Buffy Alums Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan on Teens & Heath

From teen actors to mothers of teens, Buffy the Vampire Slayer alums Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan have seen it all. While they’re not slaying vampires or casting spells anymore, they’re using their platform to talk about something that may not be on parents’ radar: meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis.

After over 20 years, Hannigan and Gellar are collaborating once again, this time for a new Lifetime Original Movie brought to you by GSK’s Ask2BSure campaign called Pretty Hurts, which is all about encouraging parents of teens and young adults to start a conversation about meningitis and vaccination.

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, with different strains such as A, B, C, W, and Y. The most common symptoms include severe headaches, a stiff neck, light sensitivity, sleepiness, and more; and it can be life-threatening.

In fact, the numbers show that one in ten who get it will die. “It’s a crazy number,” Gellar said. “You don’t really see numbers like that. And the one in ten who contracted but live could have really severe disabilities, from brain damage to losing limbs.”

And Hannigan said herself how “enlightening” it was to learn about all the strains, saying, “When I talked to my teen’s pediatrician, it was so informative. I didn’t know that there were and that B was a separate vaccination. So just to have that conversation, have her explain it to me, it was so enlightening.”

As they pair up for this important cause, Gellar and Hannigan are also taking the time to show gratitude for their longtime friendship. During our chat, it was like watching the best of pals reminisce about everything. In fact, Gellar even said, “I went off to do I Know What You Did Last Summer, and I had never used a washing machine. [Hannigan] taught me how to use the machine on the phone.”

It’s stories like that that make you realize their friendship is full of laughs, sweet stories, and poignant moments that make you realize your childhood favorites are all grown up — and working to make life easier for fellow parents. Speaking of, both are proud moms of two with their longtime loves. Gellar and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr, have two children together: Charlotte, born in 2009, and Rocky, born in 2012. And as for Hannigan, she and her former Buffy co-star Alexis Denisof welcomed two daughters named Satyana Marie, born in 2009, and Keeva Jane, born in 2012.

Ahead of the iconic mother duo discusses everything from talking to your child’s doctor, what Buffy characters their kids adore, and how they foster their children’s independence.

SK: How do you navigate the ever-evolving changes that come with being a parent of a teenager?

Sarah Michelle Gellar: We joked that after 2020, I never wanted to hear the word pivot again. But the truth is, it’s really accurate when it comes to how we have to parent these days. It’s the wild, wild west. You know, there’s no road map. The kids that came before weren’t living in this digital age. Something worked, something didn’t work, and really to stay flexible.

Alyson Hannigan: My daughter’s 16 now, but when she was 15, 15 was my worst year, so I was like preparing myself. I just kept telling myself, these are the years that she’ll apologize to me for later. And you know what? She’s already done it. She went away and visited her cousins and wrote this wonderful email because her cousin was going through it. And she was like, ‘I am so sorry for all those eye rolls!’

SMG: Funny you say that, I’m not big on advice, but someone gave me this advice when my kids were babies. And it was the best advice I ever got, which was to add ‘for now’ to the end of every sentence. What I realized as a parent is you always have to add ‘for now’ because ‘My kids are rolling their eyes for now,’ ‘My daughter doesn’t wanna spend time with me for now,’ and ‘My son is challenging my authority for now,’ because it all that stuff will change.

SK: This campaign is all about the importance of the meningitis vaccination. What do you want parents of teens and young adults to know?

AH: This is an important subject for both of us, and we’re so happy to be partnered with GSK to raise awareness of meningococcal disease, which is meningitis. It’s an uncommon but serious disease that often has serious complications, including death, sometimes as fast as within 24 hours. So we’re here to bring awareness to Ask2Bsure.com so that parents are empowered to ask their teens’ doctor about the meningitis vaccine. Your teenagers, particularly from 16 to 23, are the most susceptible to meningitis.

SMG: You need to ask the questions. It’s very hard as a parent. There’s so much information that comes at you that you don’t even know what the questions you’re supposed to be asking are. And I think that’s the important message that we’re trying to relay: if you wanna be sure, ask. That’s the ask to be sure. Knowledge is power, and that’s how we can protect our most vulnerable youth. At this age, because you’re making such big decisions, your children are starting to transition to becoming adults, taking over some of their authority when it comes to medical, and you’re worried about other things that this may not be the first thing that even your doctor brings up right away. We’re not trying to scare people, we’re trying to say get the information, and make those decisions based on proper doctor information.

SK: Is there a specific question that you think is a good basis for parents to ask, if they’re unsure what to do in the first place?

SMG: Tell me your thoughts on the meningitis vaccination. Is my child protected? How can I learn all about it? Learn about what the complications are. Learn about how your child could be affected by it, and then make your decision based on the information that your doctor.

AH: Neither one of us has even played a doctor. So we’re just saying, make sure you ask your doctor, because it was so informative when I had this conversation with my doctor.

SMG: When you talk to your doctor, it’s just the simplest form of ‘Here’s the information, here’s how to best protect your child, and make that decision.’

SK: I have to ask a little bit about Buffy. Have your kids seen Buffy? And if they have, are you their favorite character?

AH: Oh, good question. Mine have not.

SMG: Yeah, my daughter’s favorite character is Angel. Oh, and my son likes Spike. Go figure. I got one of each.

SK: I really love how you both have been pals for so long. Do you have any lessons from your long friendship that you use to teach your children about the importance of relationships of all kinds?

AH: I think it’s just so nice when you have friendships where it can be a year or whatever, and then we run into each other at Michael’s. And then suddenly, two hours later, we’re still in the glitter aisle like no time has passed.

SMG: When you have shared experiences, that doesn’t go away. And as you mature, you I think you learn to appreciate that in a different way.

SK: How do you foster independence with your teenagers?

AH: Well, I really love that we live in a neighborhood where they can walk places, so I’ll send them to the grocery store to get milk or butter or whatever. Just for them to navigate that world, I think, is empowering for them.

SMG: She’s rationalizing the fact that she’s not paying her children to be her assistant. [Laughs] I’m not so sure about this!

AH: They make up for it by buying candy!

SK: Well, along with that, how do you strengthen your bond with your kids, especially in the age of social media?

AH: My kids aren’t on social media, so that’s lovely. [But] there was a short period of time when she had TikTok and she lost the privilege. It was really nice for all of us when she lost the privilege, and she realized it. She was like, ‘I can’t believe that I’m going to admit this, but it’s actually much better not having it.’

SMG: It’s walking a fine line because you don’t want them to become completely reliant on it, but at the same time, you also want them to understand. And if you make something taboo, then all they’re gonna do is sneak it. So it’s really just about opening conversations. And it goes right back to ask to be sure.

AH: It’s all about having those conversations. And if your children know they can discuss things with you, and if you can, you know, have that relationship where it’s not about judging, it’s about talking, it’s about giving answers.

SK: How has being a mom changed the way you define success both personally and professionally?

SMG: I think in our twenties, success was fully driven by our job, and that measure is completely different once you have children. But that all takes a back seat to your family and what they’re doing and how they’re feeling. Work is great and it’s fun, but it’s not all that it used to be.

AH: It’s just the million little moments that mean so much. Our family just loves being together, and even with the eye roll sprint. I think that’s how we know that we’re doing okay. We all make mistakes, but I just wanna make sure they wanna come back and visit when they’re in college.

Before you go, check out where your favorite celeb parents are sending their kids to college.