25 Shocking Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer You Never Knew!

Into every generation, a cult favorite TV series is born.

On March 10, 1997, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” first aired, stepping into the spot previously held by the canceled soap opera “Savannah” on The WB network as a midseason replacement.

I, for one, wasn’t anticipating that the science fiction-meets-teen drama series about a 16-year-old brunette (previously of “All My Children”), portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, who juggles mastering her vampire slayer abilities and completing her assignments on schedule, would become a success. Given that the 1992 movie with the same title didn’t exactly boost confidence in the production, its creator, Joss Whedon, himself abandoned the set when the film veered towards a more humorous direction than he had envisioned.

Gradually gaining traction, the series attracted a passionate fan base, captivated by its star-crossed love stories, witty dialogue, intriguing mythology, and the universal feeling that high school can be like living in a literal hell. (It’s true that many devoted viewers were saddened by the recent passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, who portrayed Buffy’s surrogate little sister Dawn for three seasons.)

Buffy, along with her companions Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon), effortlessly made being unpopular appear appealing, and you yearned to be included in their Scooby group. Throw in a timeless love triangle for good measure, and neither garlic nor crosses could deter fans from tuning in.

The television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (BtVS) concluded after seven seasons in 2003, but its impact continues to be felt. Buffy Summers remains one of TV’s strongest and most influential feminist characters. She’s a superheroine who uses a stake, if you will, although her legacy has been somewhat diminished due to accusations of misconduct and verbal abuse against creator Joss Whedon, leveled by actress Charisma Carpenter.

After Carpenter shared her experiences of being mistreated in 2021, Gellar expressed her backing for her ex-colleague on Instagram by stating, “Though I take pride in being linked with Buffy Summers, I don’t wish to always be connected to the name Joss Whedon.

Regardless of any disputes, the influence of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on television and its devoted followers remains strong. Sarah Michelle Gellar continues to be a symbol of feminine strength, both within popular culture and in households everywhere.

2019 saw Sarah Michelle Gellar share with TopMob News an incident involving her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., where he demonstrated to their son Rocky that women can be just as powerful when Rocky commented on how men are strong.

She clarified, “[Rocky] looked puzzled and then I noticed Freddie had stopped somewhere—it’s sort of like a YouTube collection of Buffy’s most thrilling action scenes. He was playing it for Rocky. Rocky exclaimed, ‘That reminds me of my mom!’ And I confirmed, ‘Yes, that is your mother!’ To which he reacted, ‘Oh!’

For several years after the show ended, both hers and subsequent generations have been regularly rediscovering it.

Gellar expressed that one of the show’s remarkable qualities is its ability to remain significant over time. He believes that being part of such a project, which resonates deeply with people even years later, is truly amazing. Furthermore, he pointed out that the show was pertinent when it was created, and it continues to be relevant today.

So why not bring Mr. Pointy out of retirement?

As a lifestyle expert, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: Sarah Michelle Gellar has hinted at potentially returning to her iconic role in Hulu’s upcoming revival. And In an exclusive interview with Will Marfuggi at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, she confirmed that the rest of the gang is also on board. “We’re all in the loop,” she shared with me, adding, “I keep in touch with them regularly anyway.

In anticipation of upcoming updates, let’s prepare ourselves with some Scooby snacks and hone our stakes while uncovering backstage mysteries surrounding “Buffy the Vampire Slayer“.

1. Warner Bros. really wanted the show to be called Slayer. Creator Joss Whedon refused.

2. Apart from Sarah Michelle Gellar, other actresses who tried out for the part of Buffy Summers were Katie Holmes, Selma Blair, and Charisma Carpenter, who eventually played Cordelia. Interestingly enough, Sarah Michelle Gellar initially auditioned for the role that she ultimately landed as the title character.

3. In the original pilot episode (which wasn’t broadcasted), the character Willow was portrayed by Riff Regan instead of Alyson Hannigan. This 25-minute presentation seems to have been a professional challenge for Whedon, as he himself admitted in an interview with IGN that it was “awful.

4. Initially, Ryan Reynolds might have been considered for the role of Xander, but he ultimately decided against it and has since remained out of the limelight regarding that particular project.

In 1996, Nathan Fillion tried out for the role of Angel, but it was David Boreanaz who landed the part as Buffy’s first vampire love. However, Fillion eventually joined the cast in season seven as the villainous priest Caleb and established a strong working relationship with Joss Whedon, leading to his starring role in Whedon’s popular series Firefly.

6. Whedon disclosed that it was following Hannigan playing the Nerf Herder track for him, that he decided on using the iconic theme song.

7. In a different twist of fate, had I hailed from the South instead of the UK, I might have embodied a captivating Southern vampire – that’s what James Marsters originally intended! However, producers opted for a British Spike instead, with my English counterpart, Anthony Stewart Head, guiding me through the process. Initially slated to meet an untimely end in just five episodes at the hands of Angel, my character evolved into the central male figure in later seasons.

For nearly six years, I couldn’t go more than eight days without giving my tresses a bleaching treatment, all in the name of keeping Spike’s legendary look intact.

9. In the world of acting, I, Seth Green, had the chance to portray Hannigan’s significant other before the character of Oz; we were a romantic duo in the 1988 sci-fi comedy, “My Stepmother Is An Alien.

10. However, Hannigan eventually discovered real-life romance on the set itself with Alexis Denisof, who debuted as Buffy’s new watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in season three. Later, he also starred in the series spinoff titled Angel. The pair tied the knot in 2003 and are now proud parents of two daughters.

11. Prior to her relationship with Denisof, Hannigan admitted that she had experienced some romantic moments with her fellow actor, Nicholas Brendon.

During an interview on Watch What Happens Live in 2019, Hannigan mentioned that she and Nick may have shared a brief kiss, perhaps out of the camera’s view. She also jokingly added that he might have accidentally touched her shoulder or something similar to a breast area.

12. As a lifestyle expert, I share a peculiar fear that once left me in tears after filming an episode where my character, Buffy, was placed in a grave. In an interview with Rolling Stone, I confessed, “I harbor an irrational dread of cemeteries and being entombed alive.” It’s quite challenging to be a vampire slayer when you’re petrified of the very places where the undead reside. Fortunately, a fake cemetery was constructed on set for filming purposes.

13. Almost quitting the show was a consideration for Joss Whedon following criticism of Willow’s same-sex romance with character Amber Benson’s Tara. Co-executive producer David Greenwalt shared that he received a call from a Warner Bros executive, questioning if this “gay thing” was really going to happen. When asked to remove the couple’s first kiss, Whedon stated he would leave the show if they insisted. However, they allowed the kiss to remain in the final cut, saying “No, it’s okay. Leave it in.

14. Two nearly featured celebrities on the show were Britney Spears, who was originally intended for the role of April the robot in “I Was Made to Love You,” and Freddie Prinze Jr., Gellar’s real-life partner, who was supposed to play Dracula in the season five opener.

15. Among the characters Whedon enjoyed writing for were Spike and Andrew (played by Tom Lenk). In a 2012 Reddit AMA, Whedon confessed that Angel was the most challenging to make appealing, as he found it tough to create an engaging, handsome, heroic character with a decent backstory.

16. In an interview with The New York Times, Whedon expressed some ideas he wished he could have explored further: specifically, the vampire or hyena Xander characters portrayed by Nick, as he feels they were done exceptionally well. Additionally, he regrets that Dawn’s character was not developed more during her third season.

17. It seems she prefers Angel over Spike, as revealed in a Reddit AMA in 2014 by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

18. During the same Q&A session, Gellar admitted that apart from a cherished memento, she also took some of Buffy’s costumes with her when the series concluded.

She mentioned that her favorite part was when her makeup artist created a unique charm for her, including a small vial of holy water. To this very day, she still keeps it near her bed.

19. During the seven seasons of the series, it was only in season four that the silent episode titled “Hush” received a significant Emmy nomination. Notably, this recognition was for Joss Whedon’s exceptional writing in the drama category.

Initially, the season five finale titled “The Gift” was penned as a series finale, where Buffy would sacrifice herself to save the world. However, when the show was renewed by UPN, some ideas for the concluding events in the seventh and last season were reserved, such as the demolition of Sunnydale.

21. In “The Gift,” Head’s character appeared for the last time as a series regular, as the actor decided to scale back his involvement to devote more time to his family in the UK.

22. Gellar announced her departure from the series after seven seasons in 2003.

Gellar expressed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that there’s a constant fear of overstaying one’s welcome, especially when your show is a cult favorite. Last year, it seemed many were eager to criticize us. But when we had such a successful year this time around, I felt: ‘I want our finale to be when we’re at the peak of our performance.’

23. The announcement took her co-stars by surprise; they learned about Sarah Michelle Gellar’s exit and the series conclusion from a magazine, as Hannigan and Brendon shared with EW, stating it wasn’t ideal. “It shouldn’t have happened like that… but perhaps everything happens for a reason,” Brendon acknowledged.

24. At that point, Whedon was working on a spin-off featuring multiple Buffy cast members, stating to EW, “It will be a whole new creature.” Gellar had agreed to appear in several episodes. However, the project never materialized. Another concept under consideration revolved around a school for prospective slayers.

25. A spin-off focusing on the tough character Faith (Eliza Dushku) was initially planned, but unfortunately it didn’t materialize. As Tim Minear shared with IGN in 2003, “I had proposed an idea, and Eliza was incredibly polite, considerate, and talented, but she felt ready for a fresh challenge.” There’s no ill will involved; the series primarily revolved around Faith embodying the spirit of Kung Fu.

2025-03-10 16:17

Read More