Angel

Angel takes wing

Star David Boreanaz more than ready to turn in his vampire fangs

By BILL BRIOUX

Toronto Sun

David Boreanaz is open to Angel reunions, but at the same time "happy to move on and continue to grow as a person."

His five-year-old vampire series Angel bows out for good tonight at 9 p.m. on The New VR/The WB (CHUM specialty station Space repeats the finale May 24 as part of a day-long Angel marathon).

Tonight’s finale, Not Fade Away — co-penned by series’ creator Joss Whedon — pits Boreanaz’s vampire with a soul and his pals against the evil Circle of the Black Thorn.

It’s an explosive end to a satisfying season, says Boreanaz. The addition of Buffy player Spike (James Marsters) this season was "great, although I wish they had done more with the characters (before the last few episodes)," he says.

The WB announced in February that Angel was finished, giving the cast and crew time to craft a proper send off. Some fans were disappointed that there will be no reunion with Angel’s former Slayer sweetie Buffy, but scheduling conflicts kept Sarah Michelle Gellar on a film set in Japan.

Besides, says Boreanaz, while Spike and Angel both miss Buffy, "the way they were going to end the show for this year, (a Buffy reunion at the end) wouldn’t have worked."

There were talks of another network, possibly UPN, picking up Angel for more episodes but Boreanaz says don’t hold your breath (UPN announces their fall schedule Thursday in New York). There is also a possibility that The WB will make an Angel movie or two.

"To me, it’s over," says Boreanaz, who is mulling movie offers as well as a run in London’s West End this fall in When Harry Met Sally.

He’ll miss the series’ writing, "the strongest I’ve ever come across for an hour drama," he says. He says playing Angel has made him a better actor. "They changed him up, they made him vulnerable, they made him an action hero, they made him a romantic lead, they brought him back in time — I’ve pretty much covered the gamut."

Boreanaz, who turned 35 Sunday, was born in nearby Buffalo, N.Y. and grew up in Philadelphia. A huge hockey fan, he grew up cheering for the Canadiens but switched to the Flyers and has even gotten to know a few of the players.

The night I spoke with him on the phone was halfway through Game Six of the Leafs/Flyers series. Flyers were up 2-0 at the time (they won the series in overtime that night, as no Leaf fan can forget), and I tried to get Boreanaz to look ahead to the Tampa Bay series.

"Don’t start pulling this Canadian stuff on me," he said, having none of it. "If you had a Molson Export for me, maybe ..."