Sarah Michelle Gellar blames changes in societal values for the decline of long-term relationships.
In September, the 47-year-old actress and Freddie Prinze Jr., 48, who have two children together, celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary. During an interview with Fox News Digital, Gellar reflected on the secrets to a lasting marriage alongside her “Dexter: Original Sin” co-star Patrick Gibson.
“I think everything in you takes work, whether it’s a friendship, a working relationship or a marriage,” the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star said.
Sarah Michelle Gellar shared her thoughts on the demise of long-term relationships. (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb)
“You have to put in the work,” she continued. “And we now live in an extremely disposable society.”
“Your phone breaks, you don’t fix it. You get a new one,” Gellar added. “And I think that’s a big part of the attitude towards relationships.”
“And I don’t know, maybe separate bathrooms,” the actress joked.
WATCH: Sarah Michelle Gellar blames ‘throwaway’ society for America’s marital woes
The actress said that “hard work” is the secret behind her 22-year relationship with Freddie Prinze Jr. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Gellar and Prinze Jr. They first met while filming the hit 1997 horror film “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” They started dating in 2000. The couple announced their engagement in 2001 and tied the knot in Mexico a year later, when Gellar was 24 and Prinze was 26.
Before their wedding, Prinze Jr. made an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where the shock jock made a million-dollar bet that their marriage wouldn’t happen.
“We now live in an extremely disposable society.”
“So you’re going to marry Sarah Michelle Gellar even though you know it won’t last?” Stern asked.
“Oh, it’ll definitely hold up,” Prinze Jr. replied.
WATCH: ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ star Sarah Michelle Gellar explains how life as a celebrity has changed since the ’90s
“I want to make a written bet with you,” the radio host told him. “In about ten years you’ll be chasing me down saying, ‘Howard, I owe you money.'”
The couple married in 2002 and have two children together. (Sarah Michelle Gellar/Instagram)
On their 20th wedding anniversary, Gellar uploaded screenshots of the interview to her Instagram Story.
“@SternShow I think you owe us one,” she wrote, via Us Weekly.
Prinze Jr. later shared Gellar’s post on his Instagram Story and wrote, “She won’t forget,” along with two laughing emojis.
During an interview with Us Weekly in 2019, Gellar told the outlet this “Communication” was key to their successful marriage.
“It’s about being present,” the New York native said. “Listening is the most important thing.”
“We still make each other laugh. And we treat each other with respect,” added Prinze Jr., who noted that after the two’s first kiss, he “didn’t go on another date.”
“It was just Sarah,” he gushed to the magazine.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. both rose to fame in the 1990s. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Knott’s Scary Farm)
The couple, who also starred in 2002’s “Scooby-Doo” and the 2004 sequel “Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed,” welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte Grace, in 2009. In 2012, Gellar gave birth to her son, Rocky James.
Gellar and Prinze Jr. both rose to fame in the 1990s and became two of the biggest stars of that time. During a conversation with Fox News Digital, Gellar shared her thoughts on how celebrity life in the ’90s differed from today.
“I would say the advent of social media and the fact that everyone has a camera phone,” she said. “I think you had a lot more anonymity, which I think sometimes makes the storytelling a little easier because people didn’t know as much about your every move or even your show.”
“It’s hard to keep things spoiler-free,” Gellar added. “It’s more indoors when you have to keep secrets.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar became a household name when she starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Getty Images)
The actress stars in the new Showtime series “Dexter: Original Sin” which premiered on December 13th. “Dexter: Original Sin” is a prequel series to the network’s hit serial killer series “Dexter,” which starred Michael C. Hall in the title role and ran for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013.
The plot synopsis for “Dexter: Original Sin” reads: “Set in 1991 Miami, Dexter: Original Sin follows Dexter (Gibson) on his journey from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can no longer be ignored.” “Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness.”
Do you like what you’re reading? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“Under the tutelage of his father Harry (Christian Slater), he adopts a code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be excluded from society, without becoming a target of law enforcement. A special challenge for young Dexter is the beginning of a forensic internship with the Miami Metro Police Department.
Gellar plays Dexter’s new boss, Tanya Martin, the Miami Metro Police Department’s CSI chief. The show also stars Hall as narrator, as well as Patrick Dempsey, Christina Milian, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson and James Martinez.
WATCH: Sarah Michelle Gellar says starring in ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ was a ‘dream opportunity’
During her interview with Fox News Digital, Gellar expressed her excitement about joining the cast of the series prequel series, shared that she is a big fan of “Dexter.”
“I loved the original,” she said. “And I obviously never had the chance to be a part of it. So in your head you think, ‘That’s too bad. It would have been fun to be part of that canon.”
Gellar continued, “And then it came back and was like, ‘Wait a minute, am I getting the opportunity to be a part of a show that I loved?’ (It) becomes a dream opportunity.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Dexter’s boss Tanya Martin in Dexter: Original Sin. (Paramount+)
Gibson told Fox News Digital that he “had so much fun” playing Dexter as a young man and portraying his journey.
“The Dexter we all know is pretty much done as we begin the first season of the original,” he noted. “So to get to play someone at that stage in their life – I know I felt very uncomfortable at that point in my life.”
“As a teenager you’re kind of like a foot, as an adult you’re kind of a foot,” Gibson added. “Adults don’t take you seriously.”
WATCH: ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ star Patrick Gibson on the biggest challenges of playing a serial killer
“Tanya Martin certainly doesn’t take me seriously,” he said with a laugh, pointing at Gellar.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“You don’t fit in with the crowd,” the actress agreed.
“You’re not a child either,” Gibson said. “And you also experience many of these firsts. In this case it is simply the murder of people.”
“Hey, we all have firsts,” Gellar said.
“And you always remember your first time,” Gibson said. “It’s not always the best.”
Patrick Gibson plays young Dexter Morgan, originally portrayed by Michael C. Hall. (Paramount+)
The 29-year-old actor previously starred in TV series “The Tudors,” “The OA,” and “Shadow and Bone,” among others. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Gibson noted that there are “a lot of unique challenges” playing a character that is already so familiar to audiences.
“Partly it was about maintaining continuity with what Michael was doing,” he said. “The thing I loved Michael’s appearance was that when you meet him, there is so much of himself in that role.”
Gibson continued: “It was about finding a balance between the two, because obviously even for a psychopath it would be a bit cold to just do an impression.”
“But then it was like remembering it,” he added. “I think as actors we are trained to be empathetic on set. And you get to work with some of the best actors of all time.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“And I would like to remember that you can’t let the current situations influence you too much and that you are much more calculated than you think. That was a bit of a challenge.”
New episodes of “Dexter: Original Sin” air every Friday on Showtime through February 14th.
