Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most popular teen dramas ever. The supernatural series aired from 1997 to 2003, introducing the world to fantastic characters and weird and wonderful creatures.
Sarah Michelle Gellar starred as the eponymous Buffy Summers and remains beloved amongst fans of the show to this day. Her co-stars changed as the series progressed, as new characters were often introduced and existing ones were regularly killed off or axed.
However, the four original core cast members who founded the Scooby Gang – the group the series revolved around – remained until the end. They were Gellar as Buffy, Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, and Nicholas Brendon as Alexander “Xander” Harris.
But how are those stars doing now? This piece will rank Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s original cast members by their current net worths.
3. Nicholas Brendon – $3 Million
Nicholas Brendon played Xander Harris in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Harris was the Scooby Gang’s heart. Although he had no powers, he was always at the center of their battles against powerful villains, offering physical and emotional support. He started as an unpopular nerd but ended the show as a formidable fighter and integral member of Buffy’s support network.
Brendon has endured troubles since the show ended, with problems including addiction to alcohol and drugs, arrests for violence, and resisting arrest. He has, however, continued his acting career. His subsequent television credits include recurring roles in American Dragon: Jake Long, Criminal Minds, and Faking It, and his movie credits include 2007’s Unholy, 2008’s Blood on the Highway, 2009’s A Golden Christmas, and 2013’s Big Gay Love and Coherence. He has accumulated a net worth of around $3 million.
3. Anthony Head – $3 Million
As the senior member of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s regular cast, Anthony Stewart Head was already an established star when he joined the series. Of course, he played Rupert Giles, Buffy’s Watcher, an expert in all things mystical and monstrous and a more than capable fighter himself. He was a father figure to his younger allies and their mentor in the fight against evil.
Before Buffy, Head had already appeared in movies like 1981’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and 1987’s A Prayer for the Dying and countless television shows, including Love in a Cold Climate, Bergerac, Boon, Highlander: The Series, and NYPD: Blue. He has since appeared in films like 2011’s The Inbetweeners Movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and The Iron Lady, 2013’s Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and 2016’s A Street Cat Named Bob, as well as television shows like Doctor Who, Merlin, Warehouse 13, and Ted Lasso. Head is also a talented singer and musician. He has amassed a net worth of around $3 million.
2. Sarah Michelle Gellar – $30 Million
It may surprise many people that Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t the original cast member with the highest net worth. Gellar, of course, played Buffy Summers in the show. Buffy was the girl imbued with the mystical power of the Slayer – one in a long line of young women burdened with the responsibility of fighting evil. She defeated countless nightmare creatures and saved the world several times.
Gellar acted from a young age and was already a prolific actress when her Buffy opportunity arose. She’d been a central star in shows like Swans Crossing and All My Children and had minor roles in some movies. She’s since had prominent credits in shows like Sex and the City, Robot Chicken, Ringer, The Crazy Ones, Star Wars Rebels, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and movies like 2009 Possession and 2022’s Clerks III and Do Revenge. Her net worth is estimated to be around $30 million.
1. Alyson Hannigan – $40 Million
The surprise leader of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer pack regarding net worth is Alyson Hannigan. Hannigan played Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers’ best friend. Willow started the show as a meek and unpopular nerdy student, but ended it as one of the world’s most powerful witches. She underwent the most extensive character development arc in the show.
Hannigan’s acting career started when she was a child, with roles in shows like Free Spirit and Roseanne and films like 1986’s Impure Thoughts and 1988’s My Stepmother is an Alien. Since Buffy ended, her television credits include Veronica Mars, a central role in How I Met Your Mother (which she hated the ending of), American Dad, hosting Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Girl Scout Cookie Championship, and Dancing with the Stars. Subsequent movie credits include Date Movie, Love, Wedding, Marriage, American Reunion, and You Might Be the Killer. Her net worth is believed to be an impressive $40 million.
