Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy couldn’t have tackled the onslaught of vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer without the aid of her eclectic friend group. While everyone appeared to be friendly on screen, there were rumors of tension between the co-stars. After years of speculation, Gellar finally addressed the personal issues she and the cast had behind the scenes.
Co-stars not getting along is nothing new, and the Buffy cast wasn’t immune to this. Sarah Michelle Gellar gave some insight into the co-stars’ relationships in the book Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts (via Buzzfeed). Gellar was very candid about what shooting a drama filled with rising stars was like.
Look, we worked really hard hours. We were young, we had ups and downs. Everybody had arguments. There were times where David [Boreanaz] could be a handful. He never really was to me, but I’m sure [he was]. It wasn’t rosy. Nobody gets along all the time. And Alyson and I had moments. There’s no question. But you’re young. I think that unfortunately, the set we were on and the world we were in was pitting us against each other. I think it would have been different if it was today. It would have been a very different relationship. But we have a great relationship now.
Headlining a popular TV show as a young cast could be trying, as it was the first significant project for most of the stars. It seems that most of the tension was fueled by the work environment as recalled by a number of former Buffy stars. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s pressure appeared to be on a different level as the show’s lead star. While the pressure got to the Buffy actress at times, she held herself accountable in those tense situations.
There are times where I wish I could have done things differently, but I didn’t know how to handle the stress that I was under. I was really young, and I didn’t have any outside life. I was the one that was always working, and sometimes I would be resentful of the fact that they didn’t have to work all the time. It ebbs and flows, and anyone that tells you they get along with everyone all the time, it’s just not true.
The Buffy vet admitted to her part in some moments but being the main protagonist of a hit show at such an early stage in a career could make anyone irritable and envious. Now, Gellar is closer to her co-stars after her time as the Chosen One ended in 2003.
Her honest admission came on the heels of her and the cast celebrating the cult classic’s 25th anniversary. While her time as the Slayer is over, the Cruel Intentions actress did suggest Euphoria’s Zendaya as her replacement if the stalled reboot were to ever happen. If you want to relive Sarah Michelle Gellar and her co-stars’ time in Sunnydale, you can stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer by subscribing to Hulu or Amazon Prime.
