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Sarah Michelle Gellar

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Sarah Michelle Prinze, (born April 14, 1977) better known by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as the fictional character Buffy Summers in the acclaimed television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for which she won the Saturn Award for Best Genre TV Actress and received a Golden Globe Award nomination. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role in All My Children.

She has since become known as a film actress, having starred as Daphne Blake in the family film Scooby-Doo (2002) and the sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), the romantic comedy Simply Irresistible (1999), the independent film Harvard Man (2001), the teen drama Cruel Intentions (1999) and the horror films The Return (2006), The Grudge (2004), The Grudge 2 (2006), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Scream 2 (1997). She was in the TV movie Beverly Hills Family Robinson (1998) and provided the voice of April O'Neil in the film TMNT and Ella (better known as Cinderella) in the film Happily N'Ever After. She also played an ex-porn star in Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales" (2007) and appeared as part of an ensemble cast in The Air I Breathe, 2008.

She has one film completed Possession which will be released sometime in 2008.

She is currently attached to the film version of the video game American McGee's Alice.

Biography

Early life

Gellar was born in New York City, the only child of Rosellen (née Greenfield), a nursery school teacher, and Arthur Gellar, a garment worker. Both of her parents were Jewish, though Gellar's family had a Christmas tree during the holidays while she was growing up. In 1984, her parents divorced and she was brought up by her mother on the Upper East Side.

Gellar was estranged from her father from this time until his death from liver cancer on October 9, 2001. She attended New York's Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and the Professional Children's School. Gellar held a straight-A average and became a competent figure skater. Her best friend was Melissa Joan Hart, who later was the star of the series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She also became close friends with Lindsay Sloane, who (in September 2002) would be her bridesmaid at her wedding.

Television career

At the age of four, Gellar was spotted by an agent in a restaurant in Uptown Manhattan. Two weeks later, she auditioned for a part in An Invasion Of Privacy, a made-for-television film starring Valerie Harper, Carol Kane and Jeff Daniels. At the audition, Gellar read both her own lines and those of Harper, impressing the directors enough to cast her in the role. A short while later, she got a part in a controversial television commercial for Burger King, in which she criticized McDonald's and claimed to eat only at Burger King.

This led to a lawsuit against Burger King, ad agency J. Walter Thompson, and Gellar herself, who appeared in court as a witness for the defense. The dispute was eventually settled out of court. Gellar continued to make commercials while appearing in acting roles, including playing Emily in an episode of the TV series Spenser: For Hire, appearing in a minor role in the Chevy Chase starring comedy Funny Farm and in the movie High Stakes, and filming in Europe for the TV series Crossbow. In 1991, she played a young Jacqueline Bouvier in A Woman Named Jackie.

Gellar got her first major break in 1992, when she starred in the serial Swans Crossing and was subsequently cast in the soap opera All My Children, playing Kendall Hart, the long-lost daughter of character Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). In 1995, at the age of eighteen, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series for the role. It was on the set of this Soap opera that she met Michelle Trachtenberg who would later join the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Gellar left All My Children in 1995 amid rumors of a strained working relationship with Lucci, and landed the lead in the 1997 TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing a teenager burdened with the responsibility of fighting a number of mystical foes. The show was well received by critics and audiences alike, spawning a spin off series (Angel), and featuring two episodes in which she notably guest starred. Throughout its seven seasons and a total of 144 episodes, Buffy, and by extension Gellar, became cult icons in the United States, the UK and Australia, particularly as archetypes of "empowered" women. Gellar sang several of the songs during the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More, with Feeling", which spawned an original cast album.

During the show's later years, Gellar expressed dissatisfaction about certain aspects of the show. Shortly after the show's end, Gellar stated that she had no interest in appearing in a Buffy feature film, although since then she has said she will consider it if the script is good enough. She did not appear in the final season of Angel, causing the intended episode ("You're Welcome") to be rewritten for the character of Cordelia Chase. Gellar has said that she was willing to appear in the episode, but scheduling conflicts and family problems prevented it. Gellar has declined to lend her voice to the various Buffy video games, and another actress voiced Buffy for an animated series based on the show, which never aired.

Magazine covers and other appearances

Gellar has appeared on the covers of Cosmopolitan, Glamour, FHM, Rolling Stone, and other magazines. She was featured in Maxim magazine's "Hot 100" list in 2002, 2003, and 2005, and in FHM 's "100 Sexiest Women" of 2005. She was voted number 1 in the magazine's 1999 edition. In 1998, she was named one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People (in the World)". Gellar has appeared in "Got Milk?" ads as well as in the Stone Temple Pilots music video "Sour Girl". In 2007, she was ranked #54 on FHM Hot 100 List and was a celebrity spokesperson for Maybelline. Wearing a black lace brassiere, she was on the cover of the December 2007 issue of Maxim magazine and was named Maxim magazine's 2008 Woman of the Year.

Film career

Gellar attempted to capitalize on her television fame for a motion pictures career, with intermittent commercial success. After roles in the popular thrillers I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2 (both 1997), she starred in the 1999 films Simply Irresistible, a romantic comedy, and Cruel Intentions, a modern-day retelling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Cruel Intentions, with a kiss between Gellar and co-star Selma Blair that won the two the "Best Kiss" award at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, was a modest hit at the box office, grossing over $38 million in the U.S. Critic Roger Ebert stated that Gellar and co-star Ryan Phillippe "develop a convincing emotional charge" and that Gellar is "effective as a bright girl who knows exactly how to use her act as a tramp".

Gellar next played a lead role in James Toback's critically unsuccessful Harvard Man (2001) and starred as Daphne Blake in Scooby-Doo (2002), a live-action adaptation of the cartoon series. Gellar also appeared in the sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). She starred alongside her husband, Freddie Prinze, Jr. in both Scooby-Doo movies. Gellar's next film was the 2004 horror film The Grudge, which was a success at the box office. David Wirtschafter, the president of the William Morris Agency (which represented Gellar), subsequently told The New Yorker that the success of The Grudge "takes our client Sarah Michelle Gellar, who now is nothing at all, and...makes her a star, potentially. Suddenly, the Sarah Michelle Gellar space is meaningful". The remark led Gellar to terminate her association with the agency.

Gellar appeared in the sequel The Grudge 2, which opened in October, 2006; in the film, she has a minor role reprising her character from the first film. Gellar next appeared in the thriller The Return, which was released the following month. She then lent her voice to two animated films: the animated fairy tale Happily N'Ever After, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She followed those with a string of films including Southland Tales, The Air I Breathe, Suburban Girl (earlier known as "A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing"), and Possession (a supernatural thriller based on the South Korean film Jungdok known to English language audiences as Addicted). Southland Tales opened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2006 and was released in the US in November 2007. The Air I Breathe and Suburban Girl were screened at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Suburban Girl eventually went straight to video in early 2008, while The Air I Breathe was released theatrically the same month to generally poor reviews. The New York Times called it a "gangster movie with delusions of grandeur. However, Gellar's performance was praised. DVD Talk Review noted that "her character here has the deepest emotional arc, and she hits all the right notes.Possession has had a number of different release dates set, ranging from September 2007 to February 2008, but is still unreleased.

Her next film, Alice, is currently in the pre-production stage.

She is involved in the long delayed science fiction animation film "Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey" which Sarah provides a voice for alongside Lacey Chabert, John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.

She was offered a role in Stardust but turned it down to spend more time with her husband. Roles she turned down: was offered the role of Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996) but had to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts with "All My Children" (1970). Turned down a role in The Faculty (1998). Was offered the role of Brittany Foster in The In Crowd (2000) but turned it down. The role went to Susan Ward.

Personal life

Gellar met future husband Freddie Prinze, Jr., during filming of the 1997 teen horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer but the two did not begin dating until 2000. They were engaged in April 2001 and married in Mexico on September 1, 2002 in a ceremony officiated by Adam Shankman, a film director and choreographer with whom Gellar had worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gellar's bridesmaid was her closest friend of many years, Lindsay Sloane. In 2007, Gellar legally changed her name to Sarah Michelle Prinze, in honor of the couple's fifth year of marriage.

In 2004, while filming The Grudge in Japan, Gellar visited the famous Japanese swordsmith Shoji Yoshihara (Kuniie III) and bought a Katana from him as a birthday present for her husband. Gellar realized that she needed clearance from the government to remove the sword from the country, and after eventually succeeding, stated that it was "incredibly difficult" to do.

Gellar has said in interviews that she believes in God but does not belong to an organized religion. Gellar has said in interviews that she collects rare editions of classic children's literature.

Filmography

Films

Film Year Role Notes
Over the Brooklyn Bridge 1984 Phil's daughter Bit part; uncredited
Funny Farm 1988 Elizabeth's student Bit part; uncredited
High Stakes 1989 Karen Rose Credited as "Sarah Gellar"
I Know What You Did Last Summer 1997 Helen Shivers
Scream 2 1997 Casey "Cici" Cooper
Small Soldiers 1998 Gwendy Doll Voice
She's All That 1999 Girl in Cafeteria Bit part; Special Thanks from Producers
Simply Irresistible 1999 Amanda Shelton Main Character
Cruel Intentions 1999 Kathryn Merteuil
Harvard Man 2001 Cindy Bandolini
Scooby-Doo 2002 Daphne Blake
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed 2004 Daphne Blake
The Grudge 2004 Karen Davis
The Grudge 2 2006 Karen Davis
The Return 2006 Joanna Mills
Happily N'Ever After 2007 Ella Voice
TMNT 2007 April O'Neil Voice
Southland Tales 2007 Krysta Now
Suburban Girl 2008 Brett Eisenberg
The Air I Breathe 2008 Sorrow
Possession 2008 Jessica Post-production
Alice 2008 Alice In-development (see also American McGee's Alice)
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey 2009 Ranger Post-production

TV movies

Film Year Role Notes
An Invasion Of Privacy 1983 Jennifer Bianchi
A Woman Named Jackie 1991 Teenage Jacqueline Bouvier
Beverly Hills Family Robinson 1998 Jane Robinson Filmed In 1996

TV series

Show Year Role Notes
Swan's Crossing 1992 Sidney Orion Rutledge
All My Children 1993-1995 Kendall Hart
Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1997-2003 Buffy Summers, Buffybot, Faith (in episodes "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You"), and The First Evil (in Season 7)

TV appearances

Crossbow >
Show Year Role Notes
Guiding Light 1980 Flower Girl at Kurt & Mindy's Wedding
Love, Sidney 1981 Gail Hunnicutt
Spenser: For Hire 1988 Emily
1988 >vxcvxcvxcvxcvxcvxcvxc| Angel 2000 Buffy Summers Ep. # 1.19
Saturday Night Live 1998 Host
Saturday Night Live 1999 Host
Saturday Night Live 2000 Introduced Britney Spears' two performances
Saturday Night Live 2000 Cameo
Sex and the City 2000 Debbie Ep. # 3.13
Grosse Pointe 2001 Sarah Michelle Gellar Ep. # 1.16
Saturday Night Live 2002 Host
American Idol 2007 Stayin' Alive Lip Syncher Idol Gives Back

Television voice acting

Show Year Role Notes
King Of The Hill 1998 Marie Ep. # 3.02
Hercules 1998 Andromeda Ep. # 1.30
God, The Devil And Bob 2000 That Actress On That Show Ep. # 1.10
The Simpsons 2004 Gina Vendetti Ep. # 15.16
Robot Chicken 2005 Different Voices Ep. # 1.02
Robot Chicken 2005 Different Voices Ep. # 1.04
Robot Chicken 2005 Different Voices Ep. # 1.14
Robot Chicken 2005 Different Voices Ep. # 1.17
Robot Chicken 2005 Different Voices Ep. # 1.20
Robot Chicken 2006 Different Voices Ep. # 2.06
Robot Chicken 2007 Different Voices Ep. # 3.09

Gellar has hosted Saturday Night Live three times.1997-1998, 1998-1999 and 2002-2003 seasons and had an uncredited appearance. Together with Jack Black, she appeared in a spoof of the Council of Elrond scene in the Lord of the Rings. The spoof, informally known as the Lord of the Piercing was aired at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards and is available as an Easter egg in the Extended Edition DVD except for the British R2 extended edition.

Awards, categorized by type

Teen Choice Awards

MTV Movie Awards

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Saturn Awards

  • 1998: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 1999: Won, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2000: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2001: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2002: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2003: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2004: Nominated, "Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Golden Satellite Awards

  • 2002: Won, "Outstanding TV Ensemble" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • 2003: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Series - Drama" — Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Daytime Emmy Awards

  • 1994: Nominated, "Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series" — All My Children
  • 1995: Won, "Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series" — All My Children

Young Hollywood Awards

  • 2002: Won, "Hottest, Coolest Young Veteran - Female"

References

External links



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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 23:27:44 PDT (GMT -0700)
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