4:31
- culture
- October 25, 2019
Gellar on what she learned from 'Buffy'
The actress makes a case for why you absolutely must believe in yourself.
Video by Brittany Berkowitz, Will Linendoll
4:31
While it’s been a few years since Gellar left Sunnydale, she credits “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as being one of the biggest learning experiences of her career.
“It would be hard to encompass in one sentence what “Buffy” taught me,” Gellar told “Good Morning America.” “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime gift as an actor, and realizing the importance that holds is still really overwhelming and very special.”
From her iconic roles in the ‘90s to tackling motherhood, Gellar got right to the point when it comes to advice she would give to her younger self.
In 1997, Gellar became “the chosen one” when she was cast as Buffy Summers.
“When you have time and you understand the impact that that show had, your really appreciate the experience,” Gellar told “GMA.”
During its first season, Gellar had no idea that “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” would resonate with as many people as the show eventually did.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Mar 5, 2019 at 11:12am PST
When it comes to her role models, Buffy Summers is still a top pick for Gellar.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/sarah-michelle-gellar-gty-jt-190919_hpEmbed_2x3_384.jpg\")
“I think she’s such an incredible role model for anybody going through a true horror in life,” Gellar said. “She fought her own demons and that’s what we all have to do.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on May 13, 2018 at 9:05am PDT
“Which one’s me?!” Gellar laughed as she looked at a family photo of her and her mom. “That picture, in particular, is extremely trippy.”
Gellar doesn’t just get her looks from her mother; she also inherited her strong sense of self.
“I would have to imagine that I’m like my mom, considering the fact that she raised me by herself,” said Gellar.
Gellar grew up in New York City and said she wouldn’t trade her childhood filled with Broadway, museums and quality time with her mom for anything.
“I think the biggest piece of advice that my mom gave me was to believe in myself,” said Gellar. “Because if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else is going to take that chance.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Jun 23, 2017 at 6:39am PDT
While the iconic kiss between Gellar and Selma Blair’s characters in \"Cruel Intentions\" looked intimate, Gellar remembers it as anything but.
“We shot, like, six days of 'Cruel Intentions' in New York City and it was the first nice day in the spring,” Gellar recalled. “Pretty much every single New Yorker happened to have been in Central Park on that day that we were filming.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on May 11, 2019 at 8:57am PDT
Since their “Cruel Intentions” days, Blair and Gellar are still besties. Gellar has been by her co-star’s side throughout her battle with multiple sclerosis.
“I think in this last period what we’ve realized is how strong and how tough and how badass she is,” Gellar said. “I’m in awe of her every day.\"
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Mar 22, 2019 at 11:15am PDT
Another relationship that’s important to Gellar is the one she has with her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr.
The couple recently celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary. What is their secret to a successful marriage?
“There’s no secret to a successful relationship,” said Gellar. “It’s work and you have to be willing to put the work in any relationship that you have in your life.”
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/sarah-michelle-gellar-colgate-ht-jt-191025_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
When it comes to balancing family and work, Gellar credits sticking to a regular routine as part of her recipe for success.
“I really don’t have time for products that don’t work and the key for me is consistency,” Gellar said. “I have some products that I’ve been using for years and one of them is my toothpaste -- Colgate Optic White Platinum High Impact. I’ve been using it for years and it is whitening that works. I love it!”
That’s why Colgate was a natural partnership for Gellar. She recently teamed up with the brand since she is a longtime fan of how it has helped her maintain her pearly whites.
“Eyes are the window to the soul but a smile lets people in,” said Gellar. “Everything is about a smile.”
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/sarah-michelle-gellar-life-lessons-learned-buffy-vampire/story?id=66452899","legacySlug":"/culture/story/sarah-michelle-gellar-life-lessons-learned-buffy-vampire-66452899","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"08:09","publishDate":"10-25-2019","updatedTime":"19:20","updatedDate":"10-25-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Take It From Me with Sara Michelle Gellar","credit":"ABC News, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/TIFM_SarahMichelleGellar_v02_sd_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/25/2019 08:09:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":66452899,"headline":"Gellar on what she learned from 'Buffy'","mediaAssetTitle":"Linendoll_Sarah_Michelle_Gellar","description":"The actress makes a case for why you absolutely must believe in yourself.","duration":"4:31","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/10/191023_gma_digital_sarah_michelle_gellar_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["66117389","64680173","65551921"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"October 11, 2019","headline":"Take it from Sophia Bush: 'You have the right to take up space'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/sophia-bush-space-66117389","id":66117389,"image":{"alt":"Take it from Sophia Bush: 'You have the right to take up space'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/TIFM_SophiaBush_v04_AG_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC Photo Illustration / Sophia Bush","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"August 2, 2019","headline":"Take it from 'Veronica Mars' star Jason Dohring: Breaking up is hard to do","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/veronica-mars-star-jason-dohring-breaking-hard-64680173","id":64680173,"image":{"alt":"Take it from 'Veronica Mars' star Jason Dohring: Breaking up is hard to do","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/TIFM_JasonDohring_v02_DG_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC News Photo Illustration","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"September 13, 2019","headline":"Take it from Nicole Richie: 'There are no rules when it comes to beauty'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/nicole-richie-rules-beauty-65551921","id":65551921,"image":{"alt":"Take it from Nicole Richie: 'There are no rules when it comes to beauty'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/TIFM_NicoleRichie_v03_AG_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"ABC Photo Illustration","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Gellar on what she learned from 'Buffy'","description":"The actress makes a case for why you absolutely must believe in yourself.","duration":"4:31","uploadDate":"10-25-2019","publication":"10-25-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/10/191023_gma_digital_sarah_michelle_gellar_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/10/191023_gma_digital_sarah_michelle_gellar_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/sarah-michelle-gellar-life-lessons-learned-buffy-vampire-66452899"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132636882","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132748964","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132747869","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132738086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132714218","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132701634","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132706335","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132675442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132665875","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132628890","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Gellar on what she learned from 'Buffy'","pubTime":"04:09","pubDate":"10-25-2019","modTime":"15:20","modDate":"10-25-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":66452899,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"Brittany Berkowitz, Will Linendoll","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Gellar on what she learned from 'Buffy'","mediaAssetTitle":"Linendoll_Sarah_Michelle_Gellar","videoId":66452899,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/sarah-michelle-gellar-life-lessons-learned-buffy-vampire-66452899"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/66452899","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/66452899","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};