Buffy’s Sarah Michelle Gellar says she was ‘pitted against’ Willow actor Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Willow and Buffy. (20th Television)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has admitted that things weren’t always rosy on set.
Gellar opened up about her time on the show in an interview with Evan Ross Katz for his book on the series, Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts.
“Look, we worked really hard hours. We were young, we had ups and downs. Everybody had arguments,” Gellar told Katz.
She said that there were times where David Boreanaz, who played Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and his own spin-off, “could be a handful”.
“He never really was to me, but I’m sure [he was],” she added.
Those bumpy moments also included her relationship with on-screen best friend, Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow.
“It wasn’t rosy. Nobody gets along all the time. And Alyson and I had moments. There’s no question. But you’re young,” she explained.
“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,” she continued.
“It would have been a very different relationship. But we have a great relationship now.”
This isn’t the first time that Gellar has spoken out about the toxic environment on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer set. In February last year, she put out a statement to distance herself from the array of accusations towards series creator, Joss Whedon.
These included ones levelled by her Buffy co-stars, Charisma Carpenter and Amber Benson, of his “repeated” bullying, as well as a workplace culture of “hostility” and “toxicity” which Whedon purportedly stoked.
Gellar wrote on Instagram: “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.
“I am more focused on raising my family and surviving a pandemic currently, so will not be making further comments at this time.
“But I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.”
Whedon denied any and all wrongdoing in a heavily-criticised interview with Vulture.
