Earlier than Titanic turned Leonardo DiCaprio into a world obsession, he practically shared the display screen with one other ‘90s icon-in-the-making: Sarah Michelle Gellar. Yep, Buffy herself virtually scored the a part of Juliet in Baz Luhrmann’s wild, fashionable tackle Romeo + Juliet. However as destiny would have it, one look sealed the deal for another person.
Again in 1996, Gellar was nonetheless hustling for a movie breakthrough. She’d already snagged a Daytime Emmy for her position as Kendall Hart on All My Youngsters, however most of her credit lived on the small display screen. Her massive display screen resume? Fairly slim. A minor position in Excessive Stakes from 1989 and some close to misses, together with Clueless.
However Romeo + Juliet? That was the one which stung. She auditioned for Juliet Capulet alongside a loaded record of future stars. Suppose Jennifer Love Hewitt, Aaliyah, Kate Winslet, Christina Ricci, and Natalie Portman. The studio handed on Portman for being too younger. And Sarah Michelle Gellar? She got here shut, however Claire Danes clinched the position thanks to 1 easy transfer.
In response to Grazia, Claire Danes landed the half as a result of she made eye contact with Leonardo DiCaprio throughout her audition. That’s it. That one second gave her the sting, and he or she stepped into the enduring balcony scene whereas Gellar watched from the wings of what might’ve been. Not that she stayed sidelined for lengthy.
The following yr, she went full scream queen with I Know What You Did Final Summer time, alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt. That hit theaters simply months after Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered and formally launched Sarah Michelle Gellar into superstardom. Horror followers couldn’t get sufficient, and neither might casting administrators.
She rolled into Scream 2, stirred issues up in Merciless Intentions, and stored issues playful with Scooby-Doo. By the early 2000s, Gellar was headlining field workplace hits like The Grudge—and Juliet Capulet? A distant “what-if.” Despite the fact that she missed her DiCaprio second, Gellar carved out her personal legacy. She grew to become a style icon, a teen queen, and a popular culture staple with out ever needing to face on a Shakespearean balcony.
Lately, she has shifted gears. In 2021, she voiced Teela in Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation and popped up on Star Wars Rebels alongside husband Freddie Prinze Jr. Her focus has moved from crimson carpets to elevating a household, constructing companies, and selecting her initiatives fastidiously.
Nonetheless, the truth that she practically starred in one of the crucial stylized Shakespeare movies of all time stays one of many juiciest what-could’ve-beens in ‘90s Hollywood lore. So, sure, Sarah Michelle Gellar virtually stood throughout from Leonardo DiCaprio, buying and selling Shakespearean strains in a church filled with candles and chaos. However she blinked, Claire Danes locked eyes, and the remainder was historical past.
For extra such tales, take a look at Hollywood Information
Should Learn: When Jennifer Lawrence Poked Enjoyable At Her Personal Flop Horror Film: “She Appeared Embarrassed About…”
Observe Us: Fb | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google Information