Sarah Michelle Gellar is the embodiment of late ‘90s teen dreams thanks to iconic roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Cruel Intentions” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” After a self-imposed hiatus she recently returned to television with “Wolf Pack,” a show from “Teen Wolf” showrunner Jeff Davis which again deals with the traumas of teenhood. This time, however, she plays an ass-kicking investigator with a mysterious past as well as taking on an executive producer role on the project. “I like scheduling and budgets and all that,” she tells Variety in Cannes, where Gellar is in town to pick up a well-deserved Canneseries Icon Award. (Gellar says she was also offered an opportunity to direct “Wolf Pack,” which she turned down).
“I very much was ready to come back,” the actor/EP explains of why she chose this moment to return to screens, although she admits there was “some apprehension.” “Like, do people still want to see you? Does it still work?” The script for “Wolf Pack” initially drew her in but it was the show’s deeper themes that sealed the deal. “One of the things I loved about “Buffy” was that the monsters were a metaphor for the horrors of adolescence,” Gellar says. “And ‘Wolf Pack’ was taking that concept and doing it about [what they] face now: anxiety, depression, isolation. I really loved having a way to speak about that without being preachy, but sort of opening up that dialogue.”
Gellar’s already in talks for a second season – “the conversations are happening,” she tells Variety – and, for the first time, she’s seriously considering embarking on her directorial debut, if the right project comes along (“I think if something came my way where I said, ‘Oh, that’s my story to tell’”). As for the recently-announced “Cruel Intentions” TV adaptation? “I’ve learned a lesson with that,” she says.
Returning to the teen drama genre as an adult and as an executive producer – did it give you a different perspective on “Wolf Pack”?
I don’t think I looked at it that way. I mean, I think you come in looking at it as any role that you that you choose to do.
The executive producer side, to me, is extremely important. Because one of the reasons that made me want to come back now was I’m seeing the change in the industry, both behind the lens and in front. It’s something as simple as [making] 22 episodes is impossible: you can’t be creative, you can’t, you’re just burnt out, you’re fried. When you do eight to 10, you really can put your heart and your soul into it without being drained of everything else. I wanted to create the environment that I wanted to be a part of. It’s not brain surgery, what we do, it’s not a life or death matter. It’s entertainment. And it’s important, it holds a very specific place [in people’s hearts], but it should be a safe and fun working environment and I haven’t always had that experience. So to be able to be in charge to create that on every level was pretty important to me.
When you talk about previous experience, would it be fair to interpret that as referring to your time on “Buffy”?
No, I think that’s a mistake. I mean, obviously, that goes in there. But that was a lot of projects that I was involved in, because it was a very different time and what was considered acceptable should never have been considered acceptable. And so yes, “Buffy” was a difficult project but it was by far not anywhere near the only experience I had like that and I want people to understand that. I look back on “Buffy” with fondness.
What would you say are the differences with “Wolf Pack” and “Buffy” in terms of things that teenagers are dealing with? Is life for teenagers worse now?
That’s an interesting question. I mean, it’s always worse because it’s new. Just when you think you have things figured out – how to be a parent or be a human, you know – it does change and I do think that the landscape of social media has its pluses and minuses. In the beginning, I only recognized the minuses: feeling left out, not looking perfect and all that. But then you realise it also has the ability to connect people. And I thought that was interesting, how it was utilized in the show where we have one character who has no social media, no presence, and you realize that’s not really the answer either, that we do live in this world. But how do we find that balance?
Reboots and spin-offs have been a theme during this year’s MipTV, which is running alongside Canneseries. How would you feel about a “Buffy” reboot?
That’s an interesting question. I think that the way we left the show was set up for that. There was a reason why the idea was that instead of “into one generation there is one Slayer” why not share the power among women. That’s one of the biggest issues with women is, we so often don’t support the other women around us. And so I think it’s a perfect way to tell the story through a modern lens. I just don’t think it should be me because of those inevitable comparisons. But I think that if somebody has a way in through those other Slayers – like, we left that there for a reason. We could have just ended it but we didn’t. So I’m all for it, if someone has that story, I just don’t think I’m the person that’s – no, let me rephrase that. I know I’m not the person to tell that story.
Would you want to be involved in some capacity, for example exec producing or would you be happy to hand it over to someone else entirely?
No I think this one I would hand it over.
Another iconic project of yours is “Cruel Intentions,” which has also recently been rebooted – this time as a TV show – for the second time. Are you involved with that?
No. I’ve learned a lesson with that, which is it’s a very difficult process. And eventually, or inevitably, you’re going to be let down. Because some people want a new [version], some people want this, and my place in something like that only makes you compare it to the original. And if there’s a new take and new whatever, then they get a chance to stand on their own.
Did you get a head’s up that an adaptation was in the works or did you just hear about it online?
In this instance I heard about it online. I was contacted afterwards, but I heard about it online.
Aside from a possible second season of “Wolf Pack,” what’s next for you?
You know, I’m just slowly figuring it out. I think that’s one of the beauties of now [versus] 20 years ago. The day I started a project, [I used to think] “What’s my next project?” Now I have the ability to enjoy the project, take it through the promotional part of it, go home to my family for a little bit and then figure out what the next step is. It doesn’t have to be this continuous cycle for me, and I’m extremely appreciative of that. I think that was my biggest [worry] coming back was, you know, sometimes you take that time off and by the time you come back, nobody’s interested in seeing you. So I think the fact that I’ve been so welcomed and have felt that love, it’s like, Okay, I’m gonna figure out how this works now.
This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.
