LOS ANGELES Sept 14, 2026 – Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz reunited onstage at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night, blending nostalgia, humor, and a somber tribute to lost Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars.
The pair, who played Buffy Summers and Angel, presented the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Matthew Rhys won for The Beast in Me.
Boreanaz opened by noting the milestone. “Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered,” he said. He then described the show’s central romance: a teenage slayer falling for a 241-year-old vampire with a soul. Gellar jumped in with the joke that it was “more like a May-December 1787 romance.”
Boreanaz added that he had always believed Buffy and Angel would end up together. Gellar replied, “Well, I guess we won’t find out.” The line drew knowing laughs as a reference to Hulu’s decision earlier this year to drop a planned reboot that had Gellar attached and Chloé Zhao slated to direct.
The tone then shifted. “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,” Gellar said.
The remarks honored three co-stars who died recently: Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers) in February 2025, Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris) in March 2026, and Anthony Head (Rupert Giles) in June 2026.
Gellar wore a bright pink gown; Boreanaz appeared in a classic tuxedo. The two had also posed together on the red carpet earlier in the evening.
The appearance marked a rare public reunion for the on-screen couple more than two decades after the original series ended. Fans quickly circulated the clip, mixing celebration of the show’s lasting cultural impact with discussion of its unfinished storylines.
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