Buffy: Then & Now
Buffy is 20! The cult-hit series celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday, March 10. To celebrate, we're taking a look at the cast then and now. Buckle up, Scoobies.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
We can't believe it's been 20 years since SMG first took on the role of Buffy Summers, but we do know one thing: she has pretty much slayed everything since. Nowadays, she's taking a short break from any major acting projects to follow another passion: baking. She recently launched a mail-order baking company called Foodstirs which supplies everything you need to make your own tasty treats at home via mail. She and hubby Freddie Prinze Jr., who she wed in 2002, keep busy parenting their two small children Rocky, 4, and Charlotte, 7.
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson is probably just as famous for her role as Buffy's Willow Rosenberg as she is for her role as Lily Aldrin on another long-running series, How I Met Your Mother. And who could forget her role in the American Pie movies? After Buffy wrapped its seven seasons, she married co-star Alexis Denisof (known in the Buffyverse as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce) in 2003 and worked on HIMYM until the show wrapped up in 2014. She appeared as host on The CW's Penn & Teller: Fool Us in the summer of 2016. Alyson and Alexis live in Encino with their two young daughters.
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon, otherwise known as the lovable goofball Xander Harris of the Buffy Scooby Gang, is also a familiar face from several seasons of the much-loved series Criminal Minds. After seeking treatment in 2015 for alcoholism and depression, he's now proudly sober and working on several new projects. He was even a contributing writer for the Buffy Season 10 comic books.
Anthony Stewart Head
Anthony's role as Buffy's Watcher and father figure Rupert Giles was a combination of wit and warmth that will always make us smile. Since Buffy, Head has kept busy, appearing in films like Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) and The Iron Lady (2011), been a series regular on shows like Merlin, Little Britain, and Dominion, and has even made forays into radio. Plus, he's a musician! He released an album called "Staring at the Sun" in 2014.
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz wrapped up his time on Buffy and his own spin-off show, Angel, then went straight on to star as FBI Agent Seeley Booth on Bones for 12 (TWELVE!) seasons. Seriously – Boreanaz has had steady work since he first stepped into Angel's shoes – and in television, of all places! After Bones airs its last episode this month on March 28, we imagine Boreanaz will want to take a nice break to spend time with his wife, actress Jaime Bergman, and two kids, Jaden, 14, and Bella, 7.
Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter, AKA Queen Bee Cordelia Chase, made the switch over from Buffy to co-star alongside David Boreanaz in his spin-off show, Angel. She's made appearances on shows like Charmed, played Kendall Casablancas in Veronica Mars, and appeared The Lying Game. She also played Lacy in The Expendables films. Our fav appearance? When she made a guest appearance on an episode of Supernatural alongside Buffy fav and co-star James Marsters. Pro-tip? Charisma's slated to appear in a new movie called The Griddle House which reunites her with other Buffy alums Amber Benson and Clare Kramer. We're so there.
Kristine Sutherland
After her exit from the show as Buffy's warm-hearted mother Joyce Summers, Kristine Sutherland took a break from acting and set up a photography studio which specialized in portraits. She didn't return to the small screen until 2008, and considers herself a theater actress at heart. But you're in luck! She's slated to star alongside her real life hubby, John Pankow, in the upcoming film Before/During/After later this year.
James Marsters
Spike. * sniff * Where do we even begin? After immortalizing our favorite British platinum-haired, leather-jacket-wearing vampire on both Buffy and Angel, James Marsters went on to focus on select acting projects and his music. He made a splash in Torchwood as Captain John Hart and also played Brainiac on The CW's Smallville. When he's not working on his music with his band Ghost of the Robot, he and his friend Mark Devine create and star in a web series called Vidiots. He married girlfriend Patricia Rahman in 2011.
Juliet Landau
Juliet Landau's performance as the totally delusional vampire Drusilla in Buffy season two will haunt us forever. Since her time on Buffy and Angel, Juliet has focused her attention more on voice work. But she's currently spearheading a docu-series called A Place Among the Undead with interviews and narratives about vampires in film and TV. Uhhh, this sounds amazing? For more info on how to be a part of this, check out the page for "A Place Among the Undead" on IndieGoGo or Juliet's twitter.
Emma Caulfield
Emma Caulfield's role as Anya, the pragmatic ex-vengeance demon and love of Xander Harris, made a splash in Buffy season three, which led her to staying for the rest of the series. Since then, she's starred in movies like Darkness Falls (2003) and TiMER (2009) and made guest appearances as the Blind Witch from Hansel & Gretel on ABC's Once Upon a Time. Emma and her husband Mark Ford welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Knightley, in July 2016.
Eliza Dushku
After playing the Faith, the headstrong and charming second Slayer, Eliza Dushku turned down a role in a spin-off show revolving around her character and instead she went on to star in two seasons of Fox's fantasy drama Tru Calling. Whilst doing voice work and making guest appearances on shows, she also reunited with legendary Buffy creator Joss Whedon for the short-lived but much-loved series Dollhouse. Her most recent film, a horror-thriller titled Eloise, hit theaters last month.
Seth Green
King of Deadpan, Mr. Seth Green, played Daniel Osbourne (AKA Oz), Willow's beau (with a secret) in Buffy seasons two and three. After Buffy, Seth went on to roles including a part in the Austin Powers movies and The Italian Job (2003). Then there's all of his voice work, including almost 300 episodes as Family Guy's Chris Griffin. He is also co-creator, co-producer, writer, director, and most frequent voice on the series Robot Chicken. He's basically an American treasure.
Alexis Denisof
Alexis Denisof's character Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Watcher and part-time rogue demon hunter, had a short but important role on Buffy season three, after which he went on to co-star alongside David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter in the spin-off show Angel. We're still not over how cute it is that he's married to Buffy co-star Alyson Hannigan (who played Willow, of course). They have two children together.
Julie Benz
Julie Benz's character, the seductive vampire Darla, was actually the first major character who appeared on-screen in the Buffy TV series. Darla proved hard to stay away from for the writers and made recurring appearances on both Buffy and Angel. Since then, Benz has enjoyed regular parts on TV hits like Dexter, Hawaii Five-0, Desperate Housewives, and Defiance. She married Rich Orosco in 2012. And is it just us, or has she not aged a day?
Mercedes McNab
Nobody could play hilarious airhead Harmony Kendall as perfectly as Mercedes McNab. After her time on the early seasons of Buffy, she also had a recurring role in the spin-off show Angel. Since then, McNab also made appearances on shows like Psych and Supernatural. She and her husband, Mark Henderson, wed in 2012 and have one child together.
Marc Blucas
Since his time on Buffy as agent Riley Finn, Marc Blucas has been a series regular in shows like Necessary Roughness, Killer Women, and Underground. He's also starred in films like The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) and Knight and Day (2010). Blucas married girlfriend Ryan Haddon in July 2009 and has several film projects in the works for the new year.
Amber Benson
The kind and level-headed Tara Maclay, as played by Amber Benson, was brought onto Buffy for season four. Since the Buffy days, Benson has kept busy writing novels and making appearances on shows including Supernatural (she played a vegetarian vampire!), Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice as well as movies like Chance which she directed, produced, edited, and acted in alongside Buffy co-star James Marsters. The takeaway? Tara can pretty much do anything.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg came onto the scene in Buffy season five as Buffy's little sister, Dawn Summers. She has one of those faces that you know you've just seen somewhere—because she's been in so many things. Most notably? Her TV appearances since Buffy include spots on Six Feet Under, Mercy, Love Bites, Weeds, and as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl. You've probably also seen her on the big screen in Ice Princess (2005) or in 17 Again (2009). We're so proud of you, Dawnie.
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