Entertainment

'Buffy' Guest Stars That You Forgot About

by Amy Roberts

Like most fans of the show, I've watched every episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer multiple times. I know the show inside out, and back again, and can recall significant scenes, lines, and character's crimes against fashion on demand. But, that isn't to say that the show doesn't still have the capacity to surprise me. In the 20 years since Buffy The Vampire Slayer premiered, it's continued to resonate in different ways throughout my life, and I'm happy to say that I still notice new things about it upon every rewatch. And trust me when I say that one of those things is all of the Buffy guest stars that you totally forgot about.

Buffy, after all, consistently featured a terrific cast, making stars of it's unknown lead actors when the show began. But it also utilized the iconic talents of many veteran actors too, hiring them alongside young actors at the very start of their careers. So, naturally, that makes Buffy a terrific show for seeing unexpected guest stars pop up every now and then. Some of these guest stars are actors who have only become prominent in some way within recent years, while others are the sort of beloved stars of the '90s and '00s who have sadly, become slightly obscure. All of them, however, are pretty awesome...

1

Wentworth Miller

20th Century Fox

The Prison Break actor played an ill-fated member of the Sunnydale High swim team in the season two episode, "Go Fish". It was his first ever role and he is adorable in it.

2

Ashanti

20th Century Fox

As all Buffy fans know, Xander had a terrible habit for attracting women who possessed some form of bad, supernatural flaw. And the supreme Ashanti happened to be one of them, when she played the demon Lissa in "First Date" (Episode 14 of Season Seven).

3

Amy Adams

20th Century Fox

Starring in the Season Five episode, "Family", Adams played Tara's brainwashed cousin Beth. And, like, just look at that stare. She was utterly formidable in the role.

4

Eoin Bailey

20th Century Fox

The ever so dreamy Bailey, who you probably know from his swoon-worthy role as August Booth in Once Upon A Time, appeared in the Season One episode, "The Pack". Where, yes, he absolutely got possessed by a demon hyena and ate a man alive.

5

Rachel Bilson

20th Century Fox

It makes absolute perfect sense to me that the actor who portrayed Summer Roberts in The O.C. also starred as a potential Slayer before she headed to Orange County. Bilson appeared as Colleen in the Season Seven episode, "Dirty Girls".

6

Felicia Day

20th Century Fox

Starring as another potential Slayer, Day (who you might know from her tremendous Twitter presence and shows like Supernatural) played fan favorite Vi.

7

Eric Balfour

20th Century Fox

Long before his roles in Six Feet Under, 24 and Haven, Balfour played Xander's friend, Jesse in the first two ever episodes of Buffy. Unfortunately, his character gets turned into a vampire and Xander is forced to turn his buddy to dust, but still.

8

Julie Benz

20th Century Fox

Benz, who has starred in shows like Dexter and Hawaii Five-0 and the cult classic movie, Jawbreaker also played the alluring and powerful vampire, Darla throughout the first few seasons of Buffy.

9

Conchata Ferrell

20th Century Fox

You'll likely recognize the veteran actress from her regular role on Two And A Half Men, as well as her appearances in projects as varied as Krampus and Grace And Frankie. She played the unnerving Nurse Greenleigh in the Season Two episode "Go Fish."

10

Clea DuVall

20th Century Fox

You've likely seen Duvall in a number of productions including American Horror Story: Asylum and the movies, Argo, The Faculty, and But I'm A Cheerleader. She also showed up in the Eleventh episode of the first season of Buffy, "Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight," where she played invisible bully victim, Marci Ross.

11

Carmine Giovinazzo

20th Century Fox

Not only is Giovinazzo a star of CSI: NY, but he was also the first Buffy character to become a vampire snack in the pilot epiosde of Buffy, "Welcome To The Hellmouth."

12

John Hawkes

20th Century Fox

Hawkes portrayed poor old janitor George, who gets possessed by a lovelorn, murderous teenage ghost (as you do) in Season Two episode "I Only Have Eyes For You." You most definitely know him from TV shows like Deadwood, Eastbound And Down and Lost.

13

Kal Penn

20th Century Fox

Before he went on to star in the Harold And Kumar movies (and become the Associate Director of the Obama Administration’s White House Office of Public Engagement, because damn), Penn starred in the Season Four episode, "Beer Bad."

14

Danny Strong

20th Century Fox

I really don't need to remind you that Strong, who played affable nerd, Jonathon throughout Buffy, also starred in Gilmore Girls, as Doyle, do I? Or that he's the award-winning creator of Empire and writer of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay? I didn't think so. What a man.

15

Bianca Lawson

20th Century Fox

Back in the '90s, the actor memorably played Kendra the vampire slayer in Buffy. However, Lawson is still managing to portray teenagers in shows like Pretty Little Liars, Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries to this day, because she is an utterly age-defying wonder who blows my mind.

16

John Ritter

20th Century Fox

The late actor (who you'll know from Three's Company, Bad Santa, and 8 Simple Rules) played Joyce Summer's secretly evil (and robotic) love interest, Ted, in a Season 2 episode.

17

Pedro Pascal

20th Century Fox

The Game Of Thrones and Narcos actor also starred in the Season Four episode, "The Freshman" as a dude who befriends Buffy, gets turned into a vampire and stupidly tries to engage in battle with her. Big mistake, buddy.

18

Jason Behr

20th Century Fox

The Grudge and Dawson's Creek actor also starred as Billy, one of Buffy's many love interests who definitely couldn't complete with undead hunks like Spike and Angel, in the Seventh episode of Season Two.

19

Armin Shimerman

20th Century Fox

Keen Trekkies will know Shimmerman as Ferengi bartender Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. but he also starred as the sinister and crooked Principal Snyder in Buffy.

20

D. B. Woodside

20th Century Fox

Woodside played Robin Wood — the son a former Slayer, and Sunnydale High's final principal, in the seventh season of the show. The absolutely divine actor has continued to entrance audiences in shows like Lucifer, Suits, Single Ladies, and Parenthood.

21

Shane West

20th Century Fox

Before he became Landon in A Walk To Remember, West starred as Sean Dwyer, yet another member of Sunnydale High's swim team in the season two episode, "Go Fish."

22

Nathan Fillon

20th Century Fox

Portraying the truly despicible villain, Caleb, in the seventh season, Fillon began what has turned into a long working relationship with Buffy creator, Joss Whedon having also starred in Firefly, Serenity, and Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

23

Azura Skye

20th Century Fox

If you were a fan of the early '00s show, Zoe, Duncan, Jack And Jane, then you'll definitely recognize Skye, who starred as the tragic psychic character Cassie in two episodes of Buffy's Seventh Season. However, you probably also know her from her dastardly role as Fiona in American Horror Story: Murder House.

24

Ken Lerner

20th Century Fox

The veteran actor is one of those people who definitely makes you go, "Where do I know him from?" whenever you see him in something. Well, now you know, because Kerner played poor, old Principal Flutie in the first season of Buffy. He also had guest appearances, however, in shows like This Is Us, Grace And Frankie, Silicon Valley and The League.