I am quite ashamed to say that I've watched Gellar starring in her most recent series, Ringer, having never seen her in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Apart from the ratings-challenged Ringer (which I actually quite enjoyed), I have only seen her in the two Scooby-Doo films, her brief role in Scream 2, and in I Know What You Did Last Summer - which was released a short time after Buffy began airing in 1997.
My thoughts on Gellar as an actress are most certainly mixed. At times, I feel she can convey the emotions of a scene fairly well; mostly in high-octane action scenes, such as her chase-scene in Summer and certain episodes of her latest drama. Luckily, I believe that Buffy features a number of action scenes throughout each episode/season, which bodes well for her acting prowess in the series. I also believe that she is generally a convincing actress (I often feel as though Gellar was born to play Helen Shivers in the aforementioned I Know What You Did Last Summer). Her likability, wit and genuine good-looks are usually always the apex of whatever project she may find herself in quality-wise.
However, there are also numerous times that I feel as though she puts little excitement into her roles, often coming across as though she's simply not invested in the storylines. This trait was most noticeable in Ringer, in which she had to play two separate roles as the twin sisters Siobhà¡n and Bridget. At times, Bridget came across as being entirely emotionless - an oddity considering the situation in which she finds herself. While I enjoyed the series, and loved seeing Gellar each week, I feel as though playing two characters perhaps diluted her performance slightly. This is, however, not entirely Gellar's fault as an actress, but rather that of the show's mediocre-at-times writing.
The above contrasts can only lead me to one conclusion: I am going to really, really enjoy seeing Gellar in the role of Buffy Summers. The series itself contains a large quantity of action scenes - which, from what I've seen, offer some of Gellar's greatest performances. In addition, there's only one character that the actress needs to focus on, rather than the two in Ringer. Surely this means that with her excellent persona, generally strong acting ability and natural beauty, Gellar should excel in the role of a vampire slayer? If the rabid and loyal fanbase are anything to go by, I'm sure that Gellar not only played Buffy Summers well - but that she was Buffy Summers.
