She attended high school at the Professional Childrens School in New York, graduating a whole two years early, then in 1996 she moved to L.A. to help further her career.

While in L.A. she auditioned for the role of Cordelia Chase in Buffy, but was asked by producers to play the role of Buffy Anne Summers, a rather reluctant hero who fights the forces of evil, while trying to lead a normal teenage life. Joss Whedon has been quoted as saying "if we hadn't found Sarah, the show may never have happened". It was at this point when Sarah's career took off.

Aswell as becoming the first celebrity face for Maybelline since the 70's (when the honor was held by Linda Carter), she has appeared in a number of movies, including "I know what you did last summer" playing the rather sexy Helen Shivers, that movie ranked no.1 on it's release
date, and she received a Blockbuster Movie award for Best Supporting Actress, she was also in "Scream 2", only this time as the rather unfortunate frat house girl, Cici Cooper. That year Sarah was named Scream Queen.

She then went on to play the sexy and rather despicable Katheryn Merteuil in the 1998 film "Cruel Intentions", a remake of "Dangerous Liaisons", a role that was far from her role as Buffy, she also received an award for this, only this time it was for Best Kiss. Sarah's next film was the romantic comedy "Simply Irresistible".

Then she played the role that many believe she was meant for, as Dahne Blake in the 2001 version of the cartoon series "Scooby Doo", alongside her husband Freddie Prinze Jr.

Then in a 2002 magazine article, she shocked not only fans but cast and crew of Buffy by saying that after this season was over, she was quitting Buffy, and made it clear that,at this moment in time, she was not interested in making a Buffy film, her main reason being, that seh couldn't remember a day, over the past seven years, when she wasn't battered or bruised. Joss has said that even if Sarah hadn't decided to quit, he knew that this was the final season.

A FEW SMG FACTS