Angel

THE DAVID BOREANAZ EUROPEAN EVENT

Someone famous once said, "Cometh the hour, Cometh the man," and for the many Buffy and Angel fans who converged upon the Brighton Convention Centre over the weekend of the 29th to 31st August, the man they had all been waiting to see was none other than the Angelic one himself - the truly gorgeous David Boreanaz. For seven incredible years, David has filled our television screens, our hearts and probably some places best left unmentioned, with his portrayal of Angel, the tortured vampire with a soul fighting for redemption against his deliciously evil alter ego Angelus. Encouraged by the opportunity of getting up close and personal with Mr Tall Dark and Brooding, fans flocked from all over the world in their thousands just to say they had been a part of David’s first appearance in the UK since his Forbidden Planet signing a couple of years previously.

As incredible an attraction as David is, the supporting cast accompanying him were impressive enough in their own right as the inclusion of Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris) and Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers) to the Jealous Events guest list could probably be considered worthy of the admission price alone. Unfortunately, it had been announced a few days before the event that Amber Benson (Tara) and Armin Schimmerman (Principal Snider) were unable to attend and last minute issues surrounding passports also forced the twins Joseph and Jeremy Danube out of the event also. The faces that replaced them however were very welcome ones indeed. Nick’s twin brother, Kelly Donovan (Xander’s double in "The Replacement") and fan favourite Mark Lutz (The Groosalugg) completed the line up as it became obvious that the weekend had the potential to be a great one.

Auditorium and the Days Events David opened the event, even though for the second day running he was almost two hours late. His tardy arrival the day before had been because of the great British weather as heavy rain and thunderstorms had grounded his helicopter from London at Heathrow Airport. However as the sun shone brightly in the Brighton sky, attendees were left wondering what was the reason behind his latest delayed appearance although in truth it is likely that nobody really minded. Crowds gathered at the front of the building as his helicopter finally flew over, giving everyone their first glimpse of The Dark Avenger. David took to the stage for the first of his Q&A sessions, chatting to the crowd about Buffy and ice cream (more of that later) before leaving to start his mammoth three hour autograph and photo session. The supporting cast followed and the rapport between these guests cascaded through to the expectant clique before them as they laughed and joked their way through their turn in the spotlight.

The auto/photo sessions took up a majority of the morning with attendees being called up in ascending ticket number order to join the queue in nervous expectancy at meeting the Whedon-verse stars. David was in a room on his own which then led into a larger outer room containing Nick, Kristine, Kelly and Mark. Whilst some people were panting and fawning and paying for the privilege, others were being entertained in the main hall. Spike and Angel look-a-likes, Steve and Craig, (many may remember them from End of Days and other UK events) recreated on stage what we may well see on screen once Season 5 airs, in a sword at ten paces duke out. And what wouldn’t we have done for an Andy Hallett sound-a-like as the "Once More With Feeling" karaoke resonated around the halls. Citizens FaithLouise and Avie flew the CoA flag by proudly ’Going Through The Motions’ but the most popular song was most definitely "I’m Under Your Spell" which could be heard time and time again. Maybe it was a message that the Angel faithful were trying to convey to Mr Boreanaz and Co at the effect that they were having on them.

Away from the main hall, there was a fully stocked dealer room catered with all kinds of merchandise to tempt your money from your pocket whether it be trading cards or books, life-size cut-outs, rubber stakes or even Buffy the Vampire Slayer thongs ! The second of the guest Q&A sessions took place in the afternoon and ran at the same time as the Rooftop Cocktail reception party. Whilst David sat on stage reminiscing about hair gel and Barry Manilow, Kristine, Kelly and Mark were mingling upstairs, glasses of champagne in hand and Nick was serving langoustines on a silver platter to a very amused few. The roles were then reversed as the auditorium audience were blessed with comedy hour part II with Nick and Mark vying for the lead role of eccentric funny man. The Snoopy dance may just have edged it into Nick’s favour but Mark didn’t go down without a fight. David, in the meantime had ventured into The Sky Lounge to meet and greet the guests at the Cocktail Reception party. His visit unfortunately was all too fleeting and under the excuse that he had a prior engagement to attend to, he left shortly after.

A little over an hours breathing space then came into play leaving conventioneers time to kick back and reflect on the day’s events so far. Some took the opportunity to get some fresh air and food, others collected their photos and some got ready for the evening’s activities although admittedly the fancy dress entries were pretty much in short supply. As sunset approached, Nick Brendon brought out his posse to officially launch the traditional and obligatory end of the day booze up. An impromptu rendition of an all to familiar (despite what Mark Lutz may tell you) round of row, row, row your boat kicked off the night in fine fashion and rounded off a hard day’s work by all the guests. As beer and brandy flowed down the throats of the partying attendees well into the wee small hours of the morning, David, Nick, Mark, Kristine and Kelly should all have been tucked up in their beds ready to do it all again tomorrow.

And Now . . . David Boreanaz (Angel/Angelus) There were times during the day where it seemed to some that David looked a little lost and uncomfortable in dealing with the energetic euphoria that surrounded him. Yet once he set foot on stage and cosied himself up on the sofa for his 45-minute Q&A session, this was the moment where fans truly saw him shine. Members of the audience were invited to the side of the stage to ask their questions. During his conversational confessional, David admitted that his father had taught him to talk to people, and apart from the taboo subjects that we were told we were not allowed to ask about, (namely no questions about his wife or ex-wife). David was an open book who happily talked about all manner of things giving us moments of reflection, anticipation, humour and true emotion. The first question on almost everybody’s lips revolved around the topic of who held the key to Angel’s heart. Which girl Angel should be with is a subject guaranteed to promote passionate debate between ’shippers’ on any BtVS or Angel chat room across the web, so what is David’s take on it ?

When asked, David confesses, "I think the love that Angel has for Cordelia was more of an adult kind of love and that he was attracted to her strength of character and the woman she had become more than anything else. Do I think it will go any further ? No as she’s in a coma right now so it’ll be kind of difficult. Season 5 will be about Angel moving on and how he has to deal with that" So should Angel be with Buffy then ? - "I think that ultimately Angel and Buffy will end up together as Buffy is the love of Angel’s life." He also confirmed that Sarah Michelle Gellar has agreed to reprise her role for a couple of episodes as the back end of the season. The story of David’s rise to fame is well documented but still intrigued attendees enough to ask the question once more - "Originally I didn’t want to be an actor", he explains, "I wanted to play sports but unfortunately I injured my knee playing football. My dad, (Philadelphia weatherman Dave Roberts), was a talk show host at the time and I met a lot of stars like Yul Brynner and that incited my interest. If I wasn’t an actor now then I’d probably be an architect or delivering babies !"

So how did the handsome man with the finely tuned brow and exquisite cheekbones land the role as the enigmatic Angel ? - "I was literally out walking my dog when a guy, who was later to become my manager Tom, approached me. During my first audition for the role of Angel, I spent most of the time talking about Italian restaurants in New York rather than the role itself ! In my second audition, I had to read for Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt and Gail Berman and I clearly remember thinking I had blown it as during the audition as I could literally feel the walls closing in on me and my body tightening. Thankfully though it all managed to work itself out !" David made it very clear however that he doesn’t feel that the success he has just landed in his lap. "The opportunity presented itself to me easy enough that’s true", he admits, "But I had to work very hard to make the most of that opportunity." And we are certainly glad that he did. It is with sadness though that we have to report that Bertha Blue, the beautiful canine sweetie responsible for bringing the vampire with a soul to our screens is no longer with us. "Bertha Blue actually passed away a couple of months back," David tells us sadly, "which upset me quite a bit but my other dog Fritz is just fine"

At the time of writing this article Season 5 is not far from its US premiere showing on the 1st October. When it airs, not only will David surpass Alyson Hannigan as the actor whose character has made the most appearances in the Buffy/Angelverse, but it will also signal the 100th episode of Angel. With so many episodes to choose from, it was inevitable that someone would ask David about his own personal favourites. ""Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" is definitely one of my favourites," he comments, "Along with "I Will Remember You"." He laughs as he recalls that whenever that episode is mentioned, "someone always remembers about the ice cream. I wonder why" He was also asked about how difficult it was to play Angel and Angelus against one another in the season 4 episode "Orpheus". ""Orpheus" is another one of my top 5 ever Angel episodes," David answers, "and the fight scene between Angel and Angelus was perhaps one of the most difficult scenes I have had to shoot. I had to film the scene from two perspectives using a stand-in to play the opposing role and base my reactions on what I had just filmed" David likes to get involved in as much of his own stunt work as possible. In a typical episode he usually likes to do at least 55% to 60% of his own action sequences (or as much as he is allowed to anyway) and leave the rest to his stunt double Mike Massa. However, a recent aggravation of an old knee injury (maybe the injury that caused him to tread the boards in the first place) has led to a reduced involvement, much to his frustration.

When David speaks about his role as Angel, you are left with the impression that he is every bit as jazzed about the direction of his character now as he probably would have been back on his first day of filming. "People ask me do I like playing Angelus ?" he says "and I do like being Angelus but I like Angel too. In nearly every episode, in every season we find new interesting aspects about Angel and that helps to keep the role fresh" With that in mind, if he had the opportunity to write an Angel episode without any budget restriction, what would he do ? (CoA Citizen Avie asked that question.) "I would take modern-day Angel back to Ireland and Italy," he answers, "to trace all of the European tales and Angel would have flashbacks of the time he was there before" Following in the footsteps of The Scourge of Europe seems to intrigue David as it is the history of the leather clad bad boy that David would like to see as the main story-line of any potential Angel film. "If there was a film," he muses, "then I would like to see it look further into the history of Angelus but also give it a chance to resolve the outstanding issues left open with the Buffy and Angel relationship"

And if it were to happen, who would David most like to see as his co-stars in an Angel movie ? "The usual cast I would keep the same but the guest stars I would leave to the casting director," he admits although he has readily admitted that given the opportunity, he would like to work with Gary Oldman, Colin Farrell and Renee Zellweger. As a soul-ridden vampire, Angel has 100+ years to brood about all the bad things he has done and that has led to some pretty impressive angst. Playing out Angel’s remorse has led to some extremely emotional scenes and has been one of David’s key acting strengths. For a lot of fans Angel’s departure from Sunnydale or Doyle’s sacrifice at the hands of The Scourge have been heart rendering to watch - have there been any scenes that David has found emotional to play. "The Sports store at the end of the season 4 finale "Home" with Vincent Kartheiser," he confirms without hesitation, "For Angel to see his son Connor with dynamite strapped to his chest, and to know that he would have to let him go in order to give him a life was disturbing and deeply emotional. I enjoyed working with Vincent and there is a chance that he will make an appearance in season 5. Connor doesn’t remember who is of course and no one else but Angel remembers him either so it could be interesting"

More . . . David Boreanaz

By the time David was visiting UK shores, he had just finished filming episode 3 of the new season. Unless you have been sunbathing on Mars or been sitting with your head in a bucket of Sahara sand for the past 6 months, then you will no doubt be aware that there is going to be an old face in a new town as Spike joins the AI crew. The dynamic between the two former fang gang runners is something that David is looking forward to. "Spike is going to be a chip on Angel’s shoulder that he just wants to flick off !" David remarks making that very same flicking action with his fingers as he do so, "They’re going to be like a Butch and Sundance kind of partnership where Spike will keep calling Angel ’brooding forehead’ and Angel will respond with some ’Captain Peroxide’ kind of comment. It’s really good the way Joss has brought him back and James Marsters is really good to work with." David also confirmed that he would he carrying on from where on he left off last season by directing episode 10 of season five. After directing the balcony scene in "Peace Out" it was rumoured that he would be taking up the directing reigns for episode 7 but that has had to change as David allegedly will be appearing in every scene of that episode.

David was then taken into the world of alternative reality as he was asked if he could play any other BtVS or Angel character, which would it be ? Giles," he responds, "as he is such an interesting character who has never really been explored as deeply as he could have." David then goes on to express his admiration for the man who plays him. Like James Marsters before him, he has a great deal of respect for Anthony Stewart Head and cites him as the man who has taught him so much. The world that Angel lives in is full of ghoulies, big nasties and things that go bump in the night, but what originated as a relatively fun question for David resulted in perhaps one of the most sincere and touching answers of the day. A gentleman asked out of all the demons that Angel has faced, which one would he like to have played. David thinks about this for a while and at first it didn’t look like he was going to come up with an answer. He then seems to withdraw a little as if lost in thought before replying, "Whenever I think of demons, I always think of one man. I think of....", he pauses as if deliberating whether to complete his sentence or as if the memory is too painful, however he does continue, "No I don’t mind sharing this....(he raises his head to the sky and goes thoughtful again). I think of Glenn Quinn and I don’t think anymore needs to be said about that."

It was clear by that simple display of affection and remembrance for his fallen friend that the people that are closest to him are the people that matter most. Although we were not allowed to ask him directly about his wife Jaime and son Jaden, David did speak about them himself. He said that the birth of his son was the biggest adrenaline rush that he had ever felt and that in the spare time he does manage to find, he loves playing the role of dad (as well as playing ice-hockey). And when asked what three things he would take to a desert island, he said he would take Jaime, Jaden and a good sunblock ! David was a delight to watch on stage and his easy going, laid-back manner helped to ease those people (mostly female) who plucked up the courage to speak to him. For all his seriousness surrounding character development and plot-lines, his humour was there for all to see. At one point he removed one of his shoes and started to sniff it ! He then paraded to the entire audience, his stripy claret and blue socks that he had bought from Paul Smith in London which ignited a discussion as to which football team he supported. As an American who professes to know nothing about ’soccer’, his knowledge of Premiership football teams was quite impressive. Sometimes the defining moments in our lives are not in what we say but in what we do. "They’re going to be like a Butch and Sundance kind of partnership." David on Spike and Angel During the length of his time on stage, David invited a girl who was celebrating her 16th birthday to join him on the sofa, where he gave her a huge kiss and cuddle. He offered the same invitation to a girl on her hen weekend (bachelorette party for those living Stateside) and when a little girl who couldn’t have been more than three started crying and wouldn’t go on stage, David encouraged her and soothed her by kissing her gently on the forehead. The memories that David has created for those people because of one thoughtful moment will last a lifetime.

One memory we were all denied though came when a young girl asked David if the tattoo of the Gryphon that Angel has on his shoulder is real. David said that it wasn’t, to which the girl then promptly challenged him to prove it. A little bit reluctantly at first, David stood from the sofa and crossed his arms at the bottom of his shirt, ready to remove it and bare all. Unfortunately an over zealous cameraman jumped up to capture the moment a little too quickly for David’s liking and he changed his mind and sat down. There was no way that David Boreanaz could be in the presence of so many without being stitched up a little. Prior to his arrival on stage, Glenn Dellimore had spoken to the crowd and encouraged somebody to ask about David’s rendition of the Barry Manilow classic "Mandy". Sure enough somebody did and before anyone else had a chance to say Copacabana, the not so dulcet sound of our tone-deaf hero singing his theme tune could be heard playing over the speakers. David visibly cringed but gamely joins in a little, but after a while even he has had enough. In a plea to make it stop, he takes his microphone wire, wraps it loosely around his neck and pretends to make a noose. When that fails he simply sits with his hands over his ears until the DJ finally takes pity on him. Good job he was signing autographs when the "OMWF" karaoke was taking place ! David took the time to thank everyone, on behalf of the whole cast, for supporting Angel by watching the show and for coming out to events such as these. He apologised for being unable to talk to more people as they came through the auto sessions but appreciated our patience, love and understanding. If this 45 minutes of truly talking to people is anything to go by, then it is clear that David has heeded his father’s good advice. Thank you Mr Roberts.

Enter . . . Nick Brendon, Kristine Sutherland, Kelly Donovan, and Mark Lutz Although Nick, Kristine, Kelly and Mark were not on stage as long as David, what they lacked in time they made up for with wit. Once again the audience were invited to the side of the stage to ask their questions. Kristine Sutherland is an incredibly beautiful woman who was tantamount to perhaps one of the most moving BtVS episodes ever and she didn’t even have any lines - all she had to do was lie there incredibly still and look pale ! When asked what it was like to play a dead person, she says, "It was strange, extremely strange especially because of this incredibly pale make-up they made me wear. I remember it was my last day of shooting and someone presented me with a cake and there I was in this deathly make-up just looking at this cake. Very strange" At that point, Nick interrupted seeming a little put out, "Cake ? You got a cake ?" he states as he looks questioningly between Kristine and his brother, "I didn’t get a cake. You’d think after seven years I’d at least get a cake."

Kristine tries to reason with him in that motherly way she has which led to her being asked if she ever felt like Sarah was her daughter in real life. "Very much so," she says "and it was very sad to go and leave her behind but we still keep in touch so that’s okay" Once again Nick smiles and as quick as he can quips, "Well the next time you speak to Sarah, can you tell her Nick says hi and to give me a call sometime !" Nick handles his estrangement from his colleague of almost a decade good-heartedly and this kind of humorous outburst is typical of Nick’s amusing nature. It is almost as if the role of joker Xander Harris was written with him especially in mind. He is a very amiable man, who puts people at ease with just a flash of his cheeky grin and Kelly, appears to be identical to his brother with this trait too. Like most twins, it is obvious that they are close but the banter between them is like one big ’in-joke’ that they are only too happy to share with others. Kelly is asked if he ever feels jealous of his brother’s success to which he jokes around for a while pretending to be hurt and downcast, before admitting that he feels nothing but pride. Nick winds him up confessing that the only thing that Kelly is jealous of is Nick’s success with women ! There was no reply to that one - only a look !

It seemed weird seeing Mark alone, without his usually partner in crime, Andy Hallett, in tow but at least in Andy’s absence it meant that Mark actually got the chance to get a word in edgewise. Mark’s background as a former stand up comedian usually guarantees amusing anecdotes and comic observations. He was extremely glad to be back in the land of the ’slappers’ and had great joy in telling his companions on stage just what that uniquely British phrase meant. He was asked about how it felt to kiss Charisma Carpenter, "How do you think it felt ?" he asked with that trademark Cheshire Cat grin of his, "In fact in the first scene we shot in Pylea, I remember Charisma was wearing the coin-like bikini. I have her $5 and asked her if she had change for parking !" Macking on Queen C, Cordelia Chase, is the one thing that the characters of Xander and The Groosalugg had in common, but in reality Xander Harris has actually had his fair share of women on screen - Faith, Willow and Anya to name but a few. Nick even took great joy in teasing Kristine that even her character Joyce had come on to him on more than one occasion reciting a particular dream sequence scene as evidence. When asked which woman he would go for, Nick was enthusiastic in his reply, "Oh you’ve got to say lesbian Willow", he says, "after all you have to go after something that ultimately is unachievable !"

For all of his joking, it is clear that Nick has helped to make Xander Harris one of the most popular characters in the Buffyverse and probably much of that can be attributed to the fact that he is just a normal guy. "I like the fact that Xander doesn’t have any special powers," he replies when asked, "and I was very happy that by the time the end came Xander only actually ending up losing an eye as Joss was originally planning to kill him in the finale. Of course it meant I got to wear a cool eye patch for a couple of episod." (Cue the obvious pirate jokes). With Buffy the Vampire Slayer being popular all over the world, it is an obvious conclusion that the cast are a well-travelled bunch as they meet and greet their fans from across the globe. Surely then they were perfect for travel advice. A young girl told of her plans to discover territories anew and she asked if the stage-side crew had any advice as to where she should go. "I hear Spain’s nice, isn’t it honey ?" shouts Nick as he glances back at his beautiful wife, Tressa, who was standing just by the side of the stage for confirmation. She nods. "France is good too, we’re going there as soon as we leave England" "You’re going to France ?" Kelly pipes up at his brother "Yeah and you’re coming didn’t you know ?" Nick returns to much mirth "I’d avoid Pakistan or Turkistan, or anywhere else that adds in stan," Kelly adds helpfully. "Canada’s pretty cool you know," chips in Canadian Mark Lutz. Heaven knows where that poor girl ended up !

If David is synonymous with Barry Manilow’s Mandy, then a certain cartoon dog who likes to sit atop his kennel must follow Nick Brendon around like the proverbial bad smell. Just as David was begged to sing Mandy (and then pleaded with to stop), Nick was asked if he would demonstrate the infamous Snoopy Dance ! And thankfully he did, taking centre stage. "He’s much better at this than me you know," Nick protested as he pointed at Kelly who promptly stayed where he was allowing Nick to take the spotlight. The legendary dance turned out to be his swansong, as Nick and the remaining cast were whisked away for another round of photos and autos. They thanked the crowd for their attention and affection and vowed they would return come nightfall.

How Was It For You ? As the weekend drew to a close, attendees reflected on the experience they had just been through. For some it was everything they had ever dreamed but for others, sadly, the day was not as special as they would have wanted it to be. Entry into the event was not cheap and some people paid extreme amounts of money to get Cocktail Reception tickets or Access All Areas passes. Poor organisation and miscommunication meant that some people were left wanting. The stewards worked hard to try to make the event run smoothly, but with a lot of people attending as well as working the convention for the first time, it did sometimes feel like the day was being run by trial and error. The guests in attendance were the main attraction and they did their utmost not to disappoint. They were open and friendly yet at times it felt like David was isolated from the camaraderie that so clearly was being demonstrated by the others. Whatever experience you take away from The David Boreanaz European Event weekend, there are sure to be many resounding memories. Until the next time !

Written by CoA Writer, Sue Grimshaw Photos courtesy of CoA Staff member, Nicola Jones. To view the photos, visit CoA at : http://www.cityofangel.com/main/index.html

Special Thanks goes out to Glenn Dellimore and his staff for all their assistance with our Feature and Contest Winner.