Sarah Michelle Gellar has marked 25 years since the first episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer aired by celebrating the fans who “believed” in the show and helped make it a success.
The actress played the vampire-battling high school student from 1997 to 2003.
Gellar and her fellow cast members, including David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon, shared photos from their time on the supernatural drama series to social media to mark the occasion.
She captioned her post on Instagram: “25 years ago today I had the honor to introduce the world to my version of Buffy Anne Summers.
“It was an uphill battle. A mid season replacement, on a new network based on a movie, that was by no means a giant success.
“But then there was you. The fans. You believed in us. You made this happen. You are the reason 25 years later we are still celebrating. So today we celebrate you as well. #wwbd.”
Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on the show, celebrated the anniversary by sharing throwback photos of herself and the cast and thanked the crew who made the show possible.
She wrote: “25 years ago hardly seems possible! A huge thanks to fans the world over who have kept the show alive onscreen, in chat rooms, across social media platforms, through podcasts and school curriculums… it’s truly remarkable.
“Buffy was a huge part of my life as it was to all the cast and crew. Crew who worked tirelessly and gave so much of themselves creatively as well as sacrificing family time, birthdays, graduations, and funerals to be there.
“So to see the love of the show endure and get passed down through generations is truly meaningful. It is humbling to know that I was a part of something special that appears to live-on in others today. Hopefully forever! Thank you!
“Happy Buffy Anniversary to all those that celebrate. I’m grateful.”
Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s younger sister Dawn Summers, paid tribute to her on-screen sibling Gellar.
She wrote: “Happy 25th anniversary, big sister, of the premiere of your show #buffythevampireslayer. We have known each other for almost 30 years.
“You gave me this shirt to wear to present an award to you. For being a badass. You still are. but I’m also still taller. @sarahmgellar”
Gellar replied to her simply saying: “I love you sis”.
While Boreanaz, who played Angel, shared a photo of his character from the early days and said: “An Angel was born 25 years ago even though he was 245 years old. We celebrate 25 years and to all the fans we say “Thank You!”
In honor of Buffy’s 25th Anniversary, I am donating money to the World Central Kitchen. https://t.co/op5Th3BnSN – donate some dough if you can then go watch Buffy thwart some apocalypse action (@hulu)
— Amber Benson (@amber_benson) March 10, 2022
Amber Benson, who played Tara Maclay in the later seasons, posted on Twitter that she was donating money to the World Central Kitchen to mark the day.
Brendon, who played Xander Harris, also marked the show’s special day but noted he had to postpone his celebrations after a friend had suffered a family death the previous day.