David Boreanaz made a name for himself playing a blood-sucking vampire with a soul on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (WB, UPN, 1997-2003) and “Angel” (WB, 1999-2004) as well as a former Army sniper who keeps company with decomposing corpses on “Bones” (Fox, 2005-). Onscreen and offscreen, the actor endeared himself to legions of fans pleased to discover that the ripped actor who was no stranger to “Sexiest People” tabloid lists was a dog-loving, down-to-earth guy who cited his Philadelphia weatherman father as one of his biggest influences. With each film role that showed his comedic or guy-next-door capacity, he was successfully able to dodge an eternity of special appearances at Sci-Fi conventions.
Boreanaz was born in Buffalo, NY, and moved to Philadelphia, PA when he was seven years-old. His father was a weatherman for WPVI in Philadelphia and host of a local kids TV show called “Rocket Ship 7.” This early exposure to show business was an influence on Boreanaz, and once he saw Yul Brynner in “The King and I” his acting aspirations were solidified. After heading back to Upstate New York to study acting at Ithaca College, Boreanaz made his way to Los Angeles to give it his best shot.
The tall, handsome, intense-looking actor was virtually unknown when he was cast as Angel in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” in 1997. He had caught one break – playing a biker boyfriend of Kelly Bundy on an episode of “Married…With Children” (Fox, 1987-1997) – but for the most part, Boreanaz was honing real life roles as parking attendant, house painter, and a health club guy. With only a few stage credits to his name, Boreanaz was walking his dog one day when he was literally discovered by a talent manager and cast as Angel shortly thereafter.
The Joss Whedon creation “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” was based on a 1992 film of the same name, and centered around Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a typical teenage girl who was chosen by fate to battle vampires and demons in a suburban California town that happened to be a Hellmouth. In the dark yet hilarious series, Angel was a vampire dweller of that netherworld, and therefore, the worst possible boyfriend for a vampire slayer. The two had an on-and-off love affair for three seasons until Angel left town to search for redemption in the least likely place one could find it - Los Angeles. The spin-off series devoted to this search debuted in 1999 and in it, Angel worked as a private detective trying to “help the helpless” and repent for a hundred years of torture and murder. By season five, his cast of sidekicks had changed several times and Angel was now working at a law firm with the aim of fighting evil from the inside. Much to the surprise and dismay of loyal fans and Whedon alike, the WB announced in 2004 that the show would not return for a sixth season.
By this time, Boreanaz had been steadily working as an actor for seven years, including many non-Angel roles that would prepare him for new acting frontiers. He had snagged roles in several feature films including the 2001 slasher flick, “Valentine, ” the romantic comedy “I’m With Lucy” (2002), and the fourth in “The Crow” series entitled “Wicked Prayer” (2004).
Barely a year after Angel’s demise, the FX network thought he would be perfect in the role of Special Agent Seeley Booth – FBI homicide investigator and foil to forensic pathologist Dr. Temperence Brennan (Emily Deschanel) in the medical mystery series, “Bones.” Booth was all about old-fashioned detective work and Brennan staunchly scientific – and not surprisingly, never the twain would they meet. The chemistry between the two opposing forces was an immediate hit, and audiences fell for the classic TV device: will they ever hook up?
Boreanaz continued to build his film resume with a starring role opposite Anne Heche in the Alan Cumming black comedy “Suffering Man’s Charity.” His low-profile personal life included involvement with PETA charities and marriage to model and former “Son of the Beach” (FX, 2000-01) star, Jamie Bergman, whom he married in 2001.