

We would like to retain only the positive of buffy the vampire slayer. Unfortunately, for a few years now, revelations have been made about creator Joss Whedon. The latter would not have been so progressive and open as one might imagine. As early as 2017, his ex-wife Kai Cole described him as “a hypocrite“ after revealing his infidelities.

Then, it was on the professional side that the first bomb fell. Ray Fisheractor of Justice League, accusing in 2020 the director to have behaved “brutal, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable“. It was enough for the tongues to begin to loosen. The actresses Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson or Michelle Trachtenberg in turn shared their experience on the set of buffy the vampire slayer. Cordelia’s interpreter declared on Twitter in particular:

He has created hostile and toxic work environments since the beginning of his career. (…) He kept threatening to fire me, which can be devastating for a young actress’ self-esteem. Or call me ‘fat’ in front of colleagues when I was four months pregnant and weighed 57 kg.

Sarah Michelle Gellar also shares her experience

At the time, Sarah Michelle Gellar had obviously supported her co-stars but without sharing her experience. She decided today to speak out further on the case of Joss Whedon during a round table organized by The Wrapdescribing a “extremely toxic male platteron Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

For a long time I was on a set that I think was known to be an extremely toxic male set. And so I got used to the idea that all sets were like that. And that women were pitted against each other – that if women became friends, they became too powerful. So we had to make sure that didn’t happen.

Now that I have had the opportunity to work with so many women and men who support women, I have realized how easy the experience can be, but… Unfortunately, we are still at this stage where all these (production) departments often have to be staffed by women for us to have a voice.

After declaring that she simply did not want to be associated with the name of Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar therefore clearly shared her experience. Hopefully this testimonial will help to further improve working conditions in the film industry. There have been far too many examples of abuse, be it assaults or forms of harassment. Kate Beckinsale had, for example, lived a traumatic moment with Harvey Weinstein after a preview of the film A love in New York (2001).