The Music Legend Who Made Buffy The Vampire Slayer Possible

Dolly Parton’s Buffy involvement goes way back to the beginning before Sarah Michelle Gellar played the perky teen slayer. Dolly Parton’s Sandollar Productions produced the 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson as the titular hero and Luke Perry as Oliver Pike. Joss Whedon, the series creator, was initially involved in the film but bowed out because he didn’t agree with the changes that were made to his screenplay.

Gail Berman, who was a producer at Sandollar, saw Whedon’s original work. She enjoyed it and believed it could be turned into a TV series. This got the wheels turning and led to what would eventually become The WB’s biggest hit, all thanks to Dolly Parton’s keen ability to recognize talent.

Berman went on to serve as an executive producer for both Buffy and its spinoff series, Angel.

But Dolly Parton’s involvement with Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t end with Berman. The “Jolene” singer never outwardly took credit for her role in creating the iconic character, in fact, her name never appeared in the show’s credits. But Parton made sure to stay involved from afar. 

According to an interview with Business Insider, Dolly Parton said that she always sent the Buffy cast presents so they knew how much she appreciated them. Sarah Michelle Gellar even discussed the gifts with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. On receiving them, the actress said, “I would think, “She doesn’t know who I am,” but was surprised to learn that Parton was quite fond of her performance. “Oh, I can die now,” Gellar added.

It’s fitting that Dolly Parton would be the woman behind one of the world’s most inspirational female characters in TV history. The 78-year-old songwriter has long used her platform to advocate for women’s rights. And she even made sure Buffy producer Gail Berman got her dues for her part in the series.

In a report from The New York Times, Berman revealed that she was paid less in royalties than the men involved with the show. Dolly Parton took Berman out to lunch and gave her a check for the difference, exclaiming how unfair it was for Berman to be treated less for her role in Buffy simply because she was a woman.

For those looking at Dolly Parton now for hope that the music legend can pull some strings and get the long-desired Buffy reboot off the ground, don’t worry: the Queen of Country is working on it. Rumors of Sandollar producing a Buffy reboot have swirled for years, and Parton gave us an update at the beginning of 2024.

Speaking with Business Insider, Dolly Parton renewed fan hope by confirming that they are still working out plans for the Buffy reboot. Nearly a year later, there have been no new updates, but if anyone can make it happen, it’s going to be Dolly.