From Onmilwaukee.com

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Oates brushes the canvas with pop culture

By Molly Snyder Edler

Saturday 24 September 2005, 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.


"Sarah Michelle Gellar" hangs in The Social.

A few weekends ago, I was convinced that Eric Oates’ paintings were stalking me. First, his massive portrait of Sarah Michelle Gellar towered over my table at The Social, and then, the very next night at Art Bar, I found myself coveting a comic-inspired painting that made me laugh out loud, only to realize it was the same painter.

So, who is this Oates guy anyway?

"I first got into art in the late ’70s," says Oates, who studied as a kid in the early ’80s with central Wisconsin artist Susan Nelson Van Sleet. "But by the time I reached junior high I stopped painting. I thought I had other interests like sports, girls and cars."

Eventually, Oates came back to art — although he still harbors a hardcore penchant for muscle cars and drives a ’67 Camaro - and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWM in art history. He has been a member of the Milwaukee underground art group HI/IQ Productions since 1997 and his work has been collected and commissioned in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Today, Oates is a full-time project manager at Lakeshore Gallery in Shorewood, and paints in his spare bedroom.

"I want to make paintings that I want to look at," he says. "My mission is to present emotion and feeling, more specifically the feelings between men and women."

In much of his work, Oates fuses popular culture with oil paint, creating realistic portraits that are both intense and lighthearted. Most of his subjects are women, including oil paintings of Natalie Portman, Julie Delpy, Madonna, Scully (Gillian Anderson’s character from The X-files) and "Buffy." He also paints take-offs on comic book frames, like the afore mentioned piece at Art Bar that shows two women, one with a bubble coming from her mouth saying, "He doesn’t have to know a thing."

"I like to describe my work as Pop-Expressionism," says Oates, a classic Generation X-er whose influences are all over the map, from Andy Warhol to Jackson Pollock to Kate Moss to Neil Diamond.

Interestingly, one of Oates’ strongest pieces is "American Girl," depicting his friend and fellow Milwaukeean, Leslie Siletti. She appears graceful, gorgeous and focused on something or someone other than the painter for an overall emotional feel that is both heartbreaking and empowering. The intensity suggests that although painting the rich and famous is intriguing, the best art often comes from the people we are deeply moved by in everyday life.

Eric Oates’ work shows through November at The Social, 118 E. Pittsburgh Ave., and until the end of October at Art Bar, 722 E. Burleigh St.

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