Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48, Stuns Fans Decades After Buffy Turned Her Into a TV Legend
Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48, is showing fans that the Slayer life never really ends. The actress who became a household name in the 1990s isn’t just remembered for starring on TV, she changed what it meant to be a strong female lead. Her role as Buffy Summers mixed horror, action, and wit, and it made a lasting impact that still resonates decades later.
Before Buffy, Gellar was already making waves in Hollywood. She earned a Daytime Emmy at 18 for her work on All My Children, proving early on that she was a talent to watch. That success led to her iconic seven-season run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that captured the spirit of the 1990s and turned Gellar into a cultural icon.
1997 was a big year for Gellar. Alongside the premiere of Buffy, she starred in the slasher hit I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was a box office hit. On that set, she met Freddie Prinze Jr., her future husband.
The pair later worked together again in the sequel and the live-action Scooby-Doo films, where their chemistry was clear. They went public with their relationship in 2000 and eventually had two children, Charlotte in 2009 and Rocky in 2012, prioritizing family life over the Hollywood hustle.
A major turning point came in 2014 after the sudden passing of Robin Williams, who had worked with Gellar on The Crazy Ones. She told Shut Up Evan podcast that the experience made her reconsider her priorities. “It gave me that perspective to say, ‘I need to be here for my kids,’” she said. After that, she focused on family and her successful baking brand, Foodstirs, while taking on occasional voice roles and guest spots.
Now, in 2026, Gellar is back in the spotlight. She stars in the upcoming horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which opens on March 20. She joins Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton in a story about a deadly game for power over the High Seat of the Council.
Fans of Buffy also have reason to celebrate. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale is in development, and Gellar will return as a mentor. The pilot is directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, and Gellar clarified to the Shut Up Evan podcast, “It’s not a sequel, it’s not a reboot—it’s a continuation.” The series will follow a new Slayer named Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, in a town rebuilt over the original Hellmouth.
Outside acting, Gellar is the new face of Olay’s latest skincare campaign, celebrating her as an “ageless icon.” She is also producing and starring in the TV adaptation of Bad Summer People and will provide her voice for the animated series Breaking Bear. Whether she’s mentoring a new Slayer or facing a deadly game, Gellar continues to show her versatility and staying power in Hollywood.
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