Gellar believes work kept her grounded

Sarah Michelle Gellar has claimed that being a child star stopped her from going off the rails.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress found fame at the age of four when she started starring in TV commercials, and later went on to join the cast of All My Children, playing Kendall Hart.

"You don't party when you're on a TV show. You go to bed for 10 hours and you learn your lines," Sarah is quoted by The Sun as saying. "I never smoked and I didn't drink alcohol until I was 21."

Gellar, now 30, has voiced her disapproval of Hollywood stars Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie, who have all made headlines for the wrong reasons this year.

"I don't understand the need to give in to excess and lead your life in public. It doesn't make sense to me," Sarah said. "I look at all these kids getting fame and attention now and they're just not equipped to deal with success at such a young age."