Sarah Michelle Gellar Says Her Teenage Daughter Can’t Act ‘Until She Graduates High School’

Jan 24, 2023 by apost team

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr are a match made in teen dream heaven. Both found fame as stars of classic teen movies of the late 1990s and early noughties and went on to find love. They've been in it for the long haul since, having been married for two decades and sharing two beautiful children together. 

Gellar got her career rolling by starring in the daytime soap opera "All My Children," for which she won an Emmy due to her role as Kendall Hart. This led to her starring role in the television adaptation of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." The immensely popular and critically acclaimed series ran from 1997 to 2003 and shot Gellar to fame. 

In between starring in the TV show, she also took on roles in iconic teen slasher films, such as "Scream 2" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer." She also starred in other well-received films, such as "Cruel Intentions" and a cameo in "She’s All That," cementing her status as the era's “it girl.”

Gellar and Prinze Jr. initially met on the set of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” where they quickly became friends. Prinze Jr. later told Entertainment Tonight that it was about three years after filming their first movie together when they finally started dating, and the rest is history.

As iconic stars themselves in the entertainment industry, it’s safe to say that Gellar and Prinze Jr. know a thing or two about the business, which is why they have put strict rules in place for their teenage daughter, Charlotte, and when she is allowed to follow in her parents’ footsteps.

Gellar and Prinze Jr.’s foundation as friends served as the stepping stone to their eventual romance. Gellar recounted their first date to People in 2021:

"We've had many dinners before. We were supposed to go with someone else, and the third person didn't make it out, and we decided to still go. We were just two people at dinner catching up. We had a long car ride and a long dinner, and things just happened."

Prinze Jr. knew Gellar was the one from “the first time” they kissed. He elaborated on the sentiment to People:

"I didn't go on dates with other girls nor did I even want to pursue dates with other girls. One day, I just knew we're going to get married and that I was going to propose. I didn't know when or how." 

And they did indeed get married in September 2002 in Mexico. They have also worked together, most notably for the feature film "Scooby-Doo" and its sequel, as well as voiced characters in a few animated movies. 

And while both stars are still working in the entertainment industry, they are also working as parents to their two children: their 13-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and their 10-year-old son, Rocky.

Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, Gellar shared that her rejuvenated interest in pursuing work again was inspired by Charlotte’s desire to become an actress. While Gellar was in the film “Do Revenge” in 2022, she also landed a starring role and served as the executive producer for the 2023 series “Wolf Pack.” 

She shared, “It’s not a next act for me, but it’s certainly a new chapter.” The actress added, “It’s not about finding my voice. It’s about learning how to use it … and using it in the right way.”

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On the set of her shows and films, Gellar has distributed her phone numbers to the younger stars to help them when they need it. It’s clear that her mothering techniques work well both in her professional life and personal life.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gellar and Prinze Jr. enjoy spending time at home with their kids and three dogs. They also work hard to keep their life private, not allowing Charlotte nor Rocky to have social media accounts. 

So when Charlotte shared that she has an interest in following in her parents’ footsteps, Gellar and Prinze Jr. established some rules. Gellar explained:

“Does it scare the s*** out of me? Well, we have rules in place. She can’t be in front of a camera until she graduates high school. She says to me, ‘That’s unfair. You were a child actor.’ Yes, I was. But I was not the child of two famous parents.”

Prinze Jr. also weighed in:

“From my vantage point, Sarah always had the hunger to go back to acting. I could tell from the way she watches TV, analyzing it, and how she talks about movies on the drive home (from the theater). Once our daughter started taking it seriously, both of us just instinctually wanted to show her the way we think it should be done.”

Charlotte previously joined her mother on set, and Gellar’s collaborators even suggested she have a walk-on cameo, but Gellar wasn’t having it.

“I’ll never stop her from being on a set,” she said. “But she’s just not going on camera while she’s living under our roof. There’ll be different expectations for her, so she needs to learn everything there is first.”

Do you agree with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s parenting style? What do you think about her choice to not let her daughter act yet? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.