7 Actors Who Almost Played Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Summary

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer was cast as Buffy by Sarah Michelle Gellar, making it hard to imagine anyone else in the role.
• Cordelia Chase played by Charisma Carpenter and Harmony played by Mercedes McNab were very important supporting characters.
• Katie Holmes and Natasha Lyonne were also considered for the role, showing potential alternate paths for the series.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer defined by the central role of Buffy, the protagonist and titular vampire slayer that audiences can't get enough of. For seven seasons, Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy and it is almost impossible to imagine another actress takes on the role. While reintroducing Buffy Buffy The Vampire Slayer the reboot is a fun exercise, it's unlikely that the new series will pull back from the original series because those episodes and seasons are iconic. However, if a different actor had been cast as Buffy, things could have looked very different for the TV show.

The series has become one of the most popular supernatural teen dramas of the past few decades, and much of that is thanks to the professional performances of the cast.

after original Buffy The Vampire Slayer the film failed to attract the attention of the audience and critics, Casting the right actress as Buffy was critical. Of course, the series has become one of the most popular supernatural teen dramas of the past few decades, and much of that is due to the professional performances of the cast. Aside from the main players of Buffy and the Scooby Gang, many forgotten actors starred in the film Buffy The Vampire Slayer achieved great fame and success. It can be said that several of the actresses who played the character of Buffy are among them.

7 Charisma Carpenter

She went on to play Cordelia Chase in Buffy and Angel.

Cordelia is one of many Buffy The Vampire Slayer visible characters Angeland Cordelia's amazing arc in the series more than makes up for the loss of Charisma Carpenter as Buffy. During Cordelia's tenure Buffyhe often argued with Buffy, for the young women were competitive and each felt that they deserved fame and recognition for their abilities. Although Cordelia starts off as a shallow character who only thinks about herself, things change when she starts helping Buffy and the gang fight the forces of darkness.

In seasons 2 and 3, Cordelia faced challenges that brought her character to life and helped viewers realize that she and Buffy aren't so different.

Since Cordelia and Buffy are seen as foils in the series, Can't imagine Carpenter in the lead role. The heroism he displayed Angel it also shows the depth and darkness within the actress, which would be key to portraying Buffy. In seasons 2 and 3, Cordelia faced challenges that brought her character to life and helped viewers realize that she and Buffy aren't so different. Had the roles been reversed and Carpenter cast Buffy with Gellar as Cordelia, the show's trajectory would likely have followed a similar path.

6 Mercedes McNab

Instead of McNab, he played the role of Harmony, a student turned vampire.

Like Carpenter, Mercedes McNab also auditioned for the role of Buffy, but was passed over in favor of Gellar. Unfortunately, she didn't get as big of a role as Carpenter as Cordelia, but Harmony has become one of the best recurring characters on the show. Although she started as part of Cordelia in high school, Harmony still typically gets a few one-liners here and there Buffy fashion. Furthermore, although Harmony is written to be less intelligent than her counterparts, McNab plays the role with self-awareness.

Although Buffy is often forced to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, one of her most important traits is her sense of humor in the face of adversity. This is an aspect of Buffy that McNab would embody well, in addition to McNab's chemistry with Spike in later seasons. When Harmony returns as a vampire, she begins a relationship with Spike. and the pair have a great comedic dynamic. While Spike and Buffy have a more combative relationship, their chemistry is just as important.

5 Katie Holmes

He starred in his own teen television show, Dawson's Creek.

Joey's quick flashbacks and cynical attitude portrayed by Holmes would suit him.
Buffy
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Premiere a few years later Buffy started Dawson's Creek became a cultural touchstone as a supernatural thriller. Katie Holmes starred as Joey, the girl-next-door with a dynamic will to the titular character Dawon. Joey wasn't the main character though Dawson's CreekAs would be in Holmes Buffyhe was still an important part of the show and a fan favorite character. Joey's quick turnarounds and cynical attitude portrayed by Holmes would suit him. Buffy. The action-oriented aspects of the show were also in Holmes' wheelhouse, as indicated Batman begins.

Although Dawson's Creek there was none of the mystical elements that mattered Buffystory, both series covered topical themes of adolescence and young adulthood at the turn of the century. Although Dawson's Creek as he was more sincere in these matters Buffy using metaphors through the show's demons and darkness, both exposed viewers to conversations not yet popularized by network television. Holmes' career could have gone even further had she played Buffy. However, Joey is the role that defines his work and ensures his success.

4 Natasha Lyonne

Lyonne would later direct many of her own films and television shows.

Natasha Lyonne might just be the most famous actress to play Buffy. confirmed herself as a movie actress But I'm a cheerleader and Slums of Beverly Hills In the late 1990s, however, his career could have taken a different direction. TV shows in which Lyonne will continue to star, Orange is the New Black and Poker Facefocused more on adult themes. They saw Leo starting to show a more mature side of himself. If only he had joined the cast Buffy, Lyonne could have been in teenage roles for longer.

There are many reasons to be excited Poker Face season 2, as Lyonne will soon be back on the small screen reprising his role as Charlie, the human lie detector. Poker Face Season 1 has already demonstrated that Lyon won't be stepping away from the spotlight anytime soon. and her quickness skills in the series are better than Buffy's. While she's hilarious as a killer, Lyonna was meant for other things, and her commitment to the series may have seen her miss out on the cinematic opportunities that define her work.

3 Selma Blair

Although she was no longer Buffy, Blair and Gellar still continued to work together.

If Selma Blair had starred and Gellar had been left in the dark, because then audiences might not have seen their amazing chemistry together on screen. In 1999, he was treated with the audience scandalous and exciting film Cruel intentionswhich co-stars Blair and Gellar In completely different roles than Buffy's character. In the film's sly and believable world, the two women played off each other brilliantly and argued that Blair could have been in a supporting role. Buffy received great applause.

Many viewers may recognize Blair from her performance as Vivian Kensington, Ellen's rival for Warner's love.
Legally Blonde
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Many viewers may recognize Blair from her performance as Vivian Kensington, Ellen's rival for Warner's love. Legally Blonde. In addition, plays Liz Sherman in the film Hellboy franchise, which helped him break into the genre business after starring in many teen dramas. Blair would bring a unique spin to the role of Buffy and it would set the series in a new direction, but it will be interesting to see what Blair brings to the table. Small roles in other films and TV shows have kept the actress at the forefront of cultural conversations.

2 Julie Benz

Her role as Darla on Buffy and Angel is different from her later appearance on Dexter.

Julie Benz has had a great career as a leading lady and character actress in many genre television shows Buffy. Despite being handed the role of an assassin, Benz took on the role of Darla, an ancient vampire who possessed her Angelic father and represented his darkest impulses. Darla dies though Buffy In season 1, he returns in flashbacks and is later resurrected in later seasons Angel. Many aspects of playing Dar led to him playing Rita Dexter. The role of Rita earned Benz great acclaim from critics and audiences.

Unfortunately, Rita suffers the same fate as Darla and does not last until the end of the series, however her character remains a beacon for Dexter in his darkest moments. Although only a few years older than Benz Gellar, it is clear from her other work and performance as Darla that she lacked the naivety and innocence required to play Buffy. Buffy is a strong and capable heroine, but it was important that she could also be seen as a normal teenage girl trying to fit in and find her place in the world.

1 Elizabeth Anne Allen

Allen would play Amy, a small but pivotal role in Buffy.

Elizabeth Anne Allen was a strong choice for Amy as she captures the good, bad and morally ambiguous sides of the character with ease.

The first three seasons see Amy portrayed as the gang's trusted teenage witch. It is through Amy that Willow is first exposed to magic and begins to develop her skills as a witch. However, there is a brief hiatus for a few seasons when Amy transforms herself into a rat and disappears. However, she returns in season 6 for her most important arc, which draws Willow to the dark side of magic. The fact that Willow is Black Willow is partly thanks to Amy.

Elizabeth Anne Allen was a strong choice for Amy as she captures the good, bad and morally ambiguous sides of the character with ease. Allen and Alyson Hannigan play off each other well as a team of witches, which speaks to what their dynamic could have been had Allen been chosen to play Buffy. after Buffy The Vampire SlayerAllen didn't take off much in the acting field, but his brief contributions to the show were very memorable. Amy returned to the cast several times, likely due to her strong presence in episodes.