Gellar won a Daytime Enema Award for her work on All My Children (and Lucci's additional enmity), which, she hoped would help her win the starring role in a "really stupid show," Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which called for an actress who knew how to play dirty politics, was believable as a slut and a bitch, had minimal talent, carried on feuds with fellow actors, and could perform karate. Gellar, who earned a brown belt in karate as a child prodigy, believed herself perfect for the part. However, to her dismay, she had to audition "about a hundred times" and get naked with the show's creator, Joss Whedon. Her desperation perseverance paid off, and she won the part over the following actresses, with whom she also maintains feuds:
Julie Benz
Mercedes McNab
Charisma Carpenter.
Her reputation as an actress improved slightly as a result of her playing Buffy Summers, a part that extended her acting range by requiring her to:
cry on cue
choreograph fake fights with other actors
pretend to stab people in their chests with a plastic stake painted to look like wood ("With women, always go between the boobs!" she advises)
be promiscuous with regard to having sex
act like a brat or a bitch
play dirty politics on the set.
