By Christina Radish
 David Boreanaz at the Fox Summer Party held at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel Horseshoe Gardens in Pasadena, Calif. on July 25, 2006. |
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Now in its second season, the Fox television series Bones, starring David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, has shifted its focus more to the relationships between the characters, instead of just being a crime-of-the-week drama.
Inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist and best-selling novelist Kathy Reichs, Bones follows the life and work of Dr. Temperance Brennan (Deschanel), who assists law enforcement with murder investigations when the standard methods of identifying a body are useless because the remains are decomposed, burned or destroyed beyond recognition. Brennan often finds herself teamed with Special Agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) of the FBI’s Homicide Investigations Unit, who mistrusts both science and scientists, and believes the key to solving crimes lies in discovering the truth from those still alive. Although they tend to clash, both professionally and personally, their mutual respect gives the show a humor and heart that most police procedurals don’t have.
Former Buffy and Angel star Boreanaz talks to MediaBlvd Magazine about how he and Deschanel work on developing their chemistry, what he did on his last hiatus, and the joys of fatherhood.
MediaBlvd Magazine> What is your working relationship with Emily like?
David Boreanaz> Emily and I decided to be put in situations where we need to stay under the same roof and deal with each other’s relationships. For us, pushing that envelope outside that box, and learning about the abnormality of the characters, is what’s fun about the show. It’s great to see the ensemble start to sing with that and become a part of that because, for us, from the beginning, it was never about being a procedural show. If I wanted to classify the show as a comedy, I would, and I will continue to put more comedy into it. The show is cute and it’s fun, and you just don’t see that on television today with procedurals and hour dramas. It’s great to be a part of that. I love working with Emily on the weekends. I take those ideas into scenes, to find those improvisational moments and find what drives each other crazy, whether it’s a song, a gesture or a movement, while we are dealing with a case. It’s not about the case for me. I don’t give a shit about the case.
MediaBlvd> Have you noticed that the characters have a lot more depth, since the show started?
David> Emily and I are coming in with the material and saying, “We’re not going to do a straight procedural show.” I don’t believe in that, so I’m not doing it. To me, our show is about these characters and, as long as we continue to study these characters, and continue to think outside the box, that’s what the show will be about.
MediaBlvd> Is the romantic comedy aspect of the show something that you’ve worked to develop?
David> Honestly, we strive to find those moments. Emily and I work on our characters on the weekends, so that we can find the moments to do that. That way, if we’re doing a scene, we can interrupt each other, or go off on tangents. That, to me, is fun. We spend two to four hours on the weekends working just on that. It’s a great way to find out about your character and stretch those boundaries.
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 David Boreanaz & Emily at the San Diego Comic Convention on July 15, 2005. |
MediaBlvd> When do you think things really started clicking between you and Emily, in regard to your characters’ relationship on the show?
David> When we started the pilot, I wasn’t working with Emily. It was encouraging to know that I could be with a co-star who was humble enough to say, “Hey, let’s work on this and make it something different,” instead of just walking through the lines and talking about John Doe #123. I don’t give a shit about John Doe #123. What I care about is what she did last night, or why she has a problem with religion, or her issues about hormones. To me, that’s everyday stuff that you see, that you can apply to the storyline that’s going on.
MediaBlvd> How do you sell that to the producers?
David> It’s tough to sell. At first, it was very difficult, when the show started and the network was trying to make this a procedural. We stayed with our characters and continued to push the comedy element, and we want to continue to push it further and go down the lines of Moonlighting, where they talked over each other and didn’t stop. We’ll get notes from the powers that be. I’ve got a belt buckle that says “Cocky” on it, and a note came down the other day that said, “They’re having problems with your belt buckle.” I said, “Well, they can have problems with my belt buckle, but I’m not taking it off.” That’s the kind of stuff that we fight. But, I got it in. I refused to take it off, unless they came over and took the damn belt buckle off themselves.
MediaBlvd> What kinds of issues does Booth have?
David> We’ve just scratched the surface. He’s getting all messed up. There’s going to be some way-out stuff coming up on the show. I can’t even imagine where we can go, and it’s great. To be allowed to do that is fantastic.
What has the addition of Stephen Fry been like?
David> He’s crazy. I didn’t know exactly who Stephen Fry was, when he started on the show, and everybody was like, “Wow, you don’t know who Stephen Fry is?” I showed up on set and was like, “Oh, you’re the great Stephen Fry, and I’m the guy who needs therapy, so let’s figure this shit out right now.” He’s electric. He’s going to bring something really unique and credible to the show, and we’re very excited to have him.
MediaBlvd> Have you directed an episode of the show yet?
David> No, but I’d love to. That would be great.
MediaBlvd> Did you do a feature film during your hiatus?
David> I did a movie with Alan Cumming that’s coming out at the Austin Film Festival, called Suffering Man’s Charity. And, we’ll see what happens this year, during hiatus.
MediaBlvd> Did you have a celebrity crush growing up?
David> For some uncanny reason, it was Dorothy Hamill, the ice skater. I’m sure it was the hair. And, Farrah Fawcett. I had that poster of her. The nipples were amazing!
MediaBlvd> What kind of music are you into now?
David> I have the whole Sirius Satellite Radio package, so I jump from the ‘70’s to the ‘80’s to the ‘60’s to standards. I’m really enamored of this whole Sirius thing. I think it’s great. I can go from garage music to classics. I listen to a plethora of music. I’m pretty eclectic with my tastes.
MediaBlvd> How do you balance working and being the dad of a 4 ½ year old son?
David> It’s great. I’m allowed to use my experiences in life for my characters, and now I’ve learned how to be a dad. It’s quite a trip. I enjoy the roller coaster ride with it and I encourage myself, moment to moment, to be with my son, so I can grab those moments and those ideas.
MediaBlvd> Are your parents active grandparents?
David> They’re very active. They love being around, and coming to town. We were back home for the holidays, so it was great.
