Kristy Swanson has the look that kills. It must have helped her get the part as Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the movie that started the Buffy phenomenon. At the time, Kristy was something new--beautiful, smart and athletic. She's glad to have helped pave the way for the TV show. "When it came out and it was successful, I was thrilled. During that era, there were no shows on the air where girls had a heroine to look up to--a Nancy Drew sort of character, like I grew up with. So I thought it was a great thing."
As for the vampires she stalked and staked as Buffy, she's not entirely convinced they are limited to film and folklore. "Vampires? I believe in a form of that. I don't think there are people who stick their teeth into your neck and suck out blood, but I believe there is good and evil." Kristy became a star in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she had started in showbiz much earlier. She did commercials from the age of nine. "My parents were apprehensive at first--I don't come from a showbiz family. I was having a blast. Then it blossomed with more opportunities--and eventually movies." She says her low-key early experience was crucial. "I wasn't an overnight success. Even though I was a child actor, I was never a child star. There was nothing that made it difficult to make the transition to an adult career. I worked hard and was able to get a ton of experience, but it was easy to move on to other things." Here's a trivia nugget: Kristy made her feature movie debut as Simone Adamlee in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. (She is the one who reports to a teacher that Ferris is out sick: "My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.") Since Buffy, she has starred in dozens of movies and played alongside Joe Pesci, Charlie Sheen, Ice Cube, Michael Madsen, Laurence Fishburne, Joe Pantoliano and Billy Zane. Most recently Kristy teamed up with Adam Sandler in Big Daddy, and with Seann William Scott--we just call him Stifler--in Dude, Where's My Car? Our favorite Kristy Swanson movie is the John Singleton-directed campus drama Higher Learning. The reason is simple--Kristy smooches Jennifer Connelly. "And, yes, of course, Jennifer is a good kisser, but that doesn't make love scenes of any sort any easier," says Kristy. Still, Kristy is not your typical Hollywood glamour girl. "I don't read Elle or Vogue. I love my jeans and T-shirts. I have family that I visit all the time. I have friends I hang out with. We go out to dinner. We hang out at each other's houses. I have a dog and I go hiking. I work and do my thing." One of her things is maintaining her famously taut body. She would rather head for a park than (text concluded on page 134) make for a party. Her personal trainer is serious, too--he's the guy they called to whip Angelina Jolie into fighting shape for her role as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. "It's an intense workout," says Kristy. "Jumping rope, boxing, cardio, weights. I'm also into martial arts. Then in the afternoon I do something on my own, like running or indoor rock climbing. I love sports. I've been golfing a ton this year. As far as watching sports, football is my favorite. Being from the Los Angeles area, I'm a Rams fan--even after they left. I also love the Steelers--half of my family is from Pittsburgh, so I'd watch with my uncle and my grandpa." Turns out Kristy has a Sunday ritual during football season. "There are a couple of restaurants that will have all the games. They start early--at nine in the morning here. So I go down to the restaurants and have brunch and watch football all day--it's one of my favorite things to do. I look forward to it every year." Sounds more like Buffy the Girlfriend Slayer.
