David Boreanaz Was Star Struck Meeting A Bombshell Actress

David Boreanaz says that he was starstruck and intimidated when first meeting Sarah Michelle Gellar on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

By Chad Langen | Updated

David Boreanaz

David Boreanaz (Bones, SEAL Team) was one of the biggest heartthrobs of the ‘90s, landing a prominent role on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer before headlining the darker spin-off series Angel. During a recent interview on The Summit with Josh Horowtiz (reported by Screen Rant), the actor, now 53, shared a heartwarming and humorous story about meeting co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar for the first time.

He revealed that his nerves nearly got the best of him, but Gellar’s positivity and bubbly personality helped him to conquer the part, which was his biggest project ever at the time.

Before David Boreanaz landed a role on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is based on the 1992 film of the same name, he had only starred in a handful of projects. His part in the Joss Whedon-created series was his first major gig, and the first time he stepped foot on the show’s set, he was somewhat overwhelmed. Luckily, his initial encounter with Sarah Michelle Gellar seemed to calm his anxiety.

“I remember walking into the set, it was very low ceilings and there was a fight sequence going on and there was Sarah, kind of, like, in the distance,” said David Boreanaz. He admitted to being slightly taken aback by the actress, who portrays Buffy in the series, and her ability to go from partaking in an intense battle bit to being cool and collected.

“She was so bubbly and energetic and very kind,” said David Boreanaz of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star. He went on to share that he forced himself to maintain his cool in the presence of Sarah Michelle Gellar, even though he was undoubtedly starstruck. He refrained from showing any sign of weakness and reassured himself that he was an experienced actor.

It certainly seems like his inner pep talks were successful. The stellar relationship that David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar had onset translated to the screen, where the two had tremendous chemistry. The love story between their characters helped to propel Buffy the Vampire Slayer for seven seasons.

Although it sounds like David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar hit it off during their first interaction with one another and maintained a great working relationship thereafter, things weren’t always rainbows and butterflies behind-the-scenes of the series.

In fact, Gellar was very candid about the show’s drama-filled shoots in the book Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts. She revealed that the cast regularly had onset arguments due to being young, working strenuous hours, and not knowing how to deal with the stress of it all.

Furthermore, last year saw several actors from the popular series come forward with allegations that Joss Whedon was abusive toward several cast members while the show was still on the air. In an open statement, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on the sci-fi show, claimed Whedon abused his power on countless occasions. Several other actresses on the series echoed her statements, and David Boreanaz spoke out to pledge his support for his Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars.

Still, even with all the issues that reportedly unfolded on set, the series remains a staple in sci-fi television. Although David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar have long since moved on from their roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, their complicated romance is one we’ll continue to revisit time and again. In fact, all 145 episodes of the hit series are currently available to stream on both Hulu and Amazon Prime.