No Vampires? No Problem! Celebrating Sarah Michelle Gellar's Career Resurgence: 8 Of Her Best Roles Outside Of 'Buffy'

It's probably been a tough couple of weeks for Sarah Michelle Gellar, with the news of former Buffy co-star Nicholas Brendon's death coming fresh on the heels of reports that the pilot of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, a reboot attempt in which she had been heavily involved, had not been picked up to series. However, it isn't all bad news for the cult favourite actress.

After taking an extended break from acting to be at home while her children were young, Sarah Michelle Gellar, often fondly abbreviated to SMG by fans, is experiencing something of a career resurgence. Her recent big screen return in the Horror-Comedy sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has been praised by critics. In celebration of Gellar's return, here's a look at some of her best roles outside of Buffy.

1. Kathryn Merteuil (Cruel Intentions)

While on a break from filming Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in the 1999 teen drama Cruel Intentions, a modern day reimagining of the French novel Dangerous Liaisons. Gellar plays Kathryn Merteuil. Outwardly well-behaved and popular at Manchester Prep School, behind closed doors she is a master manipulator, spending much of her time puppeteering the film's other characters, including her stepbrother and chief rival, Sebastian Valmont, through various wicked schemes.

The film received mixed reviews upon release, but the performances, including Gellar's, were highly praised. The film has since come to be considered a cult classic. Gellar reprised the role of Kathryn in the pilot for NBC's attempted TV sequel to Cruel Intentions in 2016, but it was not picked up to series.

Gellar's cameo in the Netflix Black Comedy Do Revenge was intended as a tribute to her Cruel Intentions character.

2. Helen Shivers (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

In 1997, Gellar appeared in Slasher flick I Know What You Did Last Summer as Helen Shivers, one of a group of former High School friends who find themselves hunted down as the consequence of a fatal incident they concealed the previous Summer. A one-time Beauty Pageant winner, Helen is one of the final victims in the film, which many fans saw as cementing Gellar as one of the Scream Queens of her generation.

Retrospective reviews have been especially kind to Gellar's portrayal of Helen Shivers as more nuanced and complicated than the typical horror girl destined to be a victim. Struggling and lonely after High School, Helen is almost relieved when the first notes from the killer arrive, as she has an excuse to reconnect with her friends.

Despite her death, Helen Shivers remains a presence in the 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel/reboot. Gellar cameos as Shivers in a brief dream sequence, tormenting new lead character Danica.

3. Daphne Blake ('Scooby-Doo' and 'Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed')

Late in Buffy's run, Gellar joined the cast of the live-action adaptation of cartoon classic Scooby-Doo, playing the role of Daphne Blake. Originally Mystery Inc's regular damsel in distress, the film, which takes place after a period of separation for the group, has Daphne rebel against her damsel status by training in Martial Arts. The film was also notable as the first piece of Scooby-Doo media to explicitly depict and confirm Daphne and self-proclaimed Mystery Inc leader Fred Jones as a couple. Freddie Prinze Jnr, then Gellar's fiance, played Fred, and the couple married soon after filming wrapped.

While it received mostly negative reviews at the time of it's release, Scooby-Doo was a hit at the box office, and has since become a cult classic, particularly among followers of screenwriter James Gunn, who later went on to helm Marvel's smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. According to Gunn, an R-rated cut of the film exists.

Sarah Michelle Gellar reprised the role of Daphne in 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. While it failed to reach the box office heights of the first film, Monsters Unleashed has also obtained cult status.

4. Karen Davis (The Grudge)

Gellar scored one of her first major post-Buffy roles in 2004's The Grudge, a remake of the Japanese horror film Ju-On. Gellar played Karen Davis, an American Care Worker employed by in Tokyo, who finds herself inadvertently cursed by vengeful spirits while on a job.

Gellar's performance was praised by critics, many of whom credited the actress for the film's success. Karen is killed off relatively early in The Grudge 2, and while the death of the first film's protagonist also occurs in the Japanese sequel, some fans consider the character's death a mistake.

5. Bridget Kelly/Siobhan Martin (Ringer)

In 2011, Gellar returned to TV with the Thriller/Drama series Ringer. The actress primarily portrayed Bridget Kelly, a recovering drug addict who finds a target on her back after witnessing a Mob Boss commit murder. Bridget flees, hoping to hide out with her twin sister, Siobhan (also Gellar), who is living comfortably after marrying self-made millionaire Andrew Martin. Stunned when Siobhan apparently commits suicide in front of her, Bridget nonetheless takes advantage of the situation to assume her sister's identity. Unfortunately for Bridget, Siobhan was hiding her own secrets and troubles.

While it started strong, Ringer's viewership dropped in the second half, putting the series on shaky ground, but it has become something of a cult hit, with fans at the time rallying to save it. In later interviews, Gellar suggested that her doubts over matching the same workload after becoming pregnant with her second child contributed to the series cancellation.

6. Sydney Roberts (The Crazy Ones)

In 2013, Gellar returned to the small screen again, this time in workplace sitcom The Crazy Ones. Gellar played Sydney Roberts, recently made a Business Partner and Director of her Father's Advertising Agency. Her Father, Simon (played by the late Robin Williams), loves Sydney but was often absent with work during her childhood, and sees welcoming her into his business as a chance to spend time together.

While critics claimed The Crazy Ones did not quite reach the potential expected from it's cast, the Father-Daughter chemistry between Williams and Gellar was praised as a high point. Williams' death, coming three months after the series was cancelled, deeply affected Gellar, prompting her decision to take an extended break from showbiz to be home with her children.

7. Seventh Sister (Star Wars: Rebels)

In season two of the popular animated series Star Wars: Rebels, Gellar voices villain the Seventh Sister, a Jedi-hunting Inquisitor looking to eliminate series heroes Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus. While praised as a menacing villain, the Seventh Sister is perhaps best remembered for losing a duel with Ahsoka Tano, and her death at the hands of Darth Maul.

The story, told at cons, goes that Gellar became jealous of the street cred that her Husband, Freddie Prinze Jnr, had gained with their kids for voicing Kanan. When the role of Seventh Sister was offered to her for season two, she jumped at the chance.

8. Ursula Danforth (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come)

Recently, Gellar has returned to the big screen in the Horror-Comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Gellar plays Ursula Danforth, a high ranking member of a dark, world-manipulating Council, Hunting sisters Grace and Faith MacCaullay in a deadly ritualistic game of Hide and Seek. Critics have praised Gellar for making Ursula a less one-dimensional character than she initially seems, aware that she is likely a mere cog in the Council's evil machine.

Many are hoping the critical response signals a more prominent return for Sarah Michelle Gellar, and with other projects in the pipeline, they may just get their wish.