Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz onstage during the 2026 Emmys at Peacock Theater on Sept. 14 in Los Angeles. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz shaded Hulu’s decision to pull the planned Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot at the 2026 Emmys, and paid tribute the loss of two of the show’s stars.
Gellar and Boreanaz hit the Peacock Theater stage to present the award for lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, which ultimately went to Matthew Rhys. Their on-stage reunion served as a celebration of the show’s 30th anniversary, which they each acknowledged.
“Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered,” Boreanaz began. “I mean, when you think about it, it’s kind of crazy, right? A teenage girl chosen by fate to fight vampires and demons, the forces of darkness, and then she falls in love with a vampire with a soul, carrying around a couple 100 years of regret.”
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Bellar added, “A much, much older vampire with a soul and agonizing remorse about his past. For those of you who don’t know, his character was 241 years old.” Boreanaz played Angel, the vampire, in Buffy, while Gellar played the titular vampire slayer.
The actor then questioned the fate of their characters, telling his former co-star, “You know, Sarah, I always thought that Buffy and Angel would end up together.”
She replied, “Well, I guess we won’t find out,” referencing Hulu’s decision to pull the reboot. The Buffy continuation projects was previously in the works with Gellar involved and Chloé Zhao set to direct. However, it was announced by the original series star in May 2026 that Hulu was not moving forward with the project.
Gellar added, “David and I would like to acknowledge that it has been a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew, and we feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people.” Original Buffy stars Nicholas Brendon and Anthony Head both died this year, with Gellar’s speech seemingly serving as a mini tribute in their honor.
Heading into Sunday night’s ceremony, The Pitt led the nominees with a total of 25 nods, followed by Hacks with 24 (which set a a record for a comedy series nominations in a single year) and Widow’s Bay with 19.
The 78th Emmy Awards telecast live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles Monday night on NBC, streaming on Peacock. Mariska Hargitay served as the night’s host, after last week winning two Emmys at the Creative Arts ceremony.
See the full 2026 Emmys winners list, and all the dazzling red carpet looks here.
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