The Cast Of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" 20 Years Later

It’s been 20 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer first premiered and told the world that horror television could be funny, moving and emotionally uplifting.

The show quickly gained popularity, thanks in part to the first online communities, and then went on to become a “cult classic”. Although, how popular does a show need to be before it can no longer be called “cult”? Buffy’s flawed protagonist and smart dialogue made the series a pioneer in what would later be called “The Golden Age of Television”. Indeed, Buffy does not look out of place when mentioned alongside such exalted company as The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003 and spawned the successful spin-off series, Angel. Many of the show’s stars went on to prosperous careers in Hollywood — while others withdrew from the limelight. Let’s look at what they’re up to now. 

In the early 2000s, Sarah Michelle Gellar was one of the biggest stars in the world. Alongside Buffy, there was I Know What You Did Last Summer, Simply Irresistible, and Cruel Intentions. Since then, she’s worked on the Scooby-Doo films, alongside her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr, and The Grudge. 

On the small screen, she was on The Ringer and The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams. She’s also had two children, Charlotte and Rocky, and launched the mail-order baking company, Foodstirs. 

After playing Willow Rosenberg on Buffy, Alyson Hannigan went on to another well-known role as Lily Aldrin on How I Met Your Mother. She also appeared in the American Pie movies as well. She married her Buffy co-star, Alexis Denisof, in 2003 and the couple has two young daughters. 

Nicholas Brendon played the endearing Xander Harris on Buffy before going on to appear on several seasons of Criminal Minds. Nicholas battled alcohol and depression and is now sober and working as a contributing writer on the Buffy comic books. 

After playing Buffy’s father figure, Rupert Giles, British actor and musician Anthony Stewart Head has appeared in The Iron Lady, Merlin, and Little Britain. He’s also released an album called Staring at the Sun in 2014.

What ever happened to Cordelia?