Angel

It’s 5:00 on a Friday afternoon, and while many LA workers are already on their way home, David Boreanaz is just heading to work. For the star of ANGEL, who has spent a good part of four seasons covering the night shift, it’s just business as usual. After all, playing a centuries-old vampire generally doesn’t involve an awful lot of fun in the sun.

On this particular evening, Boreanaz is also taking time to promote the final half-dozen episodes of ANGEL’S fourth season. It doesn’t take long to realize that the actor is hugely enthusiastic about some of those storylines, which have included the return of slayer-gone-bad Faith (Eliza Dushku) and an appearance by Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), both of whom were caught up in the struggle to rescue Angel from his evil alter ego, Angelus. Oh yes, and there’s also the introduction of a brand new character, played by FIREFLY’S Gina Torres, who will help shift the series in a very different direction-if all goes well, that is-for season five.

"I’ve decided to give this show its due for the last episodes we’re working on," Boreanaz says. "They’re really good and strong, with Faith coming back and Gina entering the mix, and Alyson coming over from BUFFY [which Boreanaz will be paying a visit to for its series finale]. Seeing her and Alexis [Denisof, who plays Wesley and is also Hannigan’s real-life fiancé] together was really amazing. I just think it’s a good time for the show to have a little push right now."

Although Boreanaz is understandably tight-lipped about specific plot details, it’s the various character dynamics that have grabbed his interest. "The relationship between Angel and Faith was very moving and electrifying," he says. "There’s also what happens with Charisma [Carpenter] and Cordelia’s diabolical mind right now, which is really interesting, and bringing in Gina, and also what’s going to happen to my son [Connor, played by Vincent Kartheiser]. There’s going to be something really intriguing and fascinating that might occur between the two of us."

The actor is particularly pleased with the way Dushku’s return has helped energize the series, as well as pave the way for future storylines. "That ties up a lot of things," he says. "It brings us to, ’OK, what’s going to happen in the season finale with BUFFY? Are there clues as to why Angel goes over to see Buffy in her last episode? What leads Angel down that road?’ I think the fans are going to get some hidden messages in the ANGEL episodes as to where and why Angel is going over to see her."

Another familiar face from the BUFFY-verse was Hannigan, who appeared in the episode "Orpheus," which dealt with Willow’s attempts to re-ensoul Angelus. Crossovers between the two series were pretty much put on hold following BUFFY’S move to UPN last season, but Boreanaz believes the time is right to acknowledge their origins. "I don’t believe it takes us away from our storyline," he says. "If anything, it enhances it, because we’re all from the same tree of Joss Whedon’s creation, so for him, it’s a big world to tell his story. These are not two separate pieces; my character was created through BUFFY and that storyline. It’s just a matter of when it’s right.

"Joss always had it in his mind that if it was the last season for BUFFY, that Angel and Buffy would have a scene or a moment together," Boreanaz continues. "How he wants to play that, I really don’t know yet, but as far as Alyson coming over, it facilitated the story. It facilitated what’s going to happen over the next couple of weeks, so it’s for you guys to see how that unfolds, but again, it was imperative that her character come over because of the circumstances. So it really derives from story, which Joss is so great at. It’s not just saying, ’OK, let’s throw these characters in together because it’s convenient.’ I don’t think Joss would ever do that.

"As far as Buffy and Angel are concerned, who’s to say where those two characters will go, and if they’ll ever meet up again? I don’t know that yet, but I know that the direction that ANGEL is going is obviously different from BUFFY, because it’s a known fact that that series is over. We’re still alive, and we feel that we’re cresting right now, and that’s what is really exciting about the show: it has come to a period where there is an opportunity to shift it and change it during that period and really ride the wave."

And when that wave comes to an end? Well, there are feature films, an area that Boreanaz has recently only been able to fit in during season hiatus. He had his first male movie lead in the 2001 slasher flick VALENTINE, and more recently co-starred opposite Monica Potter, Julianne Nicholson, Anthony LaPaglia and Henry Thomas in the romantic comedy I’M WITH LUCY, which has so far only played festivals and overseas.

"VALENTINE was a great experience working with Warner Bros., and I had a blast. I shot for two weeks-that’s the window of time I had-and it was a great experience working with the actresses. I enjoyed working with Dylan [Sellers, the producer], and it puts you in their eyes as somebody who could play for a studio. And then going on to I’M WITH LUCY, that was also a great experience too. It didn’t get the play that it should have gotten here, but again, those are circumstances that I can’t control. You just have to leave it in the air."