Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most beloved shows in history, but it’s no secret Joss Whedon created a toxic set behind the scenes. When Justice League star Ray Fisher accused Whedon of mistreatment on the film’s set, Buffy and Angel‘s Charisma Carpenter showed support for the actor by sharing her own similar experiences with Whedon. She wrote a statement that claimed he “abused his power on numerous occasions,” and many of her co-stars from Buffy and Angel offered their support and shared their own stories. Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar has since talked about the “extremely toxic male set,” but hopes that the show’s “legacy hasn’t changed.” The star recently talked to The Hollywood Reporter about Buffy and shared her thoughts on how it’s being perceived today…
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“I’m not the only person facing this, and I hope the legacy hasn’t changed,” Gellar explained. “I hope that it gives the success back to the people that put in all of the work. I will always be proud of Buffy. I will always be proud of what my castmates did, what I did. Was it an ideal working situation? Absolutely not. But it’s OK to love Buffy for what we created because I think it’s pretty spectacular.”
Gellar’s husband, Freddie Prinze Jr, also weighed in on her Buffy days.”She had to deal with a lot of bullsh*t on that show for all seven years it was on,” he shared. “The stuff they pressed upon her, without any credit or real salary, while she was often the only one doing 15-hour days … yet she was still able to get the message of that character out every single week and do it with pride and do it professionally.”
Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins on Buffy, added, “It was obvious that Sarah lacked the support to be the leader she needed and wanted to be. There was a tremendous amount of resentment and animosity [toward her] from a certain someone – and I suppose now we can all guess who.”
Recently, Gellar took part in The Wrap‘s “Power of Storytelling: Producers Roundtable,” and mentioned the “toxic” Buffy set.
“For so long, I was on a set that I think was known for being an extremely toxic male set, and so that was ingrained in my head that that was what all sets were like, and that women were pitted against each other – that if women became friends, then we became too powerful, so you had to keep that down,” Gellar explained. “And now that I’ve had this opportunity to work with so many more women and men that support women as well, I realized how easy an experience it can be, but … unfortunately we’re still in that place where all of those departments a lot of times need to be women for us to have a voice.”
What do you think about Gellar’s recent statements about Buffy? Tell us in the comments.
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Image Courtesy of Apple TV+
