Photo: Everett Collection
Sarah Michelle Gellaris still inspiring the LGBTQ community to slay.
The Golden Globe nominee, 45, opens up to PEOPLE about her iconic titular role inBuffy the Vampire Slayerand the show’s lasting impact on LGBTQ fans after appearing in the star-studded “Tastes So Good” music video forCannandWeedmaps’Pride Monthcampaign.
“Being a part of a show that’s so iconic … I’m honored. I’m honored that it helped people feel not alone because that’s the scariest thing in life is when you feel alone,” she says. “And Buffy was a great representation of that because she was different than everybody else.
“It wasn’t about her sexual identity, but it was about who she was. And if one person comes out of that feeling less lonely, then we’ve done our job, and I’m just happy that it stands up to the test. I think a lot of shows don’t stand up to that test over time and I think that we did,” Gellar adds.
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Gellar played the eponymous vampire slayer Buffy Summers in the teen sci-fi series, which ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003.
The show has been lauded over the years for its LGBTQ representation in Buffy’s witch best friend Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), as well as the series' use of supernatural plots as metaphors for myriad adolescent issues.
Gellar has long considered herself an ally to the LGBTQ community,educating her two children— daughterCharlotte Grace, 12, and 9-year-old sonRocky James, whom she shares with husbandFreddie Prinze Jr.— on the importance of inclusivity.
“It’s a community that I’ve always felt accepted and one of, and safe within, and I’m honored to be considered any part of that community,” she explains. “Because I certainly didn’t earn my stripes. So, I’m glad to have one more community that accepts me and loves me for me.”
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“My favorite part, honestly, was that for once, it wasn’t me in the high heels,” she recounts. “Kornbread was like, ‘These are the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.’ And I just looked down at the sneakers I was wearing and I was all, ‘Sorry.'”
source: people.com
