Homepage > Joss Whedon Cast > Sarah Michelle Gellar > News > Sarah Michelle Gellar On "The Grudge"
« Previous : Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 7 - Buffy - Promotional Photos
      Next : Sarah Michelle Gellar At Comic Con - Extra Tv - Download The Video »

From Signonsandiego.com

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar On "The Grudge"

By Jeff Dillon

Tuesday 27 July 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.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar opened up the question-and-answer session about her upcoming film The Grudge by reading a tongue-in-cheek list of the top 10 reasons she had never appeared at Comic-Con International before.

Most of the "reasons" were obscure riffs off the comic world — such as "I was waiting for the next issue of Ben Edlund’s The Tick — and I’m still waiting." — that completely went over the heads of Gellar’s mainly youthful audience. No. 2 was "I’m already married to the world’s biggest comic geek," referring to husband and fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr.

And No. 1? "There’s just not enough damn merchandise with my face on it," a reference to the endless series of T-shirts, posters, books, toys, temporary tattoos and other material spun off from her seven-year run as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But Gellar and almost-ignored co-star Jason Behr (best known for his roles on Roswell and Dawson’s Creek) were there to promote The Grudge, so promote The Grudge they did.

Based on the the Japanese film Ju-On and being remade for American consumption by the original Japanese director, The Grudge is a horror film about an American nurse in Tokyo who runs afoul of a haunting curse (not unlike the gimmick at the heart of The Ring, another Japanese remake).

A trailer screened for the audience of more than 6,500 showed Gellar’s nurse seeing a lot of things out of the corner of her eye and, in perhaps its creepiest moment, putting her hand to the back of her head while taking a shower to find another hand emerging from her scalp.

Both Gellar and her fans had some trouble leaving Buffy behind.

One fan prefaced his question with, "Hey, Buffy, how are you doing?"

"Sarah," Gellar corrected him, then pointing to her co-star. "Jason. Sarah."

But years of playing Buffy affected her performance on The Grudge for the straightforward Japanese director Takashi Shimizu, Gellar said.

She kept being told to reshoot a sequence in which she runs in fear down a street.

"It’s almost harder to act like you don’t know what you’re doing," Gellar said. "He told me I was running too much like a superhero ... that I needed to flap my arms more."

Produced by Sam Raimi, The Grudge is scheduled for an Oct. 29, 2004 release.