Joss Whedon: The Biography (78 page)

“
She was all cranky …
” Whedon, quoted in Havens,
Joss Whedon
, 19.

portraying Buffy’s grief “was probably the most awful …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”

“
It’s my own fault …
” Whedon, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”

“
Buffy had cut a swath …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

“
I’m not sure if he’s asking …
” Ibid.

“
One wanted to star Giles …
” Ibid.

“
funny, clever, had twists …
” Whedon, interview in
Joss Whedon: The Master at Play
, DVD
.

“
Unlike the series …
” Whedon, quoted in Robinson, “Joss Whedon—Web Exclusive” (interview).

“
That’s a tall order …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

his new series and his previous one “were very similar …
” Wight, interview by the author.

a demonic driver’s ed instructor …
Loeb, quoted in Cairns, “An Animated Guy.”

“
It’s a very silly show” …
Whedon, quoted in Robinson, “Joss Whedon—Web Exclusive” (interview).

“
the scripts were like fine pastries …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

“
We were met …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.

“
It was like getting ready …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

“
because of the sale …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.

“
Essentially what that means …
” Ibid.

“
I’ve always said …
” Loeb, interview by the author.

“
The first time we move …
” Grushow, quoted in Hontz, “Bloody ‘Buffy’ Spectre.”

16. Once More, with Feeling

“
We will take all the revenue …
” Kellner, quoted in Schneider and Adalian, “‘Buffy’ a Toughie for WB.”

“
They don’t have wheelbarrows …
” Grushow, quoted in ibid.

“
The WB has been so supportive …
” Gellar, quoted in Grossberg, “Gellar: I’m Gone if Buffy Leaves WB.”

“
Nobody wanted the show” …
Kellner, quoted in in Rice, “Slayer It Ain’t So.”

“
26 to 29 years old in year 2 …
” Whedon, quoted in ibid.

“
Other networks reach more people …
” Ibid.

“
The studio did everything it could …
” Armstrong, “Vampire Smackdown.”

“
The whole thing made me so angry …
” Whedon, quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”

their “contractual right to exclusively promote …
” Schneider and Adalian, “WB Bans ‘Buffy’ Adieu.”

“
The STORY is in charge …
” Whedon,
Buffy.com
post, May 23, 2001.

“
The community …
” Cole, interview by the author.

it didn’t seem as if the WB “realized …
” Quoted in Jensen, “To Hell & Back.”

“
They were actually really excited” …
Whedon, quoted in Owen, “Is Buffy Dead?”

“
The college years can be …
” Noxon, interview by the author.

“
reading new writers …
” Ibid.

“
Sarah Michelle piped up …
” Head, interview by the author.

“
He’s a huge musical theater aficionado …
” Batali, interview by the author.

“
That’s really almost kind of like music …
” Saralegui, interview by the author.

“
No, it doesn’t feel right” …
Whedon, quoted in Head, interview by the author.

“
I was doing this jump backwards …
” Strong, interview by the author.

“
I was basically his slave” …
Cole, interview by the author.

“
We listened to that over and over …
” Ibid.

“
I started to listen …
” Head, interview by the author.

“
It’s obvious now that they were good …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”

“
At that point the cast knuckled down …
” Ibid.

“
I basically started to cry …
” Gellar, quoted in Schilling “Vamping It Up.”

“
It took something like 19 hours …
” Ibid.

“
an incredible experience” …
Gellar, quoted in McCabe, “Buffy Hits a High Note.”

“
I was rather sad …
” Head, interview by the author.

“
He has exquisite taste …
” Minear, interview by the author.

“
It wasn’t Hello Kitty” …
Whedon, interview by the author.

“
At that point we were overjoyed …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”

“
Being able to navigate the swing …
” Noxon, interview by the author.

“
the songs were only half-memorable …
” Zacharek, “The Hills Are Alive.”

“
There are websites devoted to …
” Noxon, interview by the author.

“
It wasn’t who Buffy was …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “The Goodbye Girl.”

“
I really thought that was out of character …
” Ibid.

“
That’s where having feedback …
” Noxon, interview by the author.

“
The truth is the writers on Buffy …
” Marsters, quoted in Norton, “411mania Interviews: James Marsters.”

“
Spike’s a villain” …
Noxon, interview by the author.

“
I realized, just the other day …
” Whedon, quoted in Utichi, “A Buffy-Style Kicking.”

“
If you heard her talking …
” Gutierrez, interview by the author.

“
Let’s end it in the asylum …
” Whedon, quoted in Gutierrez, interview by the author.

“
Joss never undermined …
” Gutierrez, interview by the author.

17. We Aim to Misbehave: Firefly

“
a gritty realism …
” Whedon, quoted in Russell, “The CulturePulp Q&A: Joss Whedon.”

“
particularly the ’70s westerns …
” Whedon, interview by the author.

“
I wanted to play with that classic notion …
” Whedon, quoted in Nussbaum, “Must-See Metaphysics.”

“
Never watched any British sci-fi” …
Whedon, interview by the author.

“
how politics affect people …
” Whedon, quoted in Russell, “The CulturePulp Q&A: Joss Whedon.”

“
Buck, the serio-comic driver …
” Erisman, “Stagecoach in Space.”

“
about Joe Schmo …
” Whedon, quoted in Miller, “The Man Behind the Slayer.”

“
It was nice to have a show that was about …
” Ibid.

Captain Reynolds “ is a man who …
” Whedon, quoted in Nussbaum, “Must-See Metaphysics.”

A “guy who looks into the void …
” Ibid.

“
Of course the captain was …
” Whedon, quoted in Miller, “The Man Behind the Slayer.”

“
Wash is an absolute contrast …
” Whedon,
Serenity: The Official Visual Companion
, 11.

“
The last thing that Fox said was …
” Ibid, 11.

“
I walked into an office” …
Fillion, interview by the author.

“
This’ll be great” …
Whedon, quoted in Fillion, interview by the author.

“
Which I am” …
Fillion, interview by the author.

“
He would describe something in the universe …
” Ibid.

“
I’ve had a lot of meetings …
” Ibid.

“
After that, it was up to me …
” Torres, quoted in Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 48.

“
You wouldn’t want to cross him …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.

“
I was petrified” …
Staite, interview by the author.

Neil Patrick Harris was in contention …
Harris, interview by the author.

“
This whole moment in the pilot …
” Maher, quoted in Vary, “Life Inside the Whedonverse.”

“
He immediately started joking …
” Baccarin, interview by the author.

“
I put on my coat …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
I had trouble in the early going …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.

“
It does make perfect sense” …
Kozac, “Serenity NOW!”

“
You can say something that’s paragraphs long …
” Ibid.

“
When Joss directs …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
If you don’t have a second-in-command …
” Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 16.

he “could not find anybody even remotely of the caliber …
” Ibid.

“
I want to give you a spaceship” …
Whedon, quoted in Minear, interview by the author.

“
Oh, for God’s sake …
” Minear, interview by the author.

David Greenwalt “did not take it lightly …
” Whedon,
Firefly: A Celebration
, 16.

“
When Angel came around …
” Whedon, interview by the author.

“
when three shows came on …
” Ibid.

“
He’s done his thing” …
Buchanan, quoted in Adalian, “Whedon Widens Mutant’s Reach.”

“
OK, you did your time” …
Cole, quoted in Whedon, interview by the author.

“
I didn’t feel a daily pressure …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
Because I’ve had experience …
” Whedon, quoted in Baldwin, interview by the author.

18. Curse Your Sudden but Inevitable Cancellation

“
My marching orders …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.

“
hugely depressing” …
Whedon, quoted in Vineyard, “‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Sing-Alongs Killed.”

“
That’s what we do in our homes …
” Whedon, interview in
Joss Whedon: The Master at Play
, DVD
.

“
This is something that was problematic” …
Whedon, interview by the author.

“
It was very dark” …
Minear, comments in
Firefly 10th Anniversary: Browncoats Unite
.

“
the most twisted new show …” Firefly
promos, Fox network.

“
We knew we were in real trouble …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.

“
we got the best people …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
I never worked with an ensemble …
” Whedon, interview in
The Write Environment
, DVD.

“
I’ve always pulled …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
seeing this beautiful woman …
” Minear, comments in
Firefly 10th Anniversary: Browncoats Unite
.

“
I went to Fox very early …
” Buchanan, interview by the author.

“
Without Whedonesque …
” Cole, interview by the author.

“
I’m only posty for a moment …
” Whedon,
Buffistas.org
post, December 12, 2002.

“
We were on the bridge …
” Minear, interview by the author.

“
I’ve never seen him so mad” …
Baldwin, interview by the author.

“
It was right before …
” Staite, interview by the author.

“
We’ve just been canceled …
” Minear, interview by the author.

“
We would screw things up …
” Baccarin, interview by the author.

“
I understood how that scene …
” Ibid.

“
It’s Friday. The show is finished …
” Minear, interview by the author.

“
God bless them …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
I promised these [actors] …
” Whedon, interview in
The Write Environment
, DVD.

“
I went crazy …
” Whedon, interview in
Making It with Riki Lindhome
podcast.

“
Joss was so dedicated …
” Baldwin, interview by the author.

“
I love him” …
Baccarin, interview by the author.

19. End of (Buffy’s) Days

“
Every set has its own sort of tenor …
” Whedon, quoted in News of the Week, Sci Fi Wire, November 25, 2002.

“
We both kind of felt …
” Gellar, quoted in Jensen, “The Goodbye Girl.”

“
A lot of people were ready …
” Ibid.

“
A lot of people owe Sarah …
” Prinze, quoted in O’Hare, “End of ‘Buffy’ Only Makes Gellar Stronger.”

“
Not everybody was best of friends …
” Whedon, quoted in Ken P., “An Interview with Joss Whedon.”

“
There was a whole thing about it …
” Whedon, quoted in Faraci, “Exclusive Interview.”

“
Villains don’t think …
” Fillion, interview by the author.

“
Honestly, gentle viewers” …
Andrew in “Storyteller,”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
.

“
Buffy also became a little bit …
” Whedon, quoted in “10 Questions,”
New York Times
.

“
It would have been Faith …
” Minear, quoted in “Kung Fu Faith,” BBC.

“
Honestly, if I had a strong answer …
” Whedon, quoted in “10 Questions,”
New York Times
.

“
I realized that there was a scene …
” Whedon, interview by the author.

“
We had taken that story …
” Whedon, quoted in Ausiello, “Angel Mystery.”

“
My relationship with Joss …
” Carpenter, panel comments, Dragon Con.

“
The character lost its thrill …
” Kartheiser, quoted in “The Man in the Light Gray Flannel Suit,”
Giant
.

“
spent most of this year trapped …
” Gunn in “Players,”
Angel
.

20. An Astonishing Return to His Roots