2 Attachment(s)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Role Britney Spears Almost Played
Some of the minor characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been quite memorable despite their short duration; pop star Britney Spears was almost cast in one of these minor roles, but it didn't come to fruition.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a pop culture phenomenon and enjoyed a seven season run from 1997 to 2003. Joss Whedon's beloved characters, including Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular Slayer, were inspired by a 1992 movie which starred Kristy Swanson as Buffy and included other major actors such as Luke Perry and horror icon Rutger Hauer. The television show has received much more acclaim than the movie, and despite it being off the air for nearly twenty years, still has a dedicated fan base and even new fans due to all seven seasons being available on many streaming platforms.
The television show employed a standard "monster of the week" format which was popular on other shows at the time such as The X-Files, and has continued to see standard use and popularity with modern shows like Supernatural. This opened the door for guest stars to make minor appearances in either one episode or even small episode arcs; the commitment wasn't too intense, and for actors and other celebrities who were already fans of the series, it was a way to be part of one of their favorite show. This was how Britney Spears ultimately almost ended up being a part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer history; while the suggested role would have been an interesting one for the pop star, it didn't end up working out.
Britney Spears Was Almost April In "I Was Made To Love You"
While The Bronze - a night club where Buffy and her friends commonly hung out after school - often featured various musical artists throughout the series, Britney's music wasn't going to be featured on the show. Instead, Whedon reportedly wrote the role of April the Robot, who was featured in season 5, episode 15, "I Was Made To Love You" with Britney Spears in mind. In "I Was Made To Love You", Buffy and her friends encountered April, a strange girl with a stilted, direct manner of speaking who seems to be obsessed with finding her boyfriend, Warren Mears. Warren ended up being a major player in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and served as one of the three major villains in season 6, known as The Trio. Warren was also responsible for the tragic death of Willow's girlfriend, Tara, and was murdered at the hands of Dark Willow.
April turned out to be a robot that Warren created to love him, serve him, and make his ex-girlfriend jealous. The role ended up being played by Shonda Farr, though would have been a fine fit for Britney Spears. As the character was meant to be naturally off-kilter, any issues with the pop singer's acting could have easily been overlooked and chalked up to the character. April had an offbeat sense of humor that was coupled with an oddball sort of charm, which would also work for Spears. However, some reports have stated that Spears' interest in the show was related to wanting to be a part of the Scooby Gang, not a sex robot. Spears also had numerous projects ongoing in late 2000 and early 2001, when the episode aired, so it's possible that her turning down the opportunity had to do with scheduling conflicts.
While April was a wacky inclusion for a single episode, the technology behind Warren's robot girlfriend ended up becoming a bigger part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with the Buffybot. "I Was Made To Love You" also holds significance as it leads directly into one of the most tragic and poignant episodes of all time, "The Body".
