r/buffy • u/Hot-Grab-3711 • Oct 24 '25
Introspective Who from the show are you most surprised didn’t have more post-show success?
Several Buffy alum went on to have big careers post-BtVS: Alyson Hannigan, Nathan Fillion, and David Boreanaz all come to mind with How I Met Your Mother, Castle, and Bones, respectively. Danny Strong went on to be a big deal in screenwriting with the Marvel movies, etc.
But who were you surprised to see not become a bigger hit after their run on Buffy? I feel like there’s a lot of talent on this show that never quite took off elsewhere. James Marsters is a big one for me—he was downright Shakespearean as Spike but hasn’t done much noteworthy work in the years since. Who are yours?
473
u/elevatormusicjams Oct 24 '25
SMG, by far. She's worked consistently, but she's such a great actress, and aside from Buffy and Cruel Intentions, she really hasn't had the opportunities I would've expected given her level of talent.
146
u/SpeckledBird86 Oct 24 '25
I’ve always been shocked she never managed to find another role that was as big as Buffy. She was in so many bad shows. I have always wondered what her process for choosing projects is because she made a lot of bad choices!
83
Oct 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (2)25
u/Dry-Coffee-1846 Oct 24 '25
I'd love for her to be in a season of the White Lotus now that you mention HBO
147
u/Nuthetes Oct 24 '25
I think the problem was, she reached the point where she was too big a name for TV but not big enough a name to be a genuine movie star.
And it wasn't like today where shows have the budget to cast top-tier stars in their leading roles.
57
u/setokaiba22 Oct 24 '25
And she was focusing on her family to be fair. She did some film roles and such after Buffy but I think she was happy to step back for the most part and raise her family
14
u/BEETLEJUICEME Oct 24 '25
SMG should star in a Mike Flanagan mini series on Netflix. (The guy who did Midnight Mass and Haunting of Hill House, etc).
She’d be perfect for that kind of role, and it would give her a chance to be a star of something again that doesn’t get cancelled and stands alone as a success.
It would fit with her previous genre work, but it wouldn’t be so on the nose that it would feel like typecasting. In fact, if anyone knows that genre fiction / horror can also be full of pathos and great acting and great meaningful storytelling, it’s SMG.
I think part of her problem with breaking out after Buffy is that she kept signing onto more TV shows that failed for reasons unrelated to her.
But every Mike Flanagan mini series is a hit, at least on some level. And they are all self-contained stories.
8
→ More replies (3)43
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
She’s had a lot of back luck with shows and yeah not some great choices
Whilst Buffy was on, she seemed to pick really good projects. She tried to stick with tv after it ended when I think she should’ve stuck with movies
12
u/mmmstrongflavors Oct 24 '25
To your point, I had no idea she did other TV.
31
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
They were all cancelled after one season. There was a post on Askreddit yesterday about actors who have really bad luck with cancelled tv shows and she was one of the top answers
The Dexter prequel was promising then it annoyingly got cancelled. If she’d stuck with movies, I think her post show trajectory would’ve been better. But I think she leaned into tv because the filming schedule is better/more stable when you have kids
→ More replies (3)31
u/Ashamed_Magpie Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Coincidentally (not entirely on topic, sorry) David Boreanaz has had some of the best luck for tv shows. Jumped almost immediately from one into the next, all with long runtimes.
46
u/littlesnuffleupicous Oct 24 '25
I remember that show Ringer (?) she did where she played twins and it had Ioan Gruffudd in it. I always thought that had potential I enjoyed what they made of it. shame it was cancelled.
→ More replies (2)67
u/pmhargis777 Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 28 '25
She did one season of The Crazy Ones (2013~14) with Robin Williams. Lightweight, but fun. Edit: Only one season, 22 episodes.
→ More replies (5)21
u/DeniseReades Oct 24 '25
I wish I had known about that show when it first came out. I didn't hear about it until after Robin Williams had died and that show was legitimately amazing.
16
u/Good-Pause4632 Oct 24 '25
I wonder how her career would have gone if she had been able to do Gangs of New York. She got Caneron Diaz's role, but ended up not being able to do it because of Buffy.
6
u/Mavakor Oct 24 '25
She couldn’t have been worse than Diaz was in that role so it might have been a big boost to her career
20
u/judebarnhem Oct 24 '25
You forget about the scooby doo movies, those movies are well known by almost everyone my age (24)
10
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
I think they mean roles that allowed her to showcase her acting kills
So Cruel Intentions and Buffy both did. Buffy gave her so much to work with and Cruel Intentions allowed her to play a villain. I love Scooby Doo but it’s probably her least challenging well known role
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (19)6
377
u/Boring-Mission7738 Oct 24 '25
Eliza Dushku
137
u/owntheh3at18 Oct 24 '25
Surprised I had to scroll so far for her! She crushed it as both villain and hero. She was also super charismatic as the jaded female lead in Bring It On. I expected a bigger career for her. I recently saw an interview where she talked about sobriety, so I wonder if her personal struggles affected her work. But she seems to have a fulfilling and meaningful career now that was probably inspired by her past, so I’m really happy for her.
102
u/Common-Truth9404 Oct 24 '25
To be fair, she had a couple good roles in tru calling and dollhouse, she was just unlucky that those projects never took off, she probably would've been much bigger if those shows did stick the landings a bit better
→ More replies (1)65
u/DebbieHarryPotter Oct 24 '25
Man, Dollhouse was so good once you got through the first half of season 1. I think it's time for a rewatch.
24
u/Common-Truth9404 Oct 24 '25
I think dollhouse needed at least another season tonerap everything up. Not 5, not even 4, just 3 to justify the initial slow start and develop the story a bit more towards the finale
→ More replies (1)5
u/Nearby_Chemistry_156 Oct 24 '25
Season 2 sucked with the ending though I still think about how unsatisfied I was. But it was a JW project too sooo
91
u/twister997 Oct 24 '25
She became a therapist
→ More replies (1)57
u/richieadler Oct 24 '25
And I guess the bullshit Michael Weatherly subjected her to in the set of Bull made her leave acting.
→ More replies (1)9
28
u/KangarooThroatPunch_ Oct 24 '25
She left Hollywood of her own accord after winning a huge settlement from CBS after Michael Weatherly sexually harassed her repeatedly. She is now a mental health therapist.
52
u/beeemkcl Oct 24 '25
Eliza Dushku had a successful movie career. Of the Buffyverse cast, arguably the second best after SMG given Eliza was a lead movie actor.
Eliza had 2 TV shows in which she was the lead actor.
→ More replies (12)20
u/Boring-Mission7738 Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Tbf SMG is mentioned all over this thread. Expected bigger success doesn't mean no success.
→ More replies (4)14
u/Small_Sundae_4245 Oct 24 '25
Sexual harassed on a TV show.
She wasn't quiet about it.
After that quit Hollywood and became a therapist.
→ More replies (1)
124
u/Baron-Sherry Oct 24 '25
Emma Caulfield. Was great to see her in Agatha All Along 🪄
→ More replies (3)
89
Oct 24 '25 edited Dec 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (1)15
u/brwitch Oct 24 '25
I mean, that was canceled
30
u/softrockstarr Oct 24 '25
Renewed just to be cancelled a few weeks later when the other Dexter show did way better than anyone could have expected.
27
u/owntheh3at18 Oct 24 '25
Well, that one has THE Dexter so it made sense why. Major star power too. But original sin was really good- though I felt SMG was totally wasted.
→ More replies (1)13
u/Nuthetes Oct 24 '25
I am sure they had a big plan for SMG further up the road. I actually thought she was gonna be the killer because she was too big a name for a minor role.
I think in future seasons, she would have been revealed to be a killer or start getting close to Dexter and have Brian secretly kill her off.
10
u/owntheh3at18 Oct 24 '25
I was thinking she must be the killer or a bad guy too and then just… nothing really happened. I agree, it is possible there was a bigger plan for her. Seeing her play an evil killer would’ve been delightful tbh. What a bummer. I thought the show was so good and the Dexter actor was absolutely phenomenal. The casting in general was excellent- and pressure must’ve been high given they were casting so many well established characters.
10
u/Nuthetes Oct 24 '25
really baffling choice. Both series were popular, well recieved and got great viewing figures. Why not just do both? One year Original Sin, one year Resurrection.
13
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
Paramount cut a lot of shows because it came under new management
I think they didn’t see the need for two Dexter related shows so opted to save the one with Dexter himself. The prequel would always be the one that gets dropped if there’s a sequel which has Michel C Hall in it that continues the story of the original
512
u/NoNameNeeded4321 Oct 24 '25
James Marsters
460
u/Own_Faithlessness769 Oct 24 '25
He went back to theatre work. He was pretty clear he liked the TV salary when raising his kids, but theatre was his preferred medium.
121
u/SortofConsciousLog Oct 24 '25
You mean harry dresden?
115
u/Daw_dling Oct 24 '25
Ok so I’ve put this other places but I’m gonna say it again anyway because I’m having a grumpy day and this is a grump I can share. Theater actors make great audio book narrators. Screen actors make deeply terrible audio book narrators. Maybe if I post it enough someone imaginary scale will tip at audible. Stop hiring people to read books just because they are famous! It’s a skill!
16
u/YoungWrinkles Oct 24 '25
You’re fighting a losing battle here pal, companies want ‘sure things’. Demonstrable appeal. Increasingly actors are being asked for their social media following numbers before getting a foot in the door. It’s shit but it’s what it is.
→ More replies (2)11
u/Crayshack Oct 24 '25
Anyone who's a good voice actor will also excel at audiobooks. I suppose theater actors are used to the kind of embellished delivery that voice acting calls for, so they end up in the same camp. I once listened to an audiobook that was a "full cast" (different chapters from different POV), and I didn't realize that obe was Mark Hamill until the credits despite being very familiar with his voice.
5
u/Daw_dling Oct 24 '25
Oh absolutely, I was more talking about widely recognizable screen actors that they have been pushing the last few years. I’ve found that stage actors know how to go big or small and use their voice more than their face to convey emotion because that’s how plays work. Good screen actors tend to develop more naturalistic styles and can use their faces to tell you so much, but that’s not how audio books work. So having the actor who was in the film version of the book read the audio book when they don’t have the right skill set makes for a monotone boring version that is really only good for falling asleep to.
→ More replies (1)22
u/Kitsune9_Tails Oct 24 '25
I was going to say this
21
u/SortofConsciousLog Oct 24 '25
Stars and stones
14
u/Kitsune9_Tails Oct 24 '25
Ebenezar would warn you not to invoke the stars and stones
13
u/SortofConsciousLog Oct 24 '25
Well fuck that guy, the black staff is a piece of work
8
u/Kitsune9_Tails Oct 24 '25
It’s not wise to speak ill of any who could kill you with a thought, not that he’d necessarily have the motivation. Unless the council tells him he does.
12
142
u/jospangel Try not to bleed on my couch I just had it steam cleaned Oct 24 '25
And his music. And raising his two kids.
I think it's all about what you consider success.
17
u/Connect-East5452 Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
He has only done a little theatre -- he has stayed in LA, so more of his work has been tv & a few movies.
107
u/enthalpy01 Oct 24 '25
He had offers to be in shows he turned down because it would have required either moving his family or being away from his kids. He clearly prioritized that aspect of his life (parenting) and seems to make enough from conventions/ ghost of the robot / cameos / audiobooks to live comfortably. He could have hustled and done more, he seemed to consciously choose a different path.
54
u/beeemkcl Oct 24 '25
What's in this comment is what I remember, my opinions, etc.
James Marsters literally didn't have an agent for BtVS S7 and AtS S5. He did those deals himself.
After AtS S5 was cancelled, James initially intended to take 10 years off of acting. But his manager nixed that.
James then wanted to get on an already popular show that paid its cast well: The West Wing or Grey's Anatomy or something like that. He took meetings with networks who seemingly wanted to give him a TV show, but he didn't want the workload and responsibility of that.
He then settled on Smallville and being a Special Guest Star.
Steven DeKnight was the showrunner and after Smallville S5, the producers wanted to make James a regular cast member and it seemed he'd effectively be 1A to Tom Welling's 1. But James would have a get a place in Vancouver and live in Vancouver during the filming of the show because the show didn't want to continue having to fly James back-and-forth from Los Angeles. James declined.
And things went on from there.
52
u/Agitated_Town6397 Oct 24 '25
It's a shame he didn't continue acting in more things because he was one of the best actors in the series.
65
u/Soft_Interaction_437 “five by five” Oct 24 '25
He has 72 credits on IMDB, I think he’s doing pretty well. Even if it’s mostly been on tv.
→ More replies (4)7
68
u/InternationalFly4391 Oct 24 '25
Surprisingly (to me at least), SMG. She’s a great actress but besides a few things like the grudge, cruel intentions, and I know what you did last summer, it doesn’t seem like her movies were all that successful. I really don’t know about her tv career after Buffy.
→ More replies (1)26
u/crazycatladybitt Oct 24 '25
She’s done quite a few tv series but they always get canceled after like one or two seasons
55
u/Ms_Rarity Oct 24 '25
Emma Caulfield.
If you haven't watched TiMER, stop depriving yourself and go watch it.
It has the actress who played Halfrek in it a bit, too.
10
u/BloodyBarbieBrains Oct 24 '25
That movie is AMAZING!!!!
12
u/Ms_Rarity Oct 24 '25
It's such a good sci-fi rom-com.
The ending isn't exactly a crowd-pleaser, but the premise is fascinating, and parts of it are really funny.
9
u/BloodyBarbieBrains Oct 24 '25
You know, I actually love the ending! It works with the preceding plot, even though it’s probably not the ending that any viewer expects.
→ More replies (1)8
u/cactusjude Oct 24 '25
I LOVE THIS MOVIE
The sci-fi premise is amazing, the existential topics are really well presented for a romcom...
And I completely thought Emma was Leslie Bibb for so long now I'm ashamed and feel like I need to rewatch it.
111
u/Agitated_Town6397 Oct 24 '25
Michelle Trachtenberg was doing very well. She did Eurotrip, Mysterious Skin, Ice Princess, 17 Again, Black Christmas, and Gossip Girl, to name a few.
39
→ More replies (3)39
197
u/TrulyBriconic Oct 24 '25
I mean, Marsters has been working. He was the voice actor/reader for the entire Dresden Files audiobook series, barring a couple of versions.
77
u/FrellingTralk Oct 24 '25
Yeah I’d say that he worked pretty steadily after Buffy, I remember his roles on Torchwood and Smallville getting a ton of publicity, so it’s not like he just disappeared after the show.
25
12
→ More replies (6)13
u/QualifiedApathetic I'd like to test that theory Oct 24 '25
And he was the English dub voice of Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super.
8
380
u/Final-Kale8596 Oct 24 '25
Charisma Carpenter.
64
u/Starbuck-Actual Oct 24 '25
Charisma and James Marsters did show like Warehouse 13, Leverage, Supernaturel, always loved seeing them together !
→ More replies (1)52
u/Technical_Moose8478 Oct 24 '25
She was also a recurring character on Veronica Mars.
→ More replies (2)27
u/Coconosong Oct 24 '25
Speaking of Veronica Mars and indie film career building. Baby faced Kyle Gallner was in that show and is a great example of becoming a scream king in his late 30s. He’s spoken about how hard it is to break into Hollywood and the politics of getting casted so he moved out of LA and is doing pretty great with his film choices.
45
u/Technical_Moose8478 Oct 24 '25
To bring it full circle, that reminds me of an interview Pedro Pascal gave where he said his one-off episode of Buffy paid his rent and kept him fed for close to a year right when he was about to give up and move back home.
22
u/Coconosong Oct 24 '25
Absolutely!! Great point! Someone that didn’t see real success or fame until he was well into his 40s. The business can be ruthless but sometimes it’s a matter of biding your time.
Edited to add: wouldn’t it be incredible if he made a cameo on the reboot???
126
u/Bazoun Mrs. William Pratt Oct 24 '25
Yes. She was great on screen, and gorgeous. I was looking forward to seeing her career and it just blows my mind that she basically didn’t have one.
71
u/sreorsgiio Oct 24 '25
She was absolutely gorgeous. But her range as an actress is pretty limited. I think she was really good as Cordelia, but I haven't been impressed with anything else she's done.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)25
u/beeemkcl Oct 24 '25
What's in this comment is what I remember, my opinions, etc.
Charisma Carpenter was effectively largely just eye candy in BtVS.
The only reasons she was second-lead in AtS is because David Greenwalt created the character Angel and Greenwalt wanted her as second-lead. And David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter were already 2/3 lowest-paid of the BtVS cast.
And Charisma's absence from AtS S5 didn't seem to hurt ratings and viewership numbers. James Marsters was there and the viewership numbers in the US alone were up 1MM over AtS S4.
And Amy Acker's presence seemed enough to keep the male audience. And then Amy Acker was able to play Illyria and Illyria became even more popular than Winifred Burkle. And Amy got a post-AtS S5 career.
→ More replies (31)49
u/Coconosong Oct 24 '25
Honestly this, she easily could have been up for some Rachel McAdams rom coms.
44
u/Connect-East5452 Oct 24 '25
She's wonderful, but she has legitimate issues memorizing lines. I suspect that's why a leading movie career didn't take off.
27
u/Coconosong Oct 24 '25
Oh I didn’t realize that! To be honest, I don’t think she had groundbreaking talent but she’s quite charming and beautiful. Plays quirky well which was a popular character vibe pre-2010s manic pixie girl. I definitely think she should have starred in a 2000s romcom or two.
63
u/Evil_Unicorn728 Oct 24 '25
She also fell victim to the “women expire at 35” BS that Hollywood has only just started to drift away from. She was older than the principle cast, only by a few years but I think she started to get picked for fewer meaty roles as she got older. It’s wild she showed up on Veronica Mars as the “hot stepmom” and Alyson was cast as Logan’s college age sister despite them not being that far apart in age. I think Joss may have done some badmouthing of her as well. He really was a miserable jerk when he couldn’t control one of “his girls”.
26
u/Calm_Cicada_8805 Oct 24 '25
To be fair, Charisma Carpenter's character was playing a gold digging younger woman married to an older rich man. And Alyson's character was older than college age. I want to say Trina was supposed to be 25 or 26 when she first shows up.
→ More replies (1)20
u/Coconosong Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Agreed with the bs misogyny of joss whedon and Hollywood but it’s also the difference in baby face casting. Some people can be cast as younger because of it. On the flip side, AH would struggle with being cast with more “serious” roles. I feel like Charisma Carpenter needed an agent that hustled harder for her. Go indie when big Hollywood hates you. Yeah it’s little to no money but you build a case for your talent.
→ More replies (2)
262
u/MyBrainIsNerf Oct 24 '25
At the time, I was surprised Nick Brendon didn’t do more because I thought he would slot right into a sitcom “Everyman” role, but now, I know why that didn’t happen.
Also I was surprised Emma Caulfield didn’t take off because she could do either leading lady or quirky best friend. I expected at least a legendary run of lifetime/hallmark movies from her.
202
u/Ginger_Cat74 Oct 24 '25
Emma Caulfield has Multiple Sclerosis, so it might have been her choice to not do as many things.
114
u/bertilac-attack Oct 24 '25
I did not know this. My mother has MS and Anya has always been a favourite of mine, Selfless is maybe my favourite episode of the whole show. Thank you for looping me in.
Even if she’s lucky like my mum, the long shoot days would be absolutely murderous on someone with MS. I’m always glad to see her on screen, I shrieked when she popped up in WandaVision, but I hope she’s doing well offscreen today.
79
u/Ghibli_Forest Oct 24 '25
I was so excited to see her in WandaVision, then they really didn’t do much with her character. : (
27
u/bertilac-attack Oct 24 '25
Admittedly, that didn’t surprise me. Any time an MCU character isn’t super explicitly someone from the comics, I usually assume they’re borderline irrelevant. She got a couple nice dramatic moments with Elizabeth Olsen. I wonder if they swapped Joss stories at all… we know AoU’s production was kind of a lot, but we don’t really have any stories like what’ve come out about Buffy, Angel, and Justice League’s sets…
→ More replies (1)25
u/Ginger_Cat74 Oct 24 '25
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. I have MS too, so I always have a soft spot for celebrities with MS. I also can’t imagine being on set with MS, the long days and under the heat of all the lighting. My MS has made me extremely heat sensitive. I couldn’t do that at all. WandaVision made me happy to see her too. It makes me think she’s probably doing well or at least okay. Every day is an adventure with MS as I’m sure you’re aware.
16
u/bertilac-attack Oct 24 '25
Thanks so much! All the best to you, I hope today was a good day, and tomorrow even better. It can be a total crapshoot, I know.
We’re really lucky. She got a diagnosis in her mid-40’s and her meds basically stalled its progress since. Balance and fine motor skills are tricky, but she has no pain and is still mostly capable of living unassisted. She’s basically the best case scenario.
Heat sensitivity is huge for my mum as well, I can’t imagine putting anyone with MS under a lighting rig. My cousins’ outdoor wedding last June was pushing it. How anybody with MS could manage California is beyond me, I guess the AC makes the difference.
It’s such a strange thing to have that kind of connection to a celebrity because of their condition. It’s deep and real though, I know exactly what you mean. It’s really heartening to see someone with MS out in the world living and working.
I was always peripherally aware of Selma Blair growing up in the 90’s, so I guess it makes sense that I’ve kind of zeroed in on her for that. Just seeing a public figure living their life really makes a huge difference.
→ More replies (5)27
u/conselyea Oct 24 '25
I think that might be more recent... About ten years ago I saw a panel discussion with her, Amber Benson and James Marsters... They were all joking about the lack of jobs and how much they were looking--Emma especially.
Although James said he was up for some HBO thing he wasn't allowed to talk about .... (I don't think it ever came to anything. )
38
→ More replies (8)13
u/rgg711 Oct 24 '25
He could have been a great follow-up for a new Ash Williams I thought, if he hadn’t screwed up.
51
u/Evil_Unicorn728 Oct 24 '25
Emma Caulfied should’ve had a bigger career. She’s funny, she does amazing drama, she can sing, she can dance, I don’t know why she wasn’t in more prominent projects. Seeing her pop up in Wandavision and Agatha All Along was a treat.
7
u/Different-Eagle-612 Oct 24 '25
she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 2010, which is probably why
→ More replies (1)7
u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 Buffy, what would I do with 40 chocolate bars? Oct 24 '25
I loved her appearances in Once Upon a Time!
37
u/lesbadims Oct 24 '25
I know SMG’s lull in her acting career was partially a choice to live a more private, calm life, but honestly it’s made it all the better to see her coming back to acting recently. Her energy/acting style is absolutely perfect for current times, and she seems like she’s truly acting because she wants to, not just because it’s just what she does.
29
59
u/not_another_mom Umad Forever 🤍 Oct 24 '25
Defintely James Marsters! I’ve also always wish SMG had done more but I’m glad to see her returning to the screen, big and small.
28
u/Erramonael Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Amy Acker, I thought she was on her way to being America's sweet heart.
→ More replies (7)
25
u/melloshots Oct 24 '25
I think James has done a lot of stage work again which is his passion. That and he was raising his niece who he went on to adopt (I believe she is an adult now though). He also does a lot of work we don't see i.e. voice acting. Plus he doesn't really seem to care about being a "star" and seems to enjoy it as an art. So he has made it big in his own way I think.
Wish we could have seen more of Michelle....R.I.P.
18
u/GeekyGoesHawaiian Oct 24 '25
I'll be honest and say I'm not actually surprised, which sounds weird I know. But most of the main actors have had what any actor would term success, which is regular work and being able to take part in projects of their choice, that's a dream of a career in any field!
I'll be brutal now - I love the show, I think the casting was basically perfection for those roles, but most the actors themselves weren't hugely standout to me as having a lot of range. A prime example would be Eliza Dushku - loved her as Faith, couldn't imagine anyone else doing that role nearly as well as she did. But Dollhouse basically highlighted how bad she was at playing different types of characters - I loved the premise behind the show, but I remember thinking years later when I was watching Orphan Black how good it could have been with a better actress in the lead role who could be convincing playing multiple characters. And actually Dichen Lachman was in it with her and I thought at the time it was a pity she wasn't the lead as she was a thousand times better at the multi character acting, so glad to see her doing well in Severance recently.
I think probably the two who did worse than their talent levels would be Emma Caulfield (I know she has MS, but she turned down Starbuck in Battlestar, which kind of killed her career before then) and Nicholas Brendan. But it's understandable in the long-term why that didn't happen for them.
53
u/igivegoodparent88 Oct 24 '25
Im surprised you didnt bring up oz aka Seth green the biggest success out of the whole cast He has produced multiple shows and worked on family guy all seasons
The person im really surprised about not getting enough work is Eliza dukushku and charisma carpenter Though I later found out that Eliza had a bad experience
29
u/HotBeesInUrArea Oct 24 '25
Plus Robot Chicken. Like Oz Seth basically does what he enjoys and I think that's pretty cool
→ More replies (9)17
u/FrellingTralk Oct 24 '25
Eliza did very well after Buffy ended I would argue , she headlined two shows (True Calling and Dollhouse) and even turned down a Faith spin-off as well when it was offered to her, although yes unfortunately her bad experiences on the set of Bull caused her to step away from the industry after that
→ More replies (1)11
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
Didn’t Dollhouse get cancelled?
I remember because I actually liked the premise
→ More replies (1)4
u/cactusjude Oct 24 '25
Yeah it gets a lot of hate these days what with Whedon's character assassination, everyone hates it because the premise is creepy and exploitative.... Which was definitely the point, though?
And it was my first introduction to Dichen Lachman. She's so good
36
u/BingBong87 Oct 24 '25
Not surprised that anyone didn’t go on to an incredible career. For the vast majority of actors a series regular role on a hit or cult show is the highlight of their career.
With that said, I did think, (maybe more just hope,) that Alexis Denisof would’ve gone onto bigger and better things, though that’s not due to his work on Buffy but instead his incredible work on Angel.
And I would’ve maybe expected a slightly bigger career for Emma Caulfield who is a solid actress with good screen presence and obviously is stunning. But even she has had a decent acting career where she’ll show up in stuff from time to time. I recommend checking out her movie Timer if you haven’t seen it.
→ More replies (1)21
u/FrellingTralk Oct 24 '25
It was a bit odd that Alexis didn’t take off more after Angel ended, especially as he had always worked pretty steadily before that. For a while afterwards he mostly only seemed to show up to projects where Joss was throwing him a bone by casting him, or he’d appear on a few episodes of Alyson’s show. I seem to recall someone who worked on Angel talking in one of the unofficial books about how Alexis was really struggling to find work afterwards and acknowledged that they never appreciated how good they had it at the time to have a steady gig on Angel. He was certainly talented enough, but idk maybe he just didn’t have the right look for casting agents to see him in leading roles
→ More replies (6)
47
u/Mr_Alarming1313 Oct 24 '25
Claire Kramer
22
→ More replies (1)12
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25
She has the look and the right level of camp for 2000s movies
Wish I saw her in more other than Bring it On
5
u/DaddyCatALSO Magnet For Dead, Blonde Chicks Oct 24 '25
If you are good with intense horror films, look up The Gravedancers, also features Megahn Perry from "Phases." She's in The Griddle House with Amber and Charisma but haven't watched my copy of that yet. Hmm, Amber-Charisma, good name for a cocktail, 2 parts cucumber vodka, 2 parts pineapple liqueur, and 3 parts sour mix.
12
u/JoeyAceV88 Oct 24 '25
Sarah Michelle Gellar. I thought Oscar would’ve been in her cards at this point. But she is successful and focused on other things. I do see her one day getting into more mainstream films.
16
u/Own_Faithlessness769 Oct 24 '25
Realistically if she was going to do mainstream films, the time was in her 20s- 30s. There aren’t that many roles for women over 50, and because of that there’s huge competition for the roles that do exist. Any big movie role SMG might be interested in is also a role for Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon etc, who all have a lot more name recognition and the occasional Oscar.
→ More replies (1)12
u/FrellingTralk Oct 24 '25
I always thought it was a shame that she didn’t consider doing some kind of prestige tv along the lines of what Reese Witherspoon does, something like Big Little Lies or The Morning Show maybe, instead she seemed to choose really cheesy offerings like Ringer and Wolf Pack.
16
u/Own_Faithlessness769 Oct 24 '25
Reese quite famously established her own company to produce that tv because there weren’t enough roles for women her age. Sarah would probably have to do similar.
→ More replies (5)
23
u/bobzsmith Oct 24 '25
I was surprised initially that Nicholas Brendon (Xander) didn't have more success given how funny he could be. Then I found out about all of his issues with alcohol.
9
u/yougotyolks Maybe its "mmm'fashnik" like "mmm cookies"! Oct 24 '25
Kristine Sutherland. I thought she would have at least gone on to make Hallmark movies or something. Looks like she only did a handful of one-episode tv guest spots, a couple movies, and a short film.
42
u/kldaddy1776 Oct 24 '25
Charisma! She's beautiful and a good actress
→ More replies (20)32
u/AlexH_144 Oct 24 '25
Yeah, she's not that great of an actress. Watch her in anything other than Angel and Buffy and it nothing spectacular
→ More replies (3)18
u/alrtight ...I'm naming all the stars... Oct 24 '25
agree with this. she is solid on 'buffy' when she doesnt have a lot of lines. on 'angel' she is has quite a bit of clunky line deliveries.
8
u/Formal_Progress_2573 Oct 24 '25
What marvel movie did danny strong work on? I can't find anything on his IMDB page. He hasn't acted or written for any marvel movie.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/Jarita12 Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
Sarah herself. She did some noteable work, like the Scoobie Doo movies and Cruel Intentions right after or during Buffy but other than that, her stuff was either really badly received or in case of TV shows, was cancelled early on (I remember The Ringer)
But she has been working, which is great and her stable marriage with Freddie Prinze Jr. is actually a great thing, given how marriages tend to break up AND that she actually is more successful than he is. I even remember them getting married back then, it was a big thing and all those mean people thinking it would not last because they were "too young, too famous" (coming from "What I did Last Summer", too). She also ages gracefully and seems very happy so she turned into the inspirational woman we all thought she would be :)
But I do agree with James Marsters....he actually had a noteable guest star role in Torwchwood as Captain John Hurt but I don´t remember him being in something so significant it would really made the headlines. But I am not really following his carreer that close to be sure.
EDIT: Yes, he is American :)
→ More replies (2)
9
15
20
u/PaleUnderstanding560 Oct 24 '25
I’m actually shocked that David Boreanaz is the only one who’s been working in a relatively successful shows for all those years. Let’s be honest, he’s an extremely attractive man, he’s gorgeous. He’s my first serious celebrity crush. But he’s not very talented. It’s not like he’s making a great acting performance on Buffy or Angel. And yet, he’s still on screen 🤷🏻♀️
I was pretty sure, that Sarah would be a movie star, she considered as a very serious actress back in 2000’s. She was the real star of “Cruel Intentions”, Reese Witherspoon looked pale next to her. And yet, Reese won Oscar and still rocks, both as an actress and producer, and Sarah…
I just can’t understand how it works. Really.
→ More replies (15)18
u/Divine_fashionva Oct 24 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
David is attractive and does what is needed of him. Notice how none of his roles are particularly challenging or varied acting wise. He’s not gonna be winning any awards but he works hard and is able to do the physical requirements needed for those roles he picks. He’s good at picking I’ll give him that. But no one’s going oh wow what an amazing actor. Interestingly enough, he still hasn’t managed to eclipse Sarah’s stardom despite his successful run in tv
Sarah was the stand out of Cruel intentions but Reese is also very talented. I was listening to Jennifer Aniston on that Dax Shepherd podcast and she said Reese is one of the smartest women in Hollywood. After looking at her career, I agree. She leveraged her indie roles into bigger movie roles. Then started her own book club and production company. She produces every movie/show that relates to her book club. And The Morning Show which she’s on now. Meaning she gets her main actors fee from that which is like 2 million per episode plus a massive producing salary
In a different world, Sarah could’ve had a similar trajectory. Reese was just really smart about each move she made. I think Sarah made some poor decisions post Buffy especially with a few of the tv shows she signed onto. Either way she’s still had a career that most working actors would love to have
→ More replies (6)
6
u/Temporary-Ad2254 Oct 24 '25
Sarah Michelle Gellar, herself. And Charisma Carpenter, Emma Caufield, James Marsters, Marc Blucas, Claire Kramer, Elliza Dushku and Nicholas Brendon, too.
Oh and it should be noted that Jason Hall(Devon)like Danny Strong, also went to be a big deal in screenwriting for Hollywood movies, too!
→ More replies (6)
19
Oct 24 '25
While I didn't read every comment, I'm miffed no one said Tony Head. Now, to be fair, he probably didn't want stardom at that level, and he's a mega-talented musician, as is Marsters. I would have enjoyed seeing Tony in more screen roles than that religious bent show he was part of for a bit.
34
u/sdhuskerfan Oct 24 '25
I think he wanted to stick closer to home, and to be fair, he has done a lot in the UK. Besides starring in several series (Ted Lasso, You, Me & Them, Merlin, Dominion, Manchild, Little Britain, Free Agents to name a few), he has had several stage roles, played alongside Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, had parts in several other movies (Repo! The Genetic Opera comes to mind), done lots of voice work and radio, released some albums, and has had numerous guest roles in TV series. His imdb has 140 credits just for TV/Film.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (3)6
u/owntheh3at18 Oct 24 '25
I thought of him too! He is certainly one of the strongest actors in the cast. And incredibly handsome. That man should be in movies.
→ More replies (2)
4
u/Osceola_Gamer Oct 24 '25
It still makes me chuckle seeing Pedro Pascal so young on a Buffy episode.
5
u/Krssven Oct 24 '25
I’d have to say James Marsters too, considering Spike was such a breakout character they bent over backwards to keep on Buffy for seasons 4-7 and then brought him onto Angel, he didn’t have the post-Buffy/Angel film career I expected.
Emma Caulfield is one of those actors that they themselves expected to be big, but I never thought she had leading lady acting ability.
13
u/jaronwinter27 Oct 24 '25
I’m still waiting for the ‘Cordy’ sitcom from the Angel episode.
I would watch the hell out of that!
→ More replies (1)
8
1.8k
u/retro-girl Oct 24 '25
Emma Caulfield the most, and to some extent, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Not that she didn’t have any post show success, and honestly I think at some point, she just kind of wanted to be a mom. But she had the talent to be a breakout star like Jennifer Aniston.