Melissa Joan Hart, TV’s Sabrina, lists Sherman Oaks home

There are certain roles in Hollywood that, once cast, simply stick like glue.

Sean Connery will always be James Bond. Anthony Hopkins will always be Hannibal Lecter. And Melissa Joan Hart will always be Sabrina the Teenage Witch, no matter how many decades pass.

Hart, 32, has listed her Sherman Oaks residence for sale at $3.25 million. The south-of-Ventura-Boulevard home is a one-story custom Spanish style with recessed lighting, extensive crown molding and woodworking throughout. It has five bedrooms and five bathrooms in 4,911 square feet.

The master suite has built-in shelving, a fireplace and a dual-sink vanity. The suite opens to a deck with a view of the yard.

In what must be some sort of record, Hart has played the same character -- Sabrina -- in episodes of five TV series: “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” (in 163 episodes from 1996 to 2003), “Clueless” (1997), “Boy Meets World” (1997), “You Wish” (1997) and “Teen Angel” (1997). She also appeared in “Sabrina, Down Under” (1999), “Sabrina Goes to Rome” (1998) and was the voice of Aunt Hilda in 65 episodes of “Sabrina: The Animated Series” (1999-2000).

And just to round things out, she sang on “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Album” in 1998.

Kirk Hoffman of ReMax OTB Estates and Matt Epstein of ReMax On the Boulevard co-listed the property.

Horror-meisters part with their haunts

In the spirit of Halloween next week, why stop at teenage witches when there are other masters of macabre buying and selling?

* Horror film producer Oren Koules -- the man who brought the world the “Saw” movie franchise and caused many a frightfully sleepless night -- has listed his Beverly Hills home at $12.5 million.

The 8,000-square-foot house, described in the Multiple Listing Service as a “Lautner-esque Modern estate,” has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and three fireplaces. It features a state-of-the-art Crestron control system for the 14-seat, tiered screening room and the home’s other automated features.

The one-story house, in Trousdale Estates, has an infinity pool and spa and views to the ocean. The master suite has a Poliform (think IKEA but high-end) closet, and the kitchen, also a Poliform, opens to the family room. There is an outdoor cooking and dining area.

The “Saw” horror films have been global blockbusters, despite their low budgets. Koules, 47, also is the ex-executive producer of TV’s “Two and a Half Men” (2003-08). He owns the Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey team, a frightening proposition at times.

Billy Rose and H. Blair Chang, both of Prudential California Realty, Beverly Hills, have the listing, according to the MLS.

* Joss Whedon, creator of “ Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has listed his 4,064-square-foot English Country home in Brentwood for $3,695,000. Although no black cats are included, there is a media room, a music room, two offices and a wall of accordion doors that open the kitchen-family room to the outdoors. The house has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and perhaps a ghost in the attic who serves as Whedon’s muse.

In addition to Buffy and its spinoff “Angel” (about a private-eye vampire), Whedon created “Firefly” in 2002, which aired on Fox. Whedon also has a line of comic books based on Buffyville.

The 44-year-old Academy Award nominee started his Hollywood career as a writer for “Roseanne,” a show that in its day set the benchmark for Halloween episodes.

Dolly Niemann of Prudential California Realty, Brentwood, has the listing.

* Another “Buffy” veteran, staff writer David Greenwalt, recently sold his house in the Pacific Palisades for $2,958,000, according to the MLS.

The five-bedroom, six-bathroom house has 5,259 square feet with an outdoor fireplace, deck and pool set against a backdrop of mountain and canyon views.

Greenwalt, 59, was the head writer on “Angel” and co-creator of the short-lived cult Fox show “Profit.” He was also the executive producer of the vampire-themed detective show “ Moonlight” and the NBC show “Kidnapped.”

Jeannie Lawford of Prudential California Realty had the listing. David Kelmenson and Robert Radcliffe, both of Sotheby’s International Realty in Pacific Palisades, represented the buyer, who, as best we can determine, has no vampire affiliations.

A revealing look at Benton’s home

Barbi Benton -- Hugh Hefner’s former live-in girlfriend -- and her husband (a real estate developer) have listed their Bel-Air home at $17.5 million.

Benton and hubbo George Gradow live in Aspen, Colo., in a home designed by architect Bart Prince.

They bought the Bel-Air home in June 2003 and have primarily rented it to celebrities, including Prince, Mariah Carey and Michael Caine.

The gated contemporary estate sits on a 2.4-acre promontory. The master suite has dual bathrooms; the dining room seats up to 32; and there is a three-car garage and parking available for more than 20 cars. The property has eight bedrooms and 14 bathrooms in 11,608 square feet of living space. This includes a detached two-bedroom, two-bathroom guesthouse off the pool and a separate two-bedroom, two-bathroom staff residence.

The main house has a library, eat-in kitchen, gym, office, bar, media room, elevator and spa.

Benton, 58, was Hefner’s girlfriend for eight years. For those who collect trivia, there is this: Benton was never a Playboy Bunny or a Playmate of the Month centerfold, although she appeared on the magazine’s cover. She also had brief careers as a Las Vegas headliner and actress, with film credits including “Deathstalker” (1983) and “The Naughty Cheerleader” (1970).

Benton married Gradow in 1979. They have two children together and split their time between homes in Aspen and Oahu, Hawaii.

Scott Cort of Prudential California Realty, Beverly Hills, is the listing agent.

Seller hopes for forward motion

Although many a young man’s fancy may turn to the baseball diamond these days, there’s news from the basketball court as well: Elton Brand, forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, has sold his Hollywood Hills home for $4.55 million.

The asking price of the house was originally just under $5 million and had been dropped to $4,798,500. The three-bedroom, 3 1/2 -bathroom house has 5,471 square feet.

The MLS describes it as “a modern blending of concrete, stone, stucco, glass and wood finishes throughout.”

It has Brazilian walnut floors, suspended staircases, 20-foot ceilings and floating wall sections.

Brand, 29, played for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2001 to 2008. He was the NBA’s Co-Rookie of the Year with Steve Francis in 2000 and is a two-time NBA All-Star (2002 and 2006).

The listing agents were Rande Gray and J. Todd Michaud, both of Keller Williams Realty, Brentwood.

Jonah Wilson of Sotheby’s International Realty, Sunset Boulevard office, represented the buyer.

ann.brenoff@latimes.com