Balance: Healthy Hollywood LivingSarah Michelle Gellar: ‘People Dissect You for Two Pounds’
Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't shy about letting the world know that her priorities have changed in recent years … and the tiny reason they have -- her 2-year-old daughter Charlotte with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. While she worked endless hours during her "Buffy the Vampire Days," Gellar tells Self that this time around, with a starring role on the new CW thriller "Ringer," she's got a whole new outlook on balancing her career with the rest of her life.
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"I was 18 years old when I started 'Buffy,' and work was my everything. Back then, no actor had worse hours than I did. Now I don't work on weekends anymore. Everybody knows you can't sway me on that point, so nobody even tries," she says in the magazine's December issue. "Plus, my perspective on work has changed: Work doesn't define who I am."
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Taking care of herself is also a priority, but not quite like it used to be.
"I still work out, but not five days a week. I do Pilates, I run on the treadmill, I walk to the soundstage rather than taking the cart … I wish I could say I was in the best shape of my life right now, but I don't put the same pressure on myself that I used to," Gellar admits. "So I don't rock a bikini on Wilshire Boulevard -- but I don't know many people who do!"
Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't shy about letting the world know that her priorities have changed in recent years … and the tiny reason they have -- her 2-year-old daughter Charlotte with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. While she worked endless hours during her "Buffy the Vampire Days," Gellar tells Self that this time around, with a starring role on the new CW thriller "Ringer," she's got a whole new outlook on balancing her career with the rest of her life.
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"I was 18 years old when I started 'Buffy,' and work was my everything. Back then, no actor had worse hours than I did. Now I don't work on weekends anymore. Everybody knows you can't sway me on that point, so nobody even tries," she says in the magazine's December issue. "Plus, my perspective on work has changed: Work doesn't define who I am."
Taking care of herself is also a priority, but not quite like it used to be.
"I still work out, but not five days a week. I do Pilates, I run on the treadmill, I walk to the soundstage rather than taking the cart … I wish I could say I was in the best shape of my life right now, but I don't put the same pressure on myself that I used to," Gellar admits. "So I don't rock a bikini on Wilshire Boulevard -- but I don't know many people who do!"
The 34-year-old has come to terms with the fact that, as a celebrity, her weight is bound to be scrutinized ... and though it's not the most pleasant part of being famous, it's an aspect she's tries her best to ignore.
"As an actor, I'm incredibly scrutinized. If you wear one bulky sweater, you're pregnant or you're fat. When you're 5 foot 4 like me, any weight gain can look like a lot," she explains. "People dissect you for two pounds. That can be incredibly difficult, but I don't take it as personally anymore."
While the world is split into two camps -- those who weigh themselves and those who don't -- Gellar is a proud member of team "don't."
"You can't live your life by the scale. We don't even have one in our house. I've never believed in them, because your weight fluctuates. It's more about how my clothing fits than a number," she says. "Besides, if you deny yourself everything because you're so focused on the mirror or the scale, then when do you get to enjoy life?"
Exactly!
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