Kelly Ripa Recalls Shutting Down Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Acting Aspirations: ‘I’m So Glad She Didn’t Listen’

Kelly Ripa once discouraged Sarah Michelle Gellar not to purse her Hollywood acting dreams but luckily she didn’t listen.

The “Live with Kelly and Ryan” co-host recalled the candid career advice she previously gave the actress, whom she’s been friends with since they met as castmates on “All My Children”.

“I’m so glad [Gellar] did not listen to me,” Ripa told co-host Ryan Seacrest during Monday’s episode of the long-running talk show. “Because many years ago, when she was on ‘All My Children’ and leaving, she said, ‘I’m going out to California.’ And I said, ‘What? There’s nothing in California. What are you talking about? You don’t want to go out to California as a young starlet. What do you think? You think you’re going to become a star? You’re going to stay here where the work is! Theater! Television!’”

“She was like, ‘You’re wrong,’” Ripa continued. “And I’m so glad she didn’t listen. She did it! She was like, ‘Hold my beer, I’m going to go be a star.’”

Sure enough, Gellar went on to score her breakout role in primetime television with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” from 1997 to 2003. She also starred in successful films such as “Cruel Intentions”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Scooby-Doo” and “The Grudge”.

Now, the actress is gearing up for the release of Parmount+’s new drama “Wolf Pack”, which is set to release this Thursday.

The series, which Gellar calls “a new chapter” in her career, is being “pitched as a ‘Buffy’ descendent,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.