This beauty appeared in commercials as a young child, but she quickly segued into TV and film roles. Her banner year came in 1997: Not only did Gellar garner attention in two big-screen horror fests —
Scream 2 and
I Know What You Did Last Summer (costarring her future husband, Freddie Prinze Jr.) — she also signed on as an exterminator of the undead in the long-running cult series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. During her tenure, Gellar made a bid for big-screen stardom as a villain in
Cruel Intentions and an airhead in the popular
Scooby-Doo films, costarring her spouse. When
Buffy ended in 2003, she slowed down the pace a bit, but after
The Grudge became a surprise hit in 2004, she found herself back in the spotlight. After a series of small and independent movies, Gellar took some time off from acting to spend time with Prinze and their daughter, Charlotte, born in 2009.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Fast Facts:
- Discovered by a talent agent at age 4 while eating in a restaurant.
- Has appeared in more than 100 television commercials.
- Was a competitive figure skater.
- Won a 1995 Daytime Emmy (Outstanding Younger Actress in a Daytime Drama) for her work on ABC's All My Children.
- Got the lead role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer even though she had only auditioned for a supporting part of Cordelia.
- Costarred with future husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in I Know What You Did Last Summer, and later Scooby-Doo and its sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
- Her wedding to Freddie Prinze Jr. was officiated by director Adam Shankman.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar Relationships:
- Arthur Gellar - Father
- Freddie Prinze Jr. - Husband
- Rosellen Gellar - Mother
- Charlotte Grace Prinze - Daughter
- Sarah Michelle Gellar Awards:
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee