Melanie Lynskey nearly played a VITAL role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Melanie Lynskey has revealed that she auditioned for the role of Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In the middle of the 1990s, Joss Whedon started planning for a television adaptation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a movie which was produced in 1992. Not happy with the final product, Whedon thought his idea would be better served as a television series.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

For the pilot, Sarah Michelle Gellar was cast as Buffy, Anthony Stewart Head played Giles, Nicholas Brendon featured as Xander, while Riff Reagan was initially cast as Willow.

When Whedon decided to recast Willow, Lynskey auditioned for the role after previously refusing as she was advised not to work in television.

READ MORE: Sarah Michelle Gellar addresses alleged Joss Whedon abuse on Buffy set

"It was very early in my career," she said on Shut Up Evan: The Newsletter.

"I had a very old-school agent who was like, 'TV? That's for has-beens!' and I was like, 'I don't think it is anymore.' Certainly now things have really changed, but I just wasn't super into it at the time," she explained. "I had a dinner with Joss and I don't remember if it was an offer or if it was like, 'Would you come read for it?' or what it was, but we stayed in touch after that."

Alyson Hannigan played Willow

Lynskey ultimately went in to audition for the role of Willow, which eventually went to Alyson Hannigan.

"I had stayed in touch with (Joss), and he said, 'Now do you think you would want to do it?' And I had seen the pilot and I was like, 'Oh, this is good,' and I kind of took my agent into it," she continued.

"And then, it became this whole thing of, 'Well, now you have to audition.' So I auditioned. Then: 'Oh, they didn't like what you were wearing.' It was a whole process. And then I didn't get it!"

Lynskey did admit that Hannigan was ultimately "absolutely wonderful" as Willow.

She currently appears in the critically acclaimed series, Yellowjackets.