David Boreanaz

It takes a pretty confident man to say ,"Anything that’s cold and blonde works for me." But David Boreanaz, the 39-year-old actor who co-stars as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the hit Fox series "Bones," has no qualms with that assertion. Boreanaz is, of course, referring to his choice in lagers.

The actor relaxes between a strenuous workout and returning to his dressing room on the set of the series, he could be mistaken for a recent college grad. But he’s actually a husband, father and in-demand actor. David recently returned from 18 days in London filming two episodes of "Bones," and he’s looking forward to directing a November episode while starring in it, as well. He also just wrapped production on the indie sports drama "Our Lady of Victory" and voiced the role of The Green Lantern for the animated feature, "Justice League: The New Frontier."

Born in Buffalo, David was raised in Philadelphia and endured several years of bullying and torment as the new kid. Despite these hardships, however, he channeled the emotional experience into becoming a football player and sports enthusiast, finally into bigger dreams of a committed and disciplined actor. Though we all remember him for his role on the TV series, "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer" and later, "Angel," Boreanaz doesn’t dwell on his past blood-sucking days. Rather, he looks toward the future and what that might bring.

He met his wife, actress/model Jaime Bergman, by eyeing her tattoos. Oddly, they matched his tats with both body placement and design: The duo shares Chinese symbols that translate into "soul" and "fate" on their wrists. The couple wed eight years ago and have a 7-year-old son, Jaden Rayne. David shares all this bliss with two four-legged friends, as well: his white lab, Buddha, and a little Chihuahua named Rocky. But with his frenetic life pace, there are no outward signs of stress. Boreanaz is a quiet display of someone versed in Buddhism, who doesn’t take himself too seriously, enjoys laughing out loud with his son and is thankful for the positive recognition he’s getting from audiences.

DRAFT: Buffalo, Philadelphia, and then Ithaca, New York for college. Cold cities whose residents enjoy drinking beer. Did you have a favorite East Coast brew?

BOREANAZ: Well, in Binghamton, New York, it was all about Jenny Cream Ale. Not too many people know about this ale, but it’s reminiscent of what my grandparents used to drink. They used to go to the local bar for happy hour at 5 o’clock on the dot every day, walk in and have a Jenny. It was served in green cans, and that’s my first real memory of a beer. We’d sit there and play the old shuffleboard game, you know, the ones with magnets and sawdust. That’s what we kids — my sisters and I — would do when they would have their beers; then we’d go behind the bar and clean the glasses for them.

What was your beer of choice when you attended Ithaca College?

Anything cold. You don’t really think about anything much more than getting a tap for the keg. I don’t think we were thinking brand names. You’re in college, so it doesn’t really matter.

Recently, the mainstream news has been talking about some colleges wanting to bring back the drinking age to 18 instead of 21. Your thoughts?

It’s a fine line and a slippery slope. You can sign up for the draft when you’re 18, so are you responsible enough to be drinking at that age? I think what happens is you fall into the trap of drinking and driving, and people think 21 is a more responsible age; more deaths will occur on the road with younger people drinking and driving. I don’t really weigh in on one specific spot on that question. It’s a very hot button issue right now. I don’t think it’s going to change, though; it will always be a strict 21 rule. Being a parent now, I tend to lean more towards the 21 age.

I know you said you were bullied at school, but looking at you now at a strapping 6-foot-1, it’s hard to imagine that kids would pick on you.

Well, we moved from Buffalo to Philadelphia when I was 8 years old, so I went from a school in a tight-knit community, a community of openness, to going to a school in Philadelphia that was a little bit more bruised up. I was the new kid on the block; I was razzed. It started as that and compounded into getting pushed around a lot. The older I got, the bigger I got, so that changed pretty quickly (laughs).

What did you learn from playing football?

It was very disciplined. Organized sports are a great way to get focus and are a foundation to a child’s life, whether it’s baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse. I went to a Catholic school with an interactive league, which was an intense program. You had to know your assignments and playbooks, and obviously be pushed around by the older kids when you were going into the program. To this day, it’s given me a sense of understanding, what it is to approach a subject matter, study for it, be prepared, take my work in a light of having fun, but at the same time being prepared and knowing what’s coming at me.

I know you’re also very into Philadelphia hockey and a frequent caller into WIP Sports Talk in Philly, talking hockey.

I’m a huge hockey sports fan, love the NHL and do some work with them. I play pick-up leagues here in Los Angeles, and have done that for about eight years now. I couldn’t have a better time. When I get on the ice, it’s the closest thing to flying for me. Being away from everything and just gliding on the ice, I forget about everything. I mean, I love football and still do. Fall football leagues began and I have two that I follow. I’m a real all-around sports person.

What are your favorite two football teams?

I love the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I used to be a ball boy for the Steelers and had the opportunity to train with Jack Lambert. I remember when I went to their Pennsylvania camp; that was my first introduction into Iron City beer, which is great stuff.

So what’s your beer of choice now?

I like a Guinness on draft. I have a Guinness machine at home that I’m going to hook up again. I remember Mickey’s Big Mouth beer in Pittsburgh. You get introduced to certain beers during certain times in your life that have specific meaning. I like a nice, cold draft beer when I have one — always in a nice, cold mug. I put the mug in the freezer, it gets all iced-up on the sides, and pour a cold beer in it. You can’t really beat that. I learned that from my grandfather in Binghamton. That’s a big-time legacy.

Are you going to pass that down to your son?

Sure! Pull a cold mug out of the freezer and put a beer in that. I remember when I was young, watching the foam go up, taking a sip of it and thinking ’Wow, that was so cool.’

Aside from teaching your son about the benefits of putting a mug in the freezer, what kind of values do you hope to instill in him?

Just to be responsible and have respect for your name and what it stands for. That means knowing the ins and outs of certain situations. [I want him to think] ’If I do this, how would it hurt my mother or father?’ Hopefully, I can instill some of the same values in my son as my parents did in me. Being responsible is the biggest thing when you’re entertaining your child at these stages and getting into the teen years. Also, really listening to him, and having a relationship that is both hands-off but also hands-on and guiding him, rather than being forceful with him. That’s all I can hope for in instilling values.

You played a 242-year-old vampire on ’Angel.’ Now having a child, some people look at their own longevity. How old would you like to live to be?

As long as I’m healthy and happy, that’s really as long as I’d like to spend time with my children as they grow.

So ’children?’ Do you plan on having a larger family?

Hopefully. That would be nice.

I read that your favorite band is The Grateful Dead, you were on ’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ’Angel,’ now ’Bones.’ Do we have a theme here?

No theme. I just like classic rock. There isn’t really a connection to any one thing. I just live my life, enjoy my stuff and just love good music.

Seeley Booth seems to have loosened up a bit since first coming on ’Bones.’ If the two of you were to sit down and have a chat, what would the two of you be drinking and discussing?

For him, because he’s a blue-collar kind of guy, he’d probably have a Scotch. So it would be a single malt, something very smooth and each of us would be talking about values and where we are presently in our lives. There would be a lot of laughter, a lot of jokes and a general good time.

The first two episodes of ’Bones’ took place in London. So what beer did you enjoy during your two-plus weeks there?

I like Stella, that’s a good blonde beer. I always tend towards the blonde beers more than the deep, rich ales that they have over there. I don’t go that way. Anything that’s cold and blonde works for me.

You’re directing a November episode of ’Bones.’ Why are you switching hats right now?

I just enjoy being both in front of and behind the camera, producing, directing. I love the whole process of it. I’m an avid photographer as a hobby; I have a lot of old cameras and like to collect certain types of cameras. It’s something I enjoy and obviously, now with a child, I’m always taking pictures. I’ve directed before so it’s just something fun and challenging. I don’t think consciously ’Oh, this is where my career is going.’ I just kind of do it. One would be foolish not to take the opportunity of being fortunate enough to be on a show first of all, and then to be around and learn from that so you can expand yourself.

You’re an avid golfer too, right?

Well, I had a 16 handicap, but I lost patience with the game because it takes too damn long to get through 18 holes. I was burned out by the end of the day playing six hours on a golf course. I always like to get up early and be the first one out. It’s good to either play the back nine at the end of the day or the first up.

Do you and your wife entertain or have holiday traditions that revolve around food and good cheer?

We embrace the holidays and entertaining people who come over to our house. When it gets to the point when everyone is feeling good around the holidays, it’s a great time to entertain, throw holiday parties and decorate the house like a Christmas box. There’s always good laughter, good spirits and good food.

Do you sit back and ponder what you are thankful for in your life?

I do it all the time. I don’t necessarily wait until the holidays. I think it happens on a daily basis. I wake up, and I’m thankful that I’m blessed with a beautiful child, a great wife, and the ability to enjoy the freedom of walking out the door and petting my dog. People take all that for granted — just getting up and brushing your teeth. I value all this day in and day out, not just during the holidays.

I’ve heard that you enjoy cooking healthy meals. Have you concocted any recipes that incorporate beer into them?

Oh yeah. Well, my mom is Slovakian, and she cooks kielbasa with beer. So I’ve done that before. I always pour some beer on my chicken if it begins flaming up too much on the grill. That’s always good. So that turns out as beer chicken. And I drink beer in the shower a lot — does that count for anything?!

How do you keep yourself fit?

I work out every day. I exercise with a trainer working on heart, core strength exercises that keep my heart rate up, so it could be lifting or running. I play a lot of ice hockey on weekends, so I’m always going.

If you could sit down with any historical figure, who would that be and why?

Abraham Lincoln. I’d like to know about his values and how he felt about the unification of the country and world. And I’d like to ask him ’How do you get through doorways?’ He was pretty tall. I’m in awe of him.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Tempestuous, gregarious and artist.