Here’s Why Sarah Michelle Gellar Almost Passed on ‘Wolf Pack’
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a true pop culture icon. Her career-defining role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer earned her a place in TV history, while her enduring relationship with fellow ’90s icon Freddie Prinze Jr. has ensured the admiration of fans of all ages. Gellar took a break from the spotlight for a number of years in order to focus on raising her children — but now, the actor is back in action in a brand-new TV series that is receiving serious buzz. In an October 2022 panel interview, Gellar opened up about what almost made her pass on Wolf Pack, and why she decided to take on the starring role in the series after all.
Why did Sarah Michelle Gellar almost pass on ‘Wolf Pack’?
In a 2022 panel interview with the cast and creators of Wolf Pack, Gellar opened up about what inspired her to tackle another supernatural series. “It had to be something that really resonated because I owe it to all of you guys and to myself,” Gellar noted. “But there are so many more stories to tell, and utilizing the supernatural is how we explain the things that we can’t really understand and the stories that we can’t really grasp, or the ones that would be too depressing in real life or too upsetting.”
“I didn’t really intend to read it when they sent it to me initially,” Gellar said. “And no offense, I’m a big fan, but I was like ‘eh, not for me.'” Creator Jeff Davis chimed in, saying “werewolves,” which caused Gellar to make a face. Clearly, the actor wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of filming a series that featured wolves or werewolves. Still, Gellar noted that the script’s utilization of deep themes around isolation and trauma, as well as the discussion of mental health, ultimately convinced her to take on the role.
Sarah Michelle Gellar said that supernatural roles are the ‘most exciting’ ones for women
Gellar is passionate about roles that allow women a chance to truly shine. In a recent interview with USA Today, Gellar discussed why she feels so consistently drawn to the supernatural genre. “Supernatural and thriller (projects) still offer the most exciting roles for women: You get to be vulnerable, and you get to fight,” Gellar said.
While Gellar noted that she knows many people will compare Buffy the Vampire Slayer to her new role in Wolf Pack, she pointed out that in one way, the two shows are similar — with Buffy using monsters as “metaphors for the horrors of adolescence,” while Wolf Pack uses “the monsters as metaphors for what we face now: anxiety, loneliness and the idea of finding your pack.”
Who are Sarah Michelle Gellar’s castmates in ‘Wolf Pack’?
Wolf Pack tells the story of a group of teenagers who cross paths during a forest fire. The fire awakens some unusual tendencies in the teenagers, who discover that they start to exhibit wolf-like behavior. According to IMDb, the show stars Gellar as Kristen Ramsey, Rodrigo Santoro as Garrett Briggs, Armani Jackson as Everett Lang, and Tyler Lawrence Gray as Harlan Briggs.
Wolf Pack is exclusively available on stream on Paramount+, with new episodes scheduled to hit the streaming platform every week through March 16. Although there’s no word yet on a possible second season, according to Business Insider, there’s enough source material in the books the show is based on to easily produce additional seasons.
