Page "Joyce Summers" Paragraph 3

Buffy's parents are barely seen in the film, but her mother Joyce ( Kristine Sutherland ), plays a prominent role in the series.

Sutherland, a fantasy fiction fan who dislikes the horror genre, had recently moved to Hollywood from New York City in 1996 and was not actively looking for acting jobs when her agent called her with the opportunity to play Joyce.

Sutherland auditioned the same day as David Boreanaz, Buffy's romantic interest Angel, and was impressed with how naturally she felt at ease with the material in the readings with the writers and casting agents.

Sutherland stated in an interview that she felt she identified strongly with adolescents.

Her empathy for them made her protective not only of the actors, but their characters as well.

However, a storyline that has Joyce possessed as the mother from hell was one of Sutherland's favorite possible scripts, but it was cut.