‘Buffy’ star: ‘Willow and Tara opened door for gay couples on TV’
By Sam Rigby
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
star Amber Benson has spoken about the influence Willow and Tara had on the representation of LGBT people on television.
The actress said that her character’s relationship with Alyson Hannigan’s Willow was the “most rewarding thing” about her time on the cult series.
During a Reddit Q&A, Benson wrote: “The most rewarding thing about playing Tara was that the relationship on Buffy between her and Willow helped kick open the door for more amazing LGBTQ characters on TV.
“We were so blessed to walk in their shoes and play those ladies. It’s one of the things I am most proud of in my life.”
“It wasn’t about gratuitous making-out scenes. It was about two people who just happened to be of the same gender falling in love,” she said, before adding: “[Showrunner Joss Whedon] wrote real characters. He wasn’t trying to fill quotas. He was trying to create two people who just happened to be gay.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role – aired between 1997 and 2004. Nicholas Brendan, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Stewart Head also starred.
More Stories:
> Chris Lowell “frustrated” by portrayal of gay people on TV and in movies
> Freddie Fox teases ‘Cucumber’ character: ‘He’s been hard-wired to f**k’