Sarah Michelle Gellar will likely always be known as an icon of genre work and supernatural teen dramas, but she's given great performances besides her star-making role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. While fans of Buffy will always see Gellar as the heroine of the beloved TV show, before, during, and after Buffy was on the air, Gellar lent her talents to plenty of projects of multiple genres. However, some of the best have leaned into her skills in horror, as she's an expert at blending comedy into serious and violent moments, which always elevates a scary movie.

Being able to communicate the nuances of horror and drama by incorporating tongue-in-cheek and self-aware elements into her performance is one of the actress' best skills, as seen in Buffy. However, reboot, but that doesn't mean the actress hasn't been open about her love of the show. When an actor becomes synonymous with a role, it can be difficult to break out of that and establish themselves as a versatile performer. However, Gellar's career is far from over, and she will continue to grow and shine as an actress.

10 Suburban Girl (2007)

As Brett Eisenberg

Suburban Girl sees Gellar ed by Alec Baldwin in the classic 2000s-era rom-com. While the film treads familiar territory, it has a spark thanks to its central couple. The age gap between Gellar's Brett and Baldwin's Archie is a central theme in the film, and the way the narrative handles this difference was ahead of its time for 2007. Though the story is romantic, the ultimate message of the narrative is independence and self-acceptance on Brett's part.

For a rom-com, Suburban Girl asks a lot of Gellar as Brett goes through intense emotional upheaval in all aspects of her life.

For a rom-com, Suburban Girl asks a lot of Gellar as Brett goes through intense emotional upheaval in all aspects of her life. Both personally and professionally, Brett struggles and fights to be better and is undeniably the star of the movie, as every piece of the narrative revolves around her. Gellar hasn't had the chance to anchor as many films as the protagonist, so watching her take center stage in Suburban Girl is an exciting change of pace.

9 The Grudge (2004)

As Karen Davis

The Grudge is one of Gellar's more recent additions to the horror genre and is one of the more successful American remakes of a Japanese horror film. Gellar plays Karen, a young woman who becomes involved in the horrible curse of a house where a woman died violently and remains to haunt the new residents. While the non-linear structure of the movie made some of the more nuanced plot points difficult to pick up on, Karen's role as the hero and final girl carries through, and her bravery is clear.

Gellar hasn't been one of the best final girls in horror movies, as her characters typically die before the end of the narrative in film. However, The Grudge plays to her strengths and allows her to tap into the courage and leadership that defined her performance as Buffy. While The Grudge isn't her best-ed work today, it shouldn't be overlooked, as the creepy atmospheric elements of the movie make it an enduring part of the scary movie canon.

8 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

As Daphne Blake

Though Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed didn't live up to the performance of the original movie, Scooby-Doo, time has been kind to the sequel. The follow-up to the first live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo from 2002 mostly retread the same territory as the earlier installment, but that doesn't make it any less fun. Gellar proves for the second time that she is the perfect choice to play Daphne, as she balances the strength, confidence, and comedy of the character with ease.

Though Gellar's Daphne and her friends make their fair share of goof mistakes, this only endears them further to the audience when they solve the case.

As always, Gellar and her costars are the standouts of Scooby-Doo 2, bringing to life the cartoon characters as if they were born to play the roles. The Scooby-Doo franchise is known for the elaborate tricks the villains pull off to convince the gang that there are supernatural forces at work. However, the true culprit is never as sneaky or smart as Mystery Inc. Though Gellar's Daphne and her friends make their fair share of goof mistakes, this only endears them further to the audience when they solve the case.

7 The Crazy Ones (2013–2014)

As Sydney Roberts

Gellar is ed by the late seminal actor Robin Williams in one of his last screen performances in The Crazy Ones, the workplace-family sitcom. The actors have a warm and charming chemistry, with Gellar often being the serious, exasperated daughter, Sydney, in contrast to her larger-than-life father, Simon (Williams). Though working with a heavy-weight performer like Williams can be intimidating, Gellar holds her own and brings plenty of heart to her role. Their father-daughter dynamic is fraught and complicated, but Gellar makes it work.

Though the series had decent ratings, it received mixed reviews and was ultimately canceled, but part of this was due to the changing television landscape of the early 2010s. The series revolved around the advertising world, which has been touched upon many times in film and TV, but Gellar and Williams managed to put a fresh spin on the fast-paced world of marketing. In another life, The Crazy Ones might have enjoyed a longer run as a classic but interesting sitcom.

6 Wolf Pack (2023)

As Kristin Ramsey

Gellar's latest TV show, Wolf Pack, might have been short-lived, canceled after season 1, but it allowed Gellar to return to the genre of supernatural investigations. While Wolf Pack deals with werewolves instead of vampires, it still places Gellar in the center of the mystery as she searches for answers in the wake of a forest fire that ends up increasing the number of werewolves in town. It's interesting to see her in the role of the interloping adult while the teenage characters fall deeper into the supernatural realm.

Though Wolf Pack drew comparisons to Teen Wolf, the series distinguished itself as a unique offering, and Gellar's performance anchored the story.

Unlike Buffy, Wolf Pack doesn't have the luxury of a 22-episode season that provides some one-off episodes that build the characters throughout the overarching plot. However, this makes the story fast-paced and lean, propelling the plot forward to keep the audience engaged. Though Wolf Pack drew comparisons to Teen Wolf, the series distinguished itself as a unique offering, and Gellar's performance anchored the story. Even though many of the big events revolve around the teens, the narrative shines when it locks in on Gellar.

5 Do Revenge (2022)

As the Heaster

The hilarious teen-comedy Do Revenge taps into Gellar's roots as a teen icon in the 1990s and early 2000s, as the film is in conversation with ground-breaking stories that explore the pangs of adolescence. However, Do Revenge also has deeper themes of mystery and betrayal, expanding on how the ups and downs of high school are some of the most emotionally grueling periods of a person's life. Much of the story takes place at the school that the main characters attend, where Gellar plays the Heaster.

Do Revenge is one of the movies that perfectly defines Gen Z, as it touches upon how social media and technology have only made the harsh realities of teenage years more immediate. Gellar's role in Cruel Intentions most likely played a part in her being cast in a film about young women playing games with each other. It's fun to see her subverting this part of her past and embodying the authority figure the main characters manipulate into getting what they want.

4 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

As Helen Shivers

Though Jennifer Love Hewitt is the protagonist of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Gellar's Helen is often the most compelling character in the film. As a former beauty queen whose life is upended by the inciting accident of the story, Helen gets stuck in her hometown and doesn't know how to move forward. She plays well off of Love Hewitt's performance as Julie, as the central friends have a believably close relationship, and their investigation together is a compelling piece of the narrative.

Helen's fate ends up being one of the most impactful moments of the movie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer follows the classic teen-slasher formula, but it's a fun addition to the genre and includes plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments while taking its emotional arc seriously. Helen has some of the most genuine character development in the film, as she becomes more earnest and emotionally available as she grows up and takes responsibility for her actions. Helen's fate ends up being one of the most impactful moments of the movie.

3 Scooby-Doo (2002)

As Daphne Blake

The campy and somewhat goofy sensibilities of the live-action film adaptation of the beloved cartoon Scooby-Doo didn't astound critics and audiences, but the movie holds up well today. Scooby-Doo's narrative successfully expands upon the original beats of the cartoon and plays with the familiar murder-mystery narrative. Overall, the casting has been highlighted as one of the best facets of the movie, as Gellar isn't the only actor who fits their role perfectly and draws audiences into the story.

Gellar is ed by her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., who plays her love interest, Fred, and their chemistry is one of the most fun parts of the film. Daphne's character is made more complex and interesting in the narrative as she escapes her role of always being the story's victim. It's a fun subversion of the damsel in distress archetype and ties into her roots as a strong female hero in Buffy. Gellar gets to be funny, strong, and smart while playing Daphne, bringing new levels to the famous character.

2 Scream 2 (1997)

As Casey "Cici" Cooper

I Know What You Did Last Summer wasn't the only horror movie that Gellar lent her talents to in 1997, with the highly anticipated follow-up to Scream, Scream 2, releasing the same year. The Scream franchise is known for poking fun at the horror genre and making meta-commentary on the tropes and archetypes that are frequently used in the horror formula. In Scream 2, Gellar only plays a small role as Cici, but she makes an impact and cements herself as a horror icon.

It's always enjoyable to see Gellar in a scary movie, even if she isn't the hero.

Gellar gets to exercise her comedic timing as Cici, as though she is one of the many victims who fall at the killer's hand in the film, Scream 2 is too self-aware to make her a simple casualty of the narrative. While Scream 2 doesn't enjoy the iconic legacy of the original movie, it's an impressive sequel and, if anything, the newly introduced characters like Cici could have benefited from even more screen time. However, it's always enjoyable to see Gellar in a scary movie, even if she isn't the hero.

1 Cruel Intentions (1999)

As Kathryn Merteuil

Even though a TV remake is on the horizon, it's unlikely that it will make the original 1999 movie less iconic. Though Cruel Intentions is an adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, the 1988 film based on the French novel, Cruel Intentions successfully modernizes the story and makes it relevant for younger audiences. Gellar steps outside her typical heroic typecasting as Kathryn, one-half of the pair of step-siblings who torment New York City's elite. She's the mastermind behind the most terrible acts in the film.

While some parts of Cruel Intentions haven't aged well, it still deserves its cult-classic status and doubtlessly features Sarah Michelle Gellar's strongest role outside of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She is just as believable as the manipulative Kathryn, who revels in cruelty while commenting on how her position in society as a woman played a part in pushing her to act with malice toward others. It's a compelling and nuanced part that the actress deserves to be recognized for as her career progresses.

Title	Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Cruel Intentions (1999)	53%	80%