Sarah Michelle Gellar bio, age, height, husband, kids, relationships 2025

Biography of Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar is an American actress and producer. She shot to fame at just four years old after appearing in a Burger King commercial that sparked a legal battle with McDonald's.

Her breakthrough came in 1997 when she landed the role of vampire slayer Buffy Summers. The role earned her a Saturn Award for Best Genre Actress. The supernatural hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" ran for seven seasons.

She's also known for playing Daphne Blake in the adventure comedy "Scooby-Doo," and her character Kathryn Merteuil in the drama "Cruel Intentions" was named the Best Female Performance by MTV in 2000.

Childhood, Youth, Family

Sarah Michelle was born in spring 1977 to a Jewish family in New York, to parents Rosellen Greenfield and Arthur Gellar. Her mother was a nursery school teacher, while her father worked in a textile factory. Sarah was just a toddler when her father left the family and lost interest in her life. Rosellen's income barely covered the rent for their room. Sarah fondly remembers those Friday night mac and cheese dinners with her mom.

Sarah's early childhood was different from her peers. While other four-year-olds were playing with dolls, young Gellar was starring in a Burger King commercial. This ad sparked a marketing war between Burger King and McDonald's that continues today. The creators of the commercial had Sarah say not just the word "Whopper," but also make a bold claim against McDonald's: their burgers supposedly contained 20% less meat.

Young Sarah Michelle Gellar in the controversial Burger King advertisement

The controversial ad led to legal disputes, with Sarah Michelle testifying as a witness. The media called it the "burger wars." Burger King released more scandalous ads featuring "Whopper Virgin" Herb (though that campaign ultimately flopped, but that's another story). The young star of that controversial commercial received about a hundred advertising offers.

Her mother took her to film auditions, launching Gellar's career. She played Phil's daughter in the TV comedy film "Over the Brooklyn Bridge" (1984) and later starred as Jennifer in Mel Damski's drama "An Invasion of Privacy."

Sarah Michelle Gellar in the TV series 'Swans Crossing' (1992)

Sarah faced jealousy at a young age. Her elementary school classmates saw her as a show-off and organized boycotts against her. Thanks to Sarah's earnings, her mother transferred her to a school for wealthier kids. But even there, she felt like an outsider since her mom was just a nursery school teacher.

Within a month, Rosellen moved her daughter to the Professional Children's School, which mainly prepared child stars for college. There, Sarah finally felt like she belonged. Every child had unique talents and respected each other's gifts. She took up karate, water skiing, and diving, and found a comfortable social circle. Her classmates cheered when she won a bronze medal in figure skating in New York. Sarah graduated a year early and already had a brown belt in karate plus an impressive filmography.

Film Career

Sarah's journey to stardom was a long one. She appeared in several TV shows: "Spenser: For Hire" (as Emily), "Crossbow" (as Sara Guidotti), and "A Woman Named Jackie" (as young Jacqueline Kennedy). Then she played the scheming Kendall Hart in the soap opera "All My Children," for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

Around the same time, Gellar graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, left the series, and appeared in Amos Kollek's thriller "High Stakes" as Karen Rose.

On the set of the movie 'Beverly Hills Family Robinson'

In 1997, she appeared in three films: the family comedy "Beverly Hills Family Robinson," directed by Troy Miller, where she played one of the main roles — Jane Robinson. Her co-stars included Dyan Cannon and Martin Mull. She then took on a small role as Cici Cooper in Wes Craven's slasher "Scream 2," followed by the lead role of Helen Shivers in Jim Gillespie's thriller "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

A shot from the movie 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'

Sarah's convincing portrayal of a prom queen hunted by a maniac turned her into an idol for thousands of American teenagers. But she truly hit it big after landing the role of Buffy Summers in the mystical action TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which also debuted in 1997. She initially auditioned for the secondary role of Cordelia, which was eventually played by Charisma Carpenter.

Other actresses like Katie Holmes and Selma Blair also auditioned for the role of Buffy. But Sarah's karate skills, innocent look, and charming smile made her the perfect choice. Despite her aversion to horror stories and graveyards, she was cast as the lead and was honored with the Saturn Award for Best Genre TV Actress.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Reacts To Her Most Iconic Roles

Gellar starred in "Buffy" for six years. She'd practically live on set for days at a time. Once, after three straight 20-hour workdays, she even showed up on set in her pajamas, having forgotten to change. In one interview, Gellar said about her work on the series:

We broke the stereotype. This was one of the first shows that wasn't afraid to show girls who could stand up for themselves. Personally, this has always resonated with me. My friends were into ballet, but I chose karate because there were no boys in ballet! People say being a role model is a heavy burden. What an honor! I remember how much my own girlhood idols meant to me.

After her iconic TV role, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't land any more blockbuster movie roles. She took on the role of Kathryn Merteuil in Roger Kumble's drama "Cruel Intentions," a bored socialite who, along with her friend Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), devises a twisted game involving their acquaintance Annette (Reese Witherspoon). The role earned her an MTV award for Best Female Performance and the title of Sexiest Actress of the Year.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in 'Cruel Intentions'

Later in her filmography, Gellar played Daphne in the children's comedy "Scooby-Doo," Veronica in the drama "Veronika Decides to Die," and Bridget Kelly in the thriller "Ringer." In "Ringer," she not only starred but also served as one of the film's producers.

She then starred alongside Lee Pace in the thriller "Possession" and took a break from acting to focus on her family and her culinary brand, Foodstirs.

During the 2020 quarantine, Gellar got active on Instagram, jumping into various challenges. She showed up in a pillow dress and posted photos with wild hair colors. Fans went crazy seeing her in a dress that Buffy wore way back in 1997. She also posted short videos about activities to do during quarantine.

Sarah Michelle Gellar's Personal Life

Despite working alongside A-list Hollywood actors, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't get into any serious relationships for a long time. Everything changed when she met actor David Boreanaz, who played vampire Angel on "Buffy," and she fell hard. But the relationship didn't outlast the series, and wedding rumors eventually died down. A year later, they called it quits without any explanation.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz

Sarah's real love story began with actor Freddie Prinze Jr. They met on the "Scooby-Doo" set. What started as friendship quickly turned into something deeper, and they tied the knot in 2002.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr

Since then, they've been one of Hollywood's most solid couples. With kids Charlotte and Rocky, their bond has only gotten stronger. Gellar's often said that becoming a mom changed everything for her, and family is now her top priority.

Sarah Michelle Gellar Now

Late 2020 brought news of two new Gellar projects. She'll star as Amber Reynolds in the TV series "Sometimes I Lie," written by Robin Swicord. She's also producing and starring as Anne Porter in the drama "Other People's Houses," based on Abby Waxman's novel. The film dives into suburban life and how social media affects these communities.

Sarah Michelle Gellar on new show 'Wolf Pack'

In January 2023, the supernatural series "Wolf Pack" hit Paramount+ with Sarah Michelle Gellar in a leading role. She plays Christine Ramsey, an arson investigator tackling a massive California wildfire. But there's way more to her character than meets the eye.