Sarah Michelle Gellar Passed On A Martin Scorsese Movie Because Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Martin Scorsese's filmography is filled with films that took decades to get off the ground. By the 21st Century, Scorsese had settled into a statesman of cinema stature, and (to the joy of cinephiles everywhere) he's cashed in decades of chits and clout to deliver passion projects like 2016's "Silence," 2019's "The Irishman," and 2002's "Gangs of New York."

The latter draws on a 1928 nonfiction book, "The Gangs of New York" by Herbert Ashbury, that tracked the history of New York's organized crime from the 19th to 20th Century. As the book and movie show, that tale is intertwined with how Irish and Italian immigrants settled in New York went from spat-upon outsiders to true Americans. 

Scorsese read "The Gangs of New York" in 1970 and acquired the rights to make a movie out of it in 1979, but development took over 20 years. It's no surprise that in that time, Scorsese's plans for "Gangs of New York" evolved. The final film — set mostly in the 1860s — is an epic revenge narrative starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the fictional Amsterdam Vallon and Daniel Day-Lewis as a fictionalized version of real New York gang leader Bill the Butcher (named William Cutting in the film, but William Poole in real life).

One change close to the finish line was the casting of female lead Jenny, Amsterdam's love interest and a thief in Bill's organization. Sarah Michelle Gellar, a star thanks to her role on the then contemporary TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was considered for the part. However, her commitments to "Buffy" (which was in its fifth season when "Gangs of New York" shot from December 2000 to March 2001) meant she couldn't sign on. Jenny went on to be played by Cameron Diaz instead.

Now, Cameron Diaz wasn't Martin Scorsese's first choice understudy for Jenny. He was also interested in casting Sarah Polley, but now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein insisted on a bigger name. (Weinstein was the reason Scorsese made sure the film debuted as his director's cut, too.) So, Diaz, a comedy starlet after 1998's "There's Something About Mary," won the part. Her turn as Jenny has since been called one of the worst performances in any Scorsese movie.

Now, Jenny is a pretty thankless role (she's a fairly typical love interest character), but Diaz is still out of her depth. She can't keep her Irish accent down, and like Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam, her wooden performance stands out all the more next to Daniel Day-Lewis' show-stopping turn as Bill the Butcher. Granted, most actors will have trouble outshining Day-Lewis (his latest film "Anemone" at least gives him a worthy scene partner in Sean Bean), but in "Gangs of New York," it's not even a competition.

That's what makes it sting to know that Sarah Michelle Gellar turned down the role. She's a great actor who carried seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on her back. She might've still not stolen the show from Day-Lewis, but I feel confident saying she'd probably out-charisma DiCaprio's stilted Amsterdam and make Jenny a livelier character. Moreover, you can't help but wonder if Gellar's career could've soared even higher if she had a Scorsese movie on her resume.

But Gellar doesn't regret it. In 2023, she told The Guardian that she doesn't worry about the projects she missed out on due to her commitments to "Buffy," not even "Gangs of New York." This "Buffy" and Scorsese fan, though, is always going to feel a little differently.