Buffy The Vampire Slayer was the launch pad for many of its stars.
Here are some of the best-known jobs and roles the leading cast and the show’s creator Joss Whedon went on to enjoy after the series debuted in March 1997.
:: Sarah Michelle Gellar – as lead character Buffy, Sarah was one of the most recognisable stars of the late nineties and early noughties.
She is well-known for her roles as a spiteful rich teen in 1999′s Cruel Intentions and as comic-book character brought to life Daphne in 2002 and 2004′s Scooby-Doo films, as well as a horror film role in The Grudge and its sequel (2004 and 2006).
In recent years she has starred in Star Wars franchise TV series Star Wars Rebels as Seventh Sister.
:: Alyson Hannigan – the actress carved out beloved character Willow who won a place in fans’ hearts for her romance with Tara (Amber Benson).
Since her Buffy days, she has become just as well-known for playing Lily in hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, where her character was married to Jason Segel’s.
How I Met Your Mother ran for nine seasons between 2005 and 2014.
She also made a name for herself as flute-playing band geek Michelle Flaherty in the American Pie movies.
:: David Boreanaz – he was the only character to get a spin-off series from Buffy, making Angel a name in his own right for the five-season show.
David also features as one of the two leads in murder investigation TV series Bones, which has run for 12 seasons and which he has featured as a producer and director on, too.
:: Anthony Head – the British actor’s roles since playing librarian Rupert, Buffy’s Watcher, are many and varied, including a regular part as the prime minister in sketch show Little Britain, a long-running role in TV series Merlin, a part in Meryl Streep’s Oscar-winning Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady, one of the cast members of Stephen Poliakoff’s Golden Globe-winning mini series Dancing On The Edge, and a part in 2016 feel-good comedy A Street Cat Named Bob.
Anthony’s daughter, Emily, became known as sitcom The Inbetweeners love interest Carly D’Amato and he joined her on set for The Inbetweeners Movie where he played the absent father of main character Will. Emily is now appearing in ITV soap Emmerdale.
:: Seth Green – the actor who played Daniel has had plenty of work since Buffy, with notable roles including a part in TV series Four Kings, some cameo appearances as himself in Entourage, voice work on Robot Chicken, Family Guy – in which he plays the teenage son of Peter and Lois Griffin, Chris – and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He has worked on many films, but one of his most memorable roles was as Dr Evil’s son Scott Evil in the Austin Powers films.
:: Nicholas Brendon – he played Xander, the geeky close friend of Buffy in the series, appearing in all but one episode of the series throughout its run.
While a whole legion of TV fans will always know him as Xander, he gained another army of fans when he landed a recurring role in crime procedural drama series Criminal Minds for several years.
His personal life has been well-documented in recent years, as Nicholas has battled with alcoholism, has had numerous run-ins with the law, being arrested several times, and he has been to rehab.
:: Michelle Trachtenberg – she came into the series in the fifth season as the younger sister of Buffy, Dawn, and became a regular until the show came to an end in 2003.
Michelle has since carved out a successful career in both movies and in TV, and, other than Buffy, is best known for her long-running role as cruel socialite Georgina Sparks in hit series Gossip Girl between 2008 and 2012.
Other TV pursuits include roles in Six Feet Under, Weeds and Truth Or Scare, while her movie work has seen her appear in big hits 17 Again and Inspector Gadget.
:: Charisma Carpenter – she is probably best-known as high school queen Cordelia in Buffy and Angel, but Charisma has also appeared in TV series Veronica Mars and star-studded action thrillers The Expendables (2010) and its sequel The Expendables 2 (2012).
:: James Marsters – the actor’s stand-out role was as platinum blond anti-hero Spike in Buffy and later in Angel, but he has gone on to enjoy recurring roles in fantasy and sci-fi programmes such as Smallville, Supernatural and Torchwood over the years.
:: Joss Whedon – the series creator has gone on to become one of the most respected names in the world of comic book adaptations.
He is known for spin-off series Angel and sci-fi adventure programme Firefly, as well as the more recent Marvel series Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
On the big screen, his film credits include adaptations of the Marvel Universe Avengers Assemble and Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
