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Sarah Michelle Gellar tried every crewmember's role on Buffy set

Sarah Michelle Gellar tried her hand at every crewmember's job on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer so she could understand how everyone contributed to the TV show.

The Cruel Intentions actress played vampire-killing teen Buffy Summers alongside Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, and David Boreanaz from 1997 and 2003.

In an interview with The New York Times, Gellar explained how she liked to set the tone on set and make sure everyone felt like part of a team - and she achieved this by having a go at every crewmember's job at least once.

"I always try to come in with a smile on my face and set a tone on a set," she shared. "We're all equals. It doesn't matter what job someone does, they get treated exactly the same. When I was on Buffy, I made sure that I did every job at least one time, so that I understood what everyone did. I held the boom; I tried to mix sound - I was really bad at it; focus pulling. I think a lot of young actors go, 'My job is to show up and say my lines.' Not really. Your job is to be part of the whole team."

The 45-year-old recently made her return to acting with a cameo in Clerks III and a small role as The Headmaster in Netflix teen movie Do Revenge, while she is currently filming a Teen Wolf spin-off series titled Wolf Pack.

She admitted to the publication that her extended hiatus has given her a newfound appreciation for acting.

"You sometimes have to step away to miss something. I'd been working my whole life," she explained. "And I needed that chance to be a parent and be present. That time away just made me appreciate what I get to do now."

Gellar shares two children - Charlotte, 13, and Rocky, 10 - with her husband Freddie Prinze Jr.