The Reason Buffy's Seth Green Thinks Sarah Michelle Gellar Was Unfairly Labeled Difficult On Set
In the years since it wrapped up, loving "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has become complicated. Specifically, the legacy of the seminal '90s series has been somewhat tarnished after multiple allegations against creator and showrunner Joss Whedon surfaced. Not only did several members of the "Buffy" crew accuse Whedon of fostering a toxic set, but numerous other colleagues and even his ex-wife came out to claim that he had acted unprofessionally at best, and abusive at worst.
The most vocal of all the "Buffy" cast was Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on the show and later its spin-off "Angel." Carpenter alleged that Whedon was "cruel" to her and others on-set and that his behavior caused her to suffer from a "chronic physical condition." Thankfully, the "Buffy" sequel series — an audio show called "Slayers: A Buffyverse Story" — finally brings some justice for Carpenter. But she wasn't the only one who struggled behind the scenes of "Buffy."
Speaking at The Wrap's Power of Women Summit, Sarah Michelle Gellar seemed to allude to her own experiences on the show, saying, "For so long, I was on a set that I think was known for being an extremely toxic male set. And so that was ingrained in my head that that was what all sets were like." But of all the cast members, Gellar was seemingly the most eager to stand up for herself and others when needed, which, according to the actress, led to her being labeled "difficult." Thankfully, colleagues have come to the "Buffy" star's defense, including Oz actor Seth Green.
Gellar gets a bad wrap
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed that, at one time, she apparently "had a reputation of being ... difficult." The "Buffy" star went on to say:
"Anyone that knows me knows it came from the fact that I always put in 100 percent. I never understood people who don't. I've mellowed a bit in [my expectations of others] — I think because I got burned out."
Considering the cast's experience on "Buffy" has been revealed as pretty nightmarish in the years since 2003 when the show ended, it seems likely that this view of Gellar being difficult really is unfair. Especially when you factor in the comments of her co-star, Seth Green, who played Oz on the show and had been a friend of Gellar's since they were child actors. Green told E! News:
"She gets a bad wrap sometimes because she's assertive, and I think that's unfair. Because she stands up for herself, she stands up for the crew, and she stands up for the integrity of the show, the character, things that we all discussed that we would have like to see done that someone said, 'We can't do that.' She stood up for that and she got labeled difficult, which is a sad label for someone like her."
On top of that, Green also took time to defend his friend to The Hollywood Reporter, saying:
"I saw her get called a b***h, a diva, all these things that she's not — just because she was taking the mantle of saying and doing the right thing."
Shooting Buffy couldn't have been easy
There's no doubt that trying to do the right thing in Hollywood ain't easy. But it must have been even harder to push back against the specifically toxic culture on the "Buffy" set. Still, even Sarah Michelle Gellar herself has taken the blame for some of the issues she and her cast experienced on Whedon's show. Back in 2022, the book "Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts" was published, containing interviews with the cast (via People). In the book, Gellar talked about how young the cast was at the time and that they had to work "really hard hours," which added to existing tensions. She continued:
"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]. And I'm sure I was the same way to people also, right? It wasn't rosy. Nobody gets along all the time. And Alyson [Hannigan] and I had moments. There's no question. But you're young."
None of this obviously validates claims that Gellar was "difficult" on set. But it does at least hint at there being more going on alongside the issues with Joss Whedon and his dysfunctional set, especially since the cast was so young at the time. It didn't help that Whedon had a sadistic rule when writing for the character of "Buffy," which seems to have spilled over into reality.
Overall, shooting "Buffy" sounds like an unpleasant experience, which is a shame for a show that's so beloved by fans. Still, with "Slayers: A Buffyverse Story" providing some closure for the cast and the show continuing to endure as one of the great TV series, it's not all bad.