Sarah Michelle Gellar: The star’s image, fans and promotion in the media

Twenty years ago, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s career peaked. She was a former child actress who had gained worldwide fame portraying the lead character in the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). Like so many other young stars of her generation, Sarah Michelle Gellar then made the transition from TV star to Movie Star, as she starred in successful movies like I Know What You Did Summer (1997), Cruel Intentions (1999), Scooby Doo (2002) and The Grudge (2004). Her private life also flourished as she found love with her equally famous co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. The couple, who tied the knot in 2002, have one of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories.This Reception Study explores how the American actress Sarah Michelle Gellar’s star image is constructed through pop-cultural media texts in between the years 1996-2006. It is done by analyzing movies, movie reviews, magazine articles and television appearances. A qualitative interview study also investigates the relationship between the star and her fans. Through interviews with eight female fans and eight male fans, I hoped to find out what the star meant to her fans and if there were any differences between how her female and male fans related to her. I was particularly interested in finding out if it was also possible for male fans to identify with the female star. But I also looked at how the fans perceive the star’s image and if it related to the characters she portrayed onscreen. I did this by comparing her fans and the film critics’ perception of her characters, movies and acting ability. Read more