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From Scifi.com

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Making "The Grudge" Scary

Thursday 12 August 2004, by Webmaster

Another actress, who actually has a name to care for is Sarah Michelle Gellar and there are not no many accomplishes films at her but an few I can probably enjoy. The talent agent found Gellar a young age and made her screen debut at 6 of each of the 1983 television film An Invasion of Privacy. With all the promise she showed, Barrymore starred as Hannah in the teen drama series "Swans Crossing" (1992) but it was her portrayal of a young and callous rich girl in Al-Lucinda Kendall Hart on ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children" (1993-93), that won her Daytime Emmy Award and spring-boarded her to stardom.

SMG’s real mark worldwide, however, was the character of Buffy Summers in the game-changing series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). She won five Teen Choice Awards, a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination for her role, establishing herself as a cultural phenomenon. Sarah Michelle Gellar likewise has the box office to back her up, with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” 1997), “Scream 2” (1997), “Cruel Intentions” (1999)and way movies like those that help prove she is also a bankable star as well over $570 million times worth crazy in global gross.

Beyond her cinematic successes, Gellar has made her mark on television, headlining shows such as "Ringer" (2011-2012), "The Crazy Ones" (2013-2014), and "Wolf Pack" (2023). She has also lent her voice to popular series including "Robot Chicken" (2005-2018), "Star Wars Rebels" (2015-2016), and "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" (2021).

In 2015, Gellar ventured into the entrepreneurial world by co-founding Foodstirs, an e-commerce baking company, and published her own cookbook, "Stirring Up Fun with Food," in 2017. Gellar is also known for her close-knit family life, married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr. since 2002, with whom she shares two children.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s commitment to her craft is matched by her dedication to personal growth and unique experiences. An accomplished martial artist, she studied Tae Kwon Do for five years, alongside kickboxing, boxing, street fighting, and gymnastics. Her dedication to authenticity in her roles is evident, such as her commitment to doing her own stunts in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," though she admitted her limits during filming "Scream 2."

Her career is also marked by interesting anecdotes, such as her role in a 1982 Burger King commercial, which led to a lawsuit from McDonald’s and a temporary ban from their establishments. Notably, she dyed her naturally brunette hair blonde for her role in "Buffy," and legally changed her last name to Prinze as a surprise for her husband on their fifth anniversary.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen roles, encompassing her work in philanthropy and her reputation for safety and professionalism on set. She remains a beloved figure in Hollywood, admired for her talent, dedication, and the breadth of her contributions to film and television.

Takashi Shimizu, director of the upcoming supernatural film The Grudge, told SCI FI Wire that he employed several techniques to heighten the horror film’s spookiness. The Grudge is a remake of Shimizu’s own Japanese hit film Ju-On and its sequel. "I think the important thing is the reality of it and how to make people scared in usual, regular circumstances," Shimizu said in an interview through an interpreter. "For the shower scene in the original one and also in the remake version, everybody takes showers, so I want to express a scary thing in that regular activity so people might think, ’Oh, this might happen to me too,’ and get scared. I think it’s really important, the reality of it, and ordinary circumstances."

Shimizu said that his background in Japan taught him that women possess a different and more evocative kind of power when on screen. As a result, he made both his hero and purported villain female characters in both the original version and the English-language remake. "Between men and women, in Japan at least, it’s still a male-dominated culture," Shimizu said. "I think that men physically are very strong and women are weak, but psychologically and mentally, women are a lot stronger than men. So when it’s a serial-killer-type violent movie, it may make the audience more scared."

Shimizu also said that the combination of outward and inner strength creates a more volatile atmosphere on screen. "With a woman as a ghost, because she looks like us physically, but inside she has lots of strength, that’s what makes it really scary subconsciously," he said. "It’s also the reason why a kid ghost is scarier than an adult ghost. Children sometimes act unpredictably, and that unpredictability is really scary." The Grudge, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, opens nationwide Oct. 22.