Sarah Michelle Gellar Remembers Dolly Parton’s Quiet Role Behind ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ in a Touching Tribute
Sarah Michelle Gellar is paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, by looking back at a lesser-known chapter of Parton’s career: her behind-the-scenes involvement in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’
Parton was never credited as a producer on the show, but her production company with former manager Sandy Gallin, Sandollar Productions, appeared in the end credits throughout all seven seasons. Sandollar’s television division had helped bring ‘Buffy’ to the screen after producing the original 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson, and it went on to co-produce both ‘Buffy’ and its spinoff series ‘Angel.’
Gellar, who played Buffy Summers for the show’s full run from 1997 to 2003, shared a clip of Parton discussing her role on the series during a 2021 appearance on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live.” In that clip, Parton called ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ “a wonderful little show.” Gellar captioned her tribute post: “Just being a small part of the great history of [Dolly Parton] is everything to me.”
Gellar has spoken about Parton’s presence on the production before, describing her as a mostly invisible but generous figure during the show’s early years. In a 2023 appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Gellar told Jimmy Fallon that the cast would receive Christmas gifts bearing Parton’s name but never crossed paths with her directly, joking that she assumed “she doesn’t know who I am.” Gellar has said she later learned that wasn’t the case: after hearing Parton praise both the show and her performance, Gellar recalled thinking, “I can die now. Dolly Parton knows who I am and thinks I’m good.”
Parton’s support extended beyond the show’s cast. Former Sandollar executive Gail Berman told the New York Times in 2016 that Parton gave her an extra paycheck after learning she had been paid less than her male counterparts while working on ‘Buffy,’ an early example of the kind of advocacy for women in the industry Parton became known for throughout her career.
Sandollar’s television arm, co-founded by Parton and Gallin in 1986, also had a hand in other well-known projects over the years, including 1991’s ‘Father of the Bride.’ But its connection to the ‘Buffyverse’ has become one of the more surprising footnotes in Parton’s decades-long career, given how far removed the gothic teen drama was from her country music roots.
Parton reportedly stayed loosely connected to ‘Buffy’ well beyond its original run, remaining involved in conversations around a potential revival of the franchise in more recent years. For Gellar and the show’s fans, that quiet, long-running support has become part of how Parton is being remembered this week alongside the rest of her expansive legacy.
Did you know Dolly Parton was connected to Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
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