Sarah Michelle Gellarsays it was an "emotional" moment when directorChloé Zhaopresented her with the missing"Class Protector"award on the final day of shooting"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale."
The umbrella award had been presented to Buffy Summers (Gellar) in 1999's Season 3 prom episode of the original star-making"Buffy the Vampire" series,which ran from 1997 to 2003. However, the prop memento from classmates commemorating Buffy for protecting the school from evil was lost in time.
"That show ended when I was 24 years old,"Gellar, now 48, tells USA TODAY."It never occurred to me to take props. You're thinking so much about next and all those things. I've always said that's the one prop that I was always sad that I didn't take."
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Oscar-winning director Zhao recreated the treasured award and gave it to Gellar on the last day of shooting the pilot for the "New Sunnydale" revival series.
Zhao toldThe Wrapthat the prom episode is one of her favorite "Buffy" episodes, featuring Jonathan Levinson (Danny Strong) presenting the umbrella award to Buffy with a speech.
"Actually, Sarah told me she didn't keep the umbrella," Zhao said. "So, on the day of the wrap, we made a replica of that and then I memorized the speech."
The Emmy-nominated star of "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus," Sydney Sweeney, has made a name for herself in prestige television, on silver screens in horror flicks or romantic comedies and as a fashion darling on red carpets like the Met Gala. Scroll through for more photos of her life and career. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Sydney Sweeney attends a Refinery29 event on Dec. 6, 2017, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney starred as Emaline on the Netflix series "Everything Sucks!" in 2018." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 2 at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 19, 2018, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney played Eden in the second season of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 17, 2018, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jonathan Davino, left, and Sydney Sweeney attend an InStyle event on Oct. 23, 2018, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Harry Shum Jr. and Sydney Sweeney walk the red carpet at the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends The 2020 InStyle And Warner Bros. 77th annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney received an Emmy nomination in 2022 for her part in the first season of HBO's "The White Lotus."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends an InStyle event on Nov. 14, 2021, in West Hollywood, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney was nominated for an Emmy in 2022 for her role as Cassie on the HBO series "Euphoria."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 94th Oscars at the The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on March 27, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 Met Gala." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Maude Apatow and Sydney Sweeney attend the "Bones and All" red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2022, in Venice, Italy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends ELLE's 29th annual Women in Hollywood celebration on Oct. 17, 2022, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 LACMA ART+FILM Gala on Nov. 05, 2022, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2022 on Nov. 16, 2022, in London." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2023 Met Gala." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends a screening of HBO Films' "Reality" at Museum of Modern Art on May 16, 2023, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney and Aja Naomi King attend a Miu Miu event during the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends Variety Power of Young Hollywood at NeueHouse on Aug. 10, 2023, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney and her cousin Lucille Hancock attend the Miu Miu fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3, 2023, in Paris, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends Columbia Pictures' "Anyone But You" New York Premiere on Dec. 11, 2023, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Glen Powell, left, and Sydney Sweeney in the 2023 film "Anyone But You."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the screening of "Anyone But You" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on Dec. 18, 2023, in Sydney, Australia." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney greets fans at the screening of "Anyone But You" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on Dec. 18, 2023, in Sydney, Australia." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney attend the World Premiere of Sony Pictures' "Madame Web" on Feb. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 35th GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 14, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of Neon's "Immaculate" during Beyond Fest at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 15, 2024, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends Met Gala celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of "Eden" during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, in Toronto." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend CinemaCon 2025 on April 1, 2025, in Las Vegas." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney underwent a weeklong transformation before debuting her most shocking hairstyle yet. She arrived at the Oct. 25, 2025, "Christy" premiere during the annual AFI Fest sporting an icy blonde bob, her shortest 'do yet." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Sydney was looking for a change and wanted to have a big hair moment for the red carpet to support her new movie," hair colorist Jacob Schwartz told Vogue." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney made headlines after donning a sheer, silver, floor-length Christian Cowandress at Variety's 2025 Power of Women Los Angeles event, where she was an honoree, on Oct. 29, 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney walks onstage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the Nascar Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sydney Sweeney attends the 2025 GQ Men of the Year party at Chateau Marmont on Nov. 13, 2025 in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend the Los Angeles premiere of "The Housemaid" on Dec. 15, 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend W Magazine's annual Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on Jan. 10, 2026, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney photos: Look back at the 'Euphoria' star's best looks, career
The Emmy-nominated star of"Euphoria"and"The White Lotus," Sydney Sweeney, has made a name for herself in prestige television, on silver screens in horror flicks or romantic comedies and as a fashion darling on red carpets like theMet Gala.Scroll through for more photos of her life and career.
Gellar said it "took a few seconds" to recognize that Zhao was replicating the "Buffy" prom speech. But then she was touched.
"And it was just incredibly special," Gellar says, adding that she is protecting the keepsake now. "I have it. It's in my office."
Zhao convinced Gellar to return 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
After Gellar turned down past "Buffy" series, superfan Zhao convinced the actress to return for the revival set 25 years after the original. Both Zhao and Gellar are executive producers.
"I didn't think I'd ever be revisiting that character," says Gellar. "So just being on set was emotional."
Gellar has made it clear "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale" is not a reboot or a sequel, but a continuation of the TV world. Currently it's just the pilot, which was shot in August. The full series has not been officially greenlit by Hulu.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sarah Michelle Gellar on reunion with treasured 'Buffy' series prop
