Sarah Michelle Gellar was one of my generation’s “It” girls. From All My Children to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, SMG was The One. Even after Buffy ended, she worked regularly, making movies for both Millennials and Gen X alike. Back in 2013/2014, Sarah co-starred with the late great Robin Williams in a sitcom called The Crazy Ones. After his death, Sarah took a prolonged break from on-camera work. She did some voice acting for a few years, but otherwise took a big mental health break. In a recent interview on the Shut Up Evan podcast, Sarah spoke about that time in her life and the profound effect that Robin’s passing had on her.
[Sarah Michelle Gellar] shared she was so deeply affected by the death of Robin William in 2014, with whom she starred on the sitcom The Crazy Ones from 2013 to 2014, it made her realize that she needed to step back from acting and focus on her family life with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. and their children Charlotte, 16, and Rocky, 13.
“I had had children back to back,” Sarah Michelle recalled on the Shut Up Evan podcast Jan. 7. “I started Crazy Ones when my son was three months old. I was breastfeeding the entire time. And then Robin passed away, and everything just sort of hit me. It was like, the postpartum hit me, and that loss was so huge. And I just felt—I felt a little directionless for the first time in my life.”
Robin’s death at the age of 63, coupled with other factors in her life, lead Sarah Michelle to think, “Maybe that’s my sign that I’m not living the moments enough, because they can go away so quickly.”
“At that point I just said I needed to take a break,” the 48-year-old continued. “And I’m so glad I did on so many levels.”
Slowing down her career also meant the Scooby-Doo star got to be there for her children all the time, something she’s extremely grateful for.
“I didn’t miss a show, a performance, a first step, a lost tooth,” she recalled. “Every moment, I was able to be there for. And that’s not something you can do as a working actor. Our days are long. We travel a lot.”
Plus, it let her enjoy acting again as she “got to a place where I realized how much I actually missed it, and now I appreciate it in a different way.”
“I also pick my projects differently now,” she explained. “I used to have this, like, I need to know what my next job is. I have to work—work to find how I thought of myself. But now work is just a part of how I think of myself. And so now I pick jobs because I really want to work with that person. Or I think this would be so much fun. I don’t have this desire to prove stuff that I used to have.”
And Sarah Michelle knows how lucky she is to have been able to return to a bustling career after her time away, noting, “When you do step away from acting, you never know if there’s gonna be a career to go back to.”
“It doesn’t matter who you are,” she added. “Sometimes audiences move on and that’s OK. That’s acceptable. I’m very, very grateful that I found that that’s not been the case, and there’s still a place for me.”
This isn’t the first time that Sarah has spoken about how much Robin’s death affected her. Her experience is still relevant and it isn’t uncommon. So many of us get a wake up call after suffering from a tragedy. I had a big moment after my grandfather died, even though it took me a year of therapy to realize it. I hate the catalyst, but am happy that Sarah was able to reprioritize and find a work/life balance that worked for her. I also wish more of my fellow Americans had access to proper mental health care and bereavement benefits.
While we’re on the subject, I can’t believe it’s been more than 11 years since Robin passed. I actually remember exactly where I was when I heard about his death. I was sitting on my grandmother’s bed nursing my then two-month-old son before we headed out to a birthday dinner for a family member. Mr. Rosie and I were both devastated and we showed each other different links about it under the table. From Aladdin to Mrs. Doubtfire to Dead Poet’s Society and The Birdcage, Robin Williams was such a crucial part of our childhood.
Photos credit: Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Twin Images/Avalon, Kerry Wayne/Avalon, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
It’s a credit to his goodness, his kindness that remembering where you were when you found out he died is a part of his memory to you. I too remember what I was doing when he died. Its only the most important folks in our lives get that honor
I think there’s always a career waiting for a beloved actor when thry come back. It’s do amazing that she took that risk and that she was able to step back. Can’t wait to see her new projects
She was a classmate of my younger brother, and she always had a good head on her shoulders.
I remember where I was too—I was making dinner and the classical radio station I listen to broke the news. The DJ started to cry on air a bit, and I cried too. I live in SF and he was definitely a local’s local. People all have stories about Robin Williams. I once ran into him—literally—in a grocery store. We all laughed and moved right on with our day, but he was super nice.
What an amazing moment for you!
I was living in San Francisco when he died and that morning I went by the Mrs. Doubtfire house and the steps were covered with flowers, candles and letters and people standing around in absolute sobs. I among them. It was so moving.