Sarah Michelle Gellar

PART ONE:

[They both smile and wave at the crowd as they come out. Jason pulls out Sarah’s chair for her.]

SMG: Hey everybody. [Crowd wooing, shouting stuff etc] Woo. Thank you guys. I just wanna say before we start that we are really, really excited to be here. I’m actually a little nervous, but we’re just really excited to bring you the film and to be here so thank you guys so much. [IMO, she really did sound and look genuinely nervous at this stage, but managed to get past it pretty quickly]

JB: Thank you for having us.

SMG: Thank you for inviting us.

[Jason rubs Sarah’s back.]

Random crowd member: We love you Sarah.

SMG: Thank you. I love all of you.

[Everyone waiting for someone at Comic Con to take charge of things]

SMG: Anyway, we just came here to sit and stare. I can’t see anything. Can you?

Random crowd member: How’s Freddie?

SMG: He’s good. Thank you. He asked about you. How are you?

[Someone shouts something]

SMG: Hi Mom. Is this how it works?

JB: Anyone wanna raise their hand?

SMG: Just start calling out. I think they have this organised...I swear.

Comic Con person: If you wish to ask questions, please raise your hand and we’ll lead you to a microphone. Please step into the isles, take your pictures and then sit back down. No more pictures.

Crowd member: I have a question. First of all, thank you so much for coming out. This is so cool Sarah. My question is, why have you never been here before Sarah?

SMG: You know, it’s an interesting question, and I figured I’d be asked that. So last night...I want you guys to know...a little nervous about this, so I wrote a list. I figured I would give you...sort of David Letterman style...the top 10 reasons why I’ve never been here.

[Crowd laughs]

 So picture it...first season of Buffy I’m asked to come, and then I said “You know what? I’m still waiting for the last of the image guys to return to Marvel.” I mean think about it...does Todd McFarlane really have anything else to do?

 Next year...totally ready to come. Two words: Phantom zone.

JB: That says “tied” [points at her list].

SMG: Yeah, well no this was another reason, and one of them was that I never had a ride before. So if anyone is going back to Los Angeles and has an extra seat for me tonight...

[Many people in the crowd show they’d be more than happy to oblige]

just let me know...

[Someone says something that Sarah and Jason both find amusing. Can’t hear a thing on the tape, but their reaction shows that something was said.]

 Next year I was coming, and then I missed it because I was sitting at home still trying to make sense of the Spider-Man clone story. If anybody wants to help me with that...later too.

 Next year...totally ready to come. And then after “Dark Knight Strikes Again”, I swore I am done with comics. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

 Next year I said I was gonna come and then you know what? I’m gonna wait for the next real issue of Ben Edlund’s Tick comic. And I’m...hey...I’m still waiting....

 Next year I thought, you know what, I am going to hold out for a rematch in the Peter David, Todd McFarlane debate. [Not enough comic geeks in the audience to appreciate this] Apparently I might be the only one waiting for that.

Number two: I was gonna come, but then I thought you know what...I am already married to the world’s biggest comic geek so why do I need to come to San Diego?

And the number one reason why I’ve never been here, is you know what? There just is not enough merchandise with my damn face on it.

And there you have it.

[Big cheers for the non-comic references. And with the others, the portion of the crowd who did get the references could be heard]

JB: I was never asked before.

[People laugh. Sarah rubs his back.]

Crowd member: You guys have both done such great jobs in tv and movies. I was just wondering...what motivates you to take the roles that you do? Is it more the script, or the director, or what makes you take the roles?

SMG: Well I’m just in this film ‘cause Jason Behr is in it.

JB: Apparently I’m in the movie for the same reason. Um, I think to be in Japan...telling the story with the group of people involved. Shimizu who directed the original Ju-On. It was just...it was a lot of different reasons, but I think mainly because of the story...it was very original.

SMG: I think for me also just the excitement of being part of something that’s a first. You know, I was part of a television show that was incredibly groundbreaking. And...

[Big cheers. Sarah claps along]

And that’s really hard, if not impossible to top. So being able to be part of the first Japanese film ever made...remade for American audiences with the original Japanese director is truly a once in a lifetime chance and we both grabbed it and we are now part of history. Or soon to be history. Soon to be...October history.

Crowd member: Hi Sarah.

[Sarah and Jason try to locate the person asking the question]

I just wanna say you’re awesome, and for what it’s worth I watched you on AMC. I thought you were kickass...

[Crowd cheers]

I was wondering if you’re going to do more of that hardcore drama, you know, bitch, kickass stuff that you did as Kendall Hart?

SMG: Come to my home on a Monday morning. You know...I’m just...I’m sorta going where the wind takes me, and it’s something I would love to do and um...hopefully. Hopefully.

Person who asked question: Thank you.

[Sarah and Jason talking to each other about how they can’t see. Jason messes around with the lights making shadows on the wall/partition just behind the table.]

Crowd member: Hi Sarah. Is The Grudge going to be a trilogy?

SMG: Is The Grudge going to be a trilogy? Um, goodness...you know, that’s an interesting question.

Guy who asked question: Well the Japanese version is.

SMG: Well, you know sort of. I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the original Ju-On, but originally Shimizu [some of the crowd acknowledge the original] exactly. Shimizu made them as two straight to video films and they were so successful and underground he got the opportunity to make the first Ju-On. When that was incredibly successful...there was a second. Unfortunately in the original...none of the people made it to the second, so I’m still waiting to find out.

Guy who asked question: That never stopped you on Buffy.

[Crowd extremely amused. Sarah smiling along...]

SMG: I think...I think I mighta...I think I’ve died three times now?

[Scratches head as though counting them up]

JB: She looks good for being dead huh?

[Crowd agree. A couple of people shout out comments that can’t really be heard]

SMG: It’s really good for my ego. Thank you all.

Random crowd member: No problem!!!

Crowd member: Hello Michelle and Jason. I was just wondering...I heard the movie was filmed in Japan, and I was just wondering how you guys adjusted to the different lifestyle over there and the environment...in Japan?

[Sarah and Jason trying to find the guy asking the question amongst the lights. The guy gets their attention and they find him]

JB: Well uh...if you’ve seen the movie “Lost in Translation”...I mean that was pretty much our lives for 3 months. Um...it was a...it was a great experience for us to go out and travel around Tokyo for the time that we were there and to experience the culture. It was just a really beautiful culture.

SMG: I loved it. I sort of loved every aspect of it...both personally and professionally. It was like learning how to make...it was ‘Filmmaking 101”. It was...everything you learned...now throw it out the window and learn new customs. Just a culture so seeped in tradition and history and respect. I just hope...you know...I didn’t embarrass the Americans out there.

Guy who asked question: I just wanted to comment that Jason Behr...you’re honestly one of my inspirations in acting. I saw you in “Rites of Passage” [unsure if that’s what he actually said, but it’s the closest I could get with something that would actually make sense].

JB: Thank you very much.

Guy: ...and Roswell....and I just wanted to say that.

Same guy: And I know they’re going to get mad at me for saying this. I know Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t scheduled to do autographs, but I was wondering if Jason was?

SMG: We have...there’s a...all I will say is that there is a little surprise that I can’t tell anybody about, and I’m not saying it’s an autograph signing session, but there is a surprise...that involves Jason as well. [To Jason]: I’ll just speak for you.

JB: Thank you very much. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

SMG: I told you you were my inspiration yesterday. Didn’t mean as much somehow. [Crowd laugh] That’s all I’m saying.

Crowd member: Hi Sarah. Hi Jason. My name is Ricky, and I wanted to say first of all...thank you...I loved Roswell [Sarah claps]. And Sarah...thank you for 7 amazing years on Buffy. That’s my favourite show of all time [Jason applauds].

SMG: Thank all of you for 7 amazing years. It’s a show that I know in my heart and I think all of you know wouldn’t have existed without the support of the fans as well as the magazines and the internet. I look at it as ‘the little show that could’ and so to be here and to be able to thank everybody for all that support...we made the show for that reason and so thank you.

Same guy: Would either one of you be interested in playing superheroes in movies, and if so, which ones?

SMG: I’m gonna play Sarah Michelle the superhero [does a flying motion with one of her arms].

JB: She does that everyday...

SMG: I’m not a superhero?

JB: You are a superhero.

SMG: Oh yeah...damn straight.

Um, I’d love to play an original superhero. Like, you know...Buffy, when I came into it was an existing character, Daphne was an existing character, and in a sense my character in Ju-On...The Grudge...is also an existing character. I think if I was going to be like a true superhero, I’d love to create one so that all of the comics and the videogames that came after were based on...sort of...an original concept that I got to sort of shape and create versus somebody else’s. Much less expectations that way.

JB: I think if I could be any superhero, it’d probably be my Mom [Sarah rolling eyes and smiling while adjusting microphone] but I don’t think I’d look too good in high heels, so it’s not going to happen.

Sarah, commenting on adjusting her microphone: I’m vertically challenged. It was a little high for me.

Crowd member: Hi Sarah. Hi jason. I just wanna say I love you both...in Buffy, and I loved you in Roswell and I cried when they both ended. But my question is for Sarah. If you were offered another series, what kind of genre would you like it to be?

SMG: You know...that’s difficult. It would be so hard to top the experience that I had. So it would have to be something after a lot of time...and something that was entirely different...because I would never try to recreate something that was pretty much as perfect for me as it was. So I don’t know...it’d have to hit me, and I’d have to say, “That’s the one.”