Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar opened up about the “toxic male environment” she allegedly endured on the set of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and said she is dedicated to ensuring a better experience for others.
Gellar talked about the long hours and the allegedly “toxic male environment” in hopes of protecting her daughter and future artists from industry abuses.
“I hope that I’ve set up a safety net for these actors that I didn’t have,” Gellar said during a January interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Wednesday.
THR cover star @SarahMGellar shares her first memories from the set of ‘Buffy,’ her first audition ever and more in a game of #HollywoodFirsts pic.twitter.com/siDEJGg2HD
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 18, 2023
Gellar looked back at the show that catapulted her to fame and said that she and her colleagues were forced to work in undesirable and often dangerous conditions. Fellow star Seth Green also said he faced the same experiences on the set of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and nodded to Gellar’s efforts to draw attention to the situation.
“That show was just hard,” Green said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We were working crazy hours, and a lot of things that got pushed weren’t necessarily safe or under the best conditions,” he said.
“Sarah was always the first one to say, ‘We agreed this was a 13-hour day and it’s hour 15, we’ve got to wrap,’ or, ‘Hey, this shot doesn’t seem safe,’ when nobody else would stick up for the cast and crew,” Green said. (RELATED: Actor Seth Green Reveals The ‘Rudest’ Celebrity He’s Ever Met)
My truth. #IStandWithRayFisher pic.twitter.com/eNjYcJ6zwP
— charisma carpenter (@AllCharisma) February 10, 2021
Gellar also mentioned the show’s creator Joss Whedon, who faced a number of abuse allegations from past collaborators on the show. Gellar’s co-stars, Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Charisma Carpenter, have also spoken out about their experiences. Trachtenberg, who was 18 at the time of filming, reportedly indicated Whedon was “not allowed” to be alone with her after being accused of inappropriate conduct.
Gellar refrained from making specific claims.
She made it clear she was proud to be associated with Buffy Summers, but went on to say, “I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’ve come to a good place with it, where it’s easier to talk about,” Gellar said.
“I’ll never tell my full story because I don’t get anything out of it. I’ve said all I’m going to say because nobody wins. Everybody loses,” she continued, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I will always be proud of Buffy. I will always be proud of what my castmates did, what I did. Was it an ideal working situation? Absolutely not.”