Former Buffy star James Marsters has revealed that filming one of the show’s most “problematic” scenes left him in need of therapy.
James played the titular Vampire Slayer’s love interest, Spike, in the hit 2000s show, and admitted that one sequence took a massive toll on him emotionally.
Speaking on the Inside Of You podcast, the Torchwood star explained: “Buffy sent me into therapy, actually. Buffy crushed me.
“There was a scene where I was paired with Buffy, she breaks up with me, and I go and I kind of force myself on her, and she kicks me through a wall.
“It’s a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show. And it’s the darkest professional day of my life.”
He continued: “Sexual predation scenes, anything that has that to do with it, I don’t audition for those things. If there’s a movie with that kind of material I don’t go to see the movie. If it pops up on television I’ve got to turn the television off before I break it. I have a very visceral reaction to that stuff.”
However, James said he was “contracted to do this” and “couldn’t say no”, even trying to get the reasons for his discomfort across to the show’s creative team.
Last year, James told Radio Times the scene was partly intended to convey to the audience the depths that his character could sink to.
“I don’t know if it means it was the right thing to do. I know it doesn’t seem to age well but what I want people to know is it wasn’t a cavalier decision,” he said.
“It wasn’t just like, ‘Oh well, these things are OK and it might be sexy and spicy if we do this.’ That wasn’t what the writers were thinking at all. It was very well considered and it was coming from a good place.”
He added: “It was the hardest day of my professional career, it sent me into therapy. I collapsed on set, I couldn’t even speak, I was shaking.
“That was a horrible day...when that script came, I was contracted to do anything that they said to anybody that they said to do it. I was legally compelled to do that scene. It wasn’t fun to watch probably, but it wasn’t fun to film either.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar has also claimed that she skipped this episode when rewatching Buffy with her family.
“I have trouble with [season] six. It wasn’t appropriate for them at the time, and I just don’t want to rewatch it,” she said.
Help and support:
- Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence - 0808 802 9999
- Survivors UK offers support for men and boys - 0203 598 3898
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.