American actor Marc Blucas has taken his acting career a long way since Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended.
On the supernatural drama television series Buffy, which aired from 1997 to 2003, Blucas played Riley Finn, a graduate student and member of The Initiative who ends up briefly dating Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Riley appeared in the show throughout the fourth season from 1999-2000, leaving early in season five (in 2002) after realizing Buffy didn’t love him; he then joined a demon-hunting operation. In season 6, Riley returned in episode 15, married to a member of his squad and hunting demons. In total, Blucas had a 31-episode arc on the show. Fans often say that Riley was Buffy's best boyfriend on the show.
Blucas worked on a few movies and shows before appearing in Buffy in 2000, including Eddie, Pleasantville, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, and House on Haunted Hill. But the vampire show is what really boosted his career; following his time as Riley, he was in early-aughts movies including Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Summer Catch, We Were Soldiers, Sunshine State, They, I Capture the Castle, Prey for Rock & Roll, View from the Top, One Flight Stand, The Alamo, and First Daughter.
What Marc Blucas Has Done Since Buffy The Vampire Slayer Ended
In 2006-2008, Blucas had roles in Thr3e, After Sex, The Killing Floor, The Jane Austen Book Club, Meet Dave, and Animals. And in 2009 alone, Blucas had parts in Deadline, Stay Cool, Stuntmen, and Mother and Child. From 2010-2017, Blucas saw further film success. He appeared in movies including Knight & Day, Red State, Touchback, Sleeping with Other People, The Red Maple Leaf, Operation Christmas, and Brawl in Cell Block 99.
Before he began playing Riley in Buffy, Blucas had experience acting on several other television series, among them Arliss, Clueless, and Undressed. He also had roles in the television films Inflammable and The ‘60s. When his arc on Buffy ended in 2002, he saw even more success on TV. Blucas appeared in the shows Judy’s Got a Gun, House, Eleventh Hour, Lie to Me, and Castle from 2007-2009, and acted on True Blue, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Revenge, and Body of Proof from 2010-2011.
From 2011-2013, Blucas had a main role in a 29-episode arc of Necessary Roughness. Following that, he acted on shows Blue Bloods, Killer Women, Stalker, Limitless, and Underground, and appeared in TV movies Operation Christmas, The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, Miss Christmas, Season for Love, and last year’s Christmas flick Holiday for Heroes. Overall, Blucas's successful acting career is certainly largely thanks to his time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In 2017, Blucas enthused about his time on the hit show during an interview with Live About: "It was so great to be part of a big hit show with such a loyal fan base that has a huge, cult, loyal following. I don't think that will ever go away."