10 Actors You Forgot Were On 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a monumental phenomenon in pop culture. Having recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, the show has proven to be a hit with fans across the globe. Beginning in 1997, the seriesfollows the life of 'the Chosen One' as she battles vampires, demons, and high school alongside her quirky pals.

RELATED: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Cast Celebrates the Show's 25th Anniversary with Heartfelt Posts

The show has it all: comedy, romance, horror, and even a musical episode thrown in for good measure. Stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, and Alyson Hannigan rose to fame with their leading parts.While fans won't forget their influential performances any time soon, some may be surprised to hear which other famous faces passed through Sunnydale before they were famous.

Jason Behr

Long before The CW's Roswell reboot, Jason Behr was the original Leader of the Royal Four, Max Evans. He is at the heart of the series, battling his identity and establishing a place for himself and his friends. In 2004, Behr co-starred with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the American remake of The Grudge.

Behr's character, Ford, arrives in Sunnydale in season 2's seventh episode, "Lie to Me." Ford is an old friend of Buffy's, traveling from Los Angeles to see her again. His presence uncovers a tragic backstory; Ford suffers from a terminal illness. In an act of desperation, he betrays Buffy in the hope of becoming a vampire. Ford's plan backfires, however, and the slayer stakes him shortly after he wakes.

Felicia Day

Recurring Whedonverse collaborator Felicia Day is a beloved member of another popular horror franchise: The CW's Supernatural. In 2013, Day created, wrote, and starred in her web series The Guild, completing a sixth and final season in 2017.

At Sunnydale, Day shows up in the seventh season as Vi, one of the many potential slayers. The role is small as Buffy and Faith (Eliza Dushku) team up to teach Vi and the others to fight The First. Eventually, Vi reaches her full potential when Buffy uses the scythe to unleash the power within every slayer.

Shane West

Audienceshave been fawning over Shane West since 2002's A Walk to Remember. His role as Landon Carter shot West to heartthrob status, earning him a Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry with Mandy Moore. He has gone on to pick up prominent roles on television, including ER, Nikita and Salem. West has dipped his toes into the world of DC, too, guest-starring in the Batman origins series Gotham as an iteration of Bane.

RELATED: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer:' The 5 Best Episodes and 5 Worst

In the second season episode, "Go Fish," West makes a brief appearance as a school swim team member. He plays Eric, a jock-type who exchanges a few lines of dialogue with Xander. It's soon revealed the swimming coach is administering fish DNA to an unwitting Eric and his teammates to enhance their performance. The boys turn into humanoid sea-creatures, and Eric is never to be seen again.

Conchata Ferrell

The late Conchata Ferrell passed away in 2020, leaving behind a long history of iconic performances. Ferrell is a two-time Emmy-nominee for her work on Chuck Lorre's sitcom Two and a Half Men. The actress appears in over 200 episodes as Berta, Charlie (Charlie Sheen), and Alan's (Jon Cryer) housekeeper.

Ferrell is another familiar face to show up in "Go Fish." She portrays the school nurse who, alongside the swim coach, is involved with a DNA-altering experiment. Nurse Greenleigh eventually has a change of heart and tries to shut the operation down. Her actions result in an untimely demise when the mutated students devour her.

Eion Bailey

Thanks to his wide range of work across television, Eion Bailey is easily recognizable. Bailey is rarely in a leading role, but he's had plenty of recurring arcs throughout his career. Fans will remember him from Dawson's Creek, Band of Brothers, and the 2020 Stephen King miniseries The Stand. Between 2012 and 2017, Bailey played Pinocchio in Once Upon A Time, where his character frequently interacts with crucial storylines.

One of Bailey's first-ever roles is on Buffy the Vampire Slayer – and in the first season, no less. Kyle's character is possessed by the spirit of a hyena – along with Xander and several of their friends. "The Pack" follows the teens as they descend into animalistic chaos. They violently lash out, mimic dog-like behavior, and even eat their principal.

Clea DuVall

Clea DuVall is practically late-90s pop culture royalty. It's hard to forget 1998 cult-classic The Faculty; the role where many fans were introduced to DuVall's work before she picked up a steady string of movie and TV roles. In recent years, Duvall has shown off her skills behind the camera, having directed holiday rom-com Happiest Season in 2020.

RELATED: The 10 Best 1990s TV Shows That Weren't Afraid To Get Real

In a peculiar first season episode, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," DuVall plays fellow student Marcie Ross. A victim of Cordelia's (Charisma Carpenter) bullying, Marcie becomes invisible. The tables turn when Marcie begins her torment of Cordelia and her friends. Then, in a strange and unexplained conclusion, Marcie is taken away by men-in-black-types to a facility.

Michael Cudlitz

Perhaps best known for playing Abraham Ford on AMC's The Walking Dead, Michael Cudlitz has made a name in several supporting roles. Cudlitz often falls into law enforcement characters, playing a police officer on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and a corrections guard on Prison Break. While returning to The Walking Dead to direct, Cudlitz recently starred in Clarice – a follow-up to The Silence of the Lambs.

"The Zeppo" is a season 3 Xander-centric episode. The jokester grows tired of his mistreatment from the rest of Scoobies, feeling that his efforts are underappreciated. When he isolates himself from the monster-of-the-week drama, Xander runs directly into the middle of a group of troublesome teens trying to raise the dead – aka Cudlitz' Bob.

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller maintains a low profile on the entertainment front these days. He found his big break in 2005 as Michael Schofield on Prison Break, leading a four-year run before reprising the role in 2017. Miller later joined The CW's Arrowverse as anti-hero Leonard Snart/Captain Cold and has starring parts in Resident Evil: Afterlife and The Loft.

Miller was introduced to the Buffyverse in "Go Fish." In his debut role, he plays Gage Petronzi – another of Sunnydale's star swimmers. When he catches on to the plot, he believes the creatures are out to murder him and relies on Buffy for protection. However, Gage is already infected. His transformation is inevitable, and he is last seen in the ocean.

Amy Adams

Six-time Academy Award nominee, Amy Adams, is arguably one of Hollywood's most sought-after stars. Her career spans nearly three decades, with movies like Enchanted and Arrival highlighting an impressive set of skills. She hasn't always been a household name; Adams' early credits range from the direct-to-video Cruel Intentions 2 and a debut in cult-favorite Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Adams appears as Tara's (Amber Benson) magic-hating, vindictive cousin, Beth, in season 5. When Tara's family blindside the group with their arrival, they reveal their heritage comes with a dark secret. Both her father and Beth take turns expressing anger towards magic, threatening to take Tara away. However, thanks to Spike's (James Marsters) military microchip, the Scoobies discover there's nothing demonic about Tara.

Pedro Pascal

Since his breakthrough role on Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal has gathered quite the following for himself. His stint on the fantasy drama left a gruesome impression when The Mountain brutally slew him. In 2020, Pascal jumped into Wonder Woman 1984 as the antagonist, Max Lord. He is now known for his leading status as the eponymous gunslinger on The Mandalorian.

Fans may recall Pascal as Eddie – a first-year student at UC Sunnydale back in 1999. Eddie has an innocent run-in with Buffy. Unfortunately, Eddie is attacked by a vampire as soon as he is alone. He does reunite with Buffy, but the slayer is quick to dust her new acquaintance.

NEXT: Every Season of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' Ranked from Worst to Best