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Tuesday, 18 April 2006 |
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By D. W. O'Dell
 It’s not often that I’m wrong, and it’s even more uncommon for me to admit that I am wrong. But I’m feeling generous and have decided to come clean. I owe David Boreanaz an apology.
As a devoted fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then of Angel, I watched Mr. Boreanaz on television nearly every week for eight years. He started out as a callow but smoldering presence on Buffy, and eventually grew in stature to the point where he could carry his own series on his back. Yet, all the while, I was frequently heard to say, “I hope David Boreanaz realizes that his career will end about five minutes after Angel is cancelled.”
I had my reasons (as someone in the movie, The Rules of the Game, points out, “Everybody has their reasons.”). Boreanaz had almost no acting experience before beginning his career on Buffy. In a commentary track, Joss Whedon confesses that he wasn’t impressed with his acting ability, but after seeing a screen test he noticed that every woman in the room had turned into a puddle of water. Hollywood careers have been based on less.
So David Boreanaz was cast as Buffy’s tormented, eternal vampire love. His chemistry with Sarah Michelle Gellar was palpable and Boreanaz wasn’t asked to carry the show thanks to its strong cast. His acting skills developed quickly, but still looked awfully green even in Season 2.
Then, after three seasons as a second banana on Buffy, he got his own show, Angel. He reportedly had a torrid affair with one of his cast mates (I’m guessing it wasn’t Seth Green) and eventually left his wife and married a actress who starred not on Baywatch, but the Baywatch parody, Son of the Beach. The new show had a devoted following but was never a ratings juggernaut. Still, episode for episode, the quality of the five seasons of Angel is comparable to that of the first five seasons of Buffy (we do not speak of Buffy Seasons 6 and 7 - except for the musical episode - at least not in polite company).
Then Angel was cancelled, an idiotic, insane decision made by a network that will cease to exist after this season. In his entire career he had played exactly one role, and now it was over. While Angel was on air, he had had a semi-major role in only one movie, the forgettable horror flick Valentine. I figured it wouldn’t be long before he was making straight-to-DVD thrillers and movies for Skinemax.
But wait! His next project: a TV series called Bones. It turns out he CAN play someone other than a 240-ish vampire boy toy. His comedic skills have developed nicely, and he once again has considerable chemistry with his co-star, Emily Deschanel (that’s one thing about chemistry—they don’t teach it in acting school). He’ll never win an acting award, but . . . oh wait; William Shatner’s won two Emmys, so anyone can win one.
Bones has formally gotten the nod for a second season. It has performed admirably in the ratings, even in some time slots not considered advantageous (and in some that were). And, as with Angel, he is not part of an ensemble but carries the show on his back (along with Ms. Deschanel).
So congratulations, David Boreanaz! Your career will be a far longer one than I imagined. By the way, could you teach me how to turn women into puddles of water?
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