The WB television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003. The supernatural drama was a hit among teens, giving the young network its first big success while making Sarah Michelle Gellar a household name. A year later the network released what became its largest hit yet with teen drama Dawson’s Creek, starring Katie Holmes as the titular character’s love interest, Joey Potter. But before Holmes landed the part that would launch her career, she turned down another career-making role: Buffy Summers.
Holmes has rejected several roles throughout her prolific career, perhaps none more famous than when she turned down a return as Batman’s love interest Rachel Dawes in 2008’s The Dark Knight, a role that was then offered to Maggie Gylenhaal. Before she became one of Hollywood’s most sought after actresses, however, there was a time where all she wanted was to prioritize finishing high school. She was only 18 when she was cast in Dawson’s Creek, so Buffy the Vampire Slayer happened to come along way too early for the young star. It’s next to impossible to think of Buffy without also thinking of Gellar, but had the timing been better for Holmes, the part would have been hers.
Holmes still made a name for herself despite turning down the now iconic role of Buffy, but her career likely would have taken a very different direction if she hadn’t. Her wholesome and gentle image as Joey Potter seems ill-suited for Buffy’s tough, fist-wielding heroine. Gellar’s portrayal as Buffy likely led to several other prominent roles in her career, including multiple horror hits like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, and The Grudge. She also transitioned easily to a villainous role in Cruel Intentions as Kathryn, a part she played so convincingly she won “Choice Sleazebag” at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards.
After edging out Selma Blair for the part of Joey Potter, Holmes starred in a string of teen dramas in the late nineties like Disturbing Behavior and Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Unlike Gellar, she largely steered clear of horror films early in her career, though she later starred in the Guillermo del Toro penned Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark in 2010 and The Boy sequel Brahms in 2020. Another famous character Holmes turned down the opportunity to portray was Piper Chapman from 2013’s prison drama Orange is the New Black. Show creator Jenji Kohan originally approached her for the part that ultimately went to Taylor Schilling.
Aside from the obvious impact on both actresses’ careers, Holmes' decision to pass on Buffy the Vampire Slayer likely had a large impact on the show as well. It’s hard not to wonder if Holmes’ Buffy wouldn’t be somewhat softer than Gellar’s, like her wholesome Joey Potter. The characters couldn’t be more polar opposite from each other. Holmes brought a girl-next-door approachability to her Dawson’s Creek character that wouldn’t translate as well to the tough-as-nails fierceness Gellar brought to Buffy.
In the end, neither Dawson’s Creek nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have been the same without Holmes as Joey and Gellar as Buffy. The shows made The WB network a success and launched the careers of its stars, shaping the roles they would go on to play. And considering both nineties series have become cult classics in their own right, it's hard to imagine things turning out differently than they did.