Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48, Looks Amazing Years After ‘Buffy’ Made Her a TV Icon
Sarah Michelle Gellar is proving that you truly can’t keep a good Slayer down. For fans who grew up in the 1990s, the actress wasn’t just a television star, she was a cultural shift. By blending horror, high-stakes action, and sharp wit, her portrayal of Buffy Summers redefined what it meant to be a female lead, creating a legacy that remains as sharp as a wooden stake three decades later.
Long before she ever set foot in Sunnydale, Gellar was busy honing her craft in the world of daytime soaps. Her performance on All My Children earned her a Daytime Emmy Award at only 18, a feat that signaled her arrival as a major industry powerhouse. This early success paved the way for her seven-season run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that captured the hearts of millions and perfectly bottled the uniquely cool, angst-ridden essence of Gen X.
The year Buffy premiered, 1997, was a massive turning point for Gellar on the big screen as well. It marked the release of the slasher classic I Know What You Did Last Summer, which became a box office sensation. More importantly, it was the project where she met her future husband, Freddie Prinze Jr. The two later shared the screen again in the film’s sequel and the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, where their natural chemistry was impossible to ignore.
After making their relationship public in 2000, the couple focused on building a life away from the Hollywood glare. They welcomed two children, Charlotte in 2009 and Rocky in 2012, with both parents prioritizing family milestones over the frantic pace of a film set. However, it was a profound personal loss in 2014 that truly changed Gellar’s perspective on her career.
The sudden passing of Robin Williams, who had just starred alongside Gellar in the sitcom The Crazy Ones, shook her to the core. It gave me that perspective to say, ‘I need to be here for my kids,’ she later reflected on her choice to step back from the spotlight for several years. This period allowed her to focus on her family and her successful baking brand, Foodstirs, while only taking on occasional voice roles or guest appearances.
Now, in 2026, the icon is officially back and busier than ever. She is set to appear in the highly anticipated horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which hits theaters on March 20. Starring alongside Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton, Gellar joins the franchise as a powerful figure in a deadly game for control over the High Seat of the Council.
Aside from her return to horror, Gellar has been named the face of Olay’s latest skincare campaign, celebrating her status as an “ageless icon.” She is also attached to produce and star in the television adaptation of Bad Summer People and will provide her voice for the animated series Breaking Bear. Whether she’s mentoring a new generation of Slayers or surviving a nightmarish game of hide-and-seek, Gellar continues to prove she is the ultimate multi-hyphenate icon.
What is your favorite Sarah Michelle Gellar role outside of Sunnydale in the comments?