Yahoo News Buffy star James Marsters reveals controversial scene 'sent him to therapy'
Note: The following article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer star James Marsters has revealed the controversial scene that 'sent him to therapy'.
During an appearance on the Inside of You podcast, the actor, who played vampire Spike in the supernatural series, explained why he sought help after filming a "problematic" scene during season six.
The scene, which occurs during the episode 'Seeing Red', saw Spike attempt to rape the show's titular character Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), after she broke up with him. Buffy manages to fight him off, leaving Spike haunted by his actions.
"Buffy sent me into therapy, actually. Buffy crushed me," Marsters told host Michael Rosenbaum.
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"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."
The actor explained that the assault scene was based on one of the female writers' experiences during college.
"She had gotten broken up with and she went to her ex's place and thought that if they made love one more time, everything would be fixed," he said.
"She kind of forced herself and he had to physically remove her from the premises, and that was one of the most painful memories of that time of her life."
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He continued: "They thought that since Buffy was a superhero that they could flip the sexes, since Buffy could defend herself very, very easily from this. They thought that they could have a man do it to a woman and it could be the same thing."
Marsters went on to reveal that he disagreed with the writers' idea, and was worried about how viewers would perceive the assault from Buffy's perspective.
"I went to them and I said, 'You know guys, we're providing a vicarious experience for the audience'," he explained.
"Everyone who's watching Buffy is Buffy, and they're not superheroes, so I'm doing this to every member of the audience, and they're going to have a very different reaction.
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"We got the scene in the can, and it was hell. I was in a personal hell. I was doing a take and going to the corner of the set and going into the fetal position on the cement."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gellar previously revealed that she has also struggled to watch the episode back, especially with her children.
"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.
Buffy ran for seven seasons between 1997 and 2003, and followed the titular character as she fought vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, all with the help of her friends.
The show's cast also included Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Disney+.
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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