Why Sarah Michelle Gellar Says ‘You Get to Be a Little Bit More Daring’ With Age
Aging in Hollywood has always been a rigged game. You’re supposed to magically stop time at 26, then blend into the background by your 40s with a humble nod and a skincare routine no mortal can actually afford. But thankfully, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn’t sit through seven seasons of slaying vampires just to fade into some industry mandate to “age gracefully,” whatever that means.
At 47, the Slayer herself is leaning into bold choices and proving aging is less about shrinking and more about taking up space — and doing so in a style that doesn’t scream “I am supposed to fade in the background now that I’m approaching 50,” thank you very much.
“I think there was a time when I worried so much about what was trendy and what people would think of how I looked in it,” Gellar told People. “And I think now, I’m more invested in myself and wanting to try things that are different. And I think it’s been successful for me lately.”
Translation? The girl who once expertly wielded a stake and served up snark to demonic foes is now conquering Paris Fashion Week. Gellar rocked black-on-black-on-black — a slick mini dress, sheer tights, leather trench, and a Hermés Kelly bag — making it seem impossible that this was her first time for the massive fashion event.
“I’ve never been,” she admitted about attending her first show. “I’m always working. I’ve never had time to go.”
And it’s not just her style that’s leveling up. Buffy Summers is sharpening her stakes for a long-awaited reboot. Hulu’s assembling a writers’ room, and while we don’t know Sunnydale’s current Hellmouth status, any scenario without Buffy calling the shots seems doomed from the get-go.
That said, don’t expect 2023 Gellar to moonlight in low-waist leather pants or rehash her high school wardrobe. “I grew up in a small New York apartment,” she previously explained of her time shooting Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Translation? There was no storage space left for vampire-fighting accessories. Her teenage daughter, Charlotte, was especially crushed to learn that the ’90s chokers and Buffy-era crop tops were sacrificed to New York real estate realities. (Same, Charlotte.)
For Gellar, growing older is far from a quiet retreat — it’s a time to be a bit more daring. After all, when you’re the Slayer, you write your own rules.
Before you go, click here to see which celebrities say that life gets better with age below: