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| THE DAVID BOREANAZ EUROPEAN EVENT |
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Continued
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More . . . David Boreanaz
David was then taken into the world of alternative reality as he was asked if he could play any other BtVS or Angel character, which would it be? Giles," he responds, "as he is such an interesting character who has never really been explored as deeply as he could have." David then goes on to express his admiration for the man who plays him. Like James Marsters before him, he has a great deal of respect for Anthony Stewart Head and cites him as the man who has taught him so much. The world that Angel lives in is full of ghoulies, big nasties and things that go bump in the night, but what originated as a relatively fun question for David resulted in perhaps one of the most sincere and touching answers of the day. A gentleman asked out of all the demons that Angel has faced, which one would he like to have played. David thinks about this for a while and at first it didn't look like he was going to come up with an answer. He then seems to withdraw a little as if lost in thought before replying, "Whenever I think of demons, I always think of one man. I think of....", he pauses as if deliberating whether to complete his sentence or as if the memory is too painful, however he does continue, "No I don't mind sharing this....(he raises his head to the sky and goes thoughtful again). I think of Glenn Quinn and I don't think anymore needs to be said about that." It was clear by that simple display of affection and remembrance for his fallen friend that the people that are closest to him are the people that matter most. Although we were not allowed to ask him directly about his wife Jaime and son Jaden, David did speak about them himself. He said that the birth of his son was the biggest adrenaline rush that he had ever felt and that in the spare time he does manage to find, he loves playing the role of dad (as well as playing ice-hockey). And when asked what three things he would take to a desert island, he said he would take Jaime, Jaden and a good sunblock! David was a delight to watch on stage and his easy going, laid-back manner helped to ease those people (mostly female) who plucked up the courage to speak to him. For all his seriousness surrounding character development and plot-lines, his humour was there for all to see. At one point he removed one of his shoes and started to sniff it! He then paraded to the entire audience, his stripy claret and blue socks that he had bought from Paul Smith in London which ignited a discussion as to which football team he supported. As an American who professes to know nothing about 'soccer', his knowledge of Premiership football teams was quite impressive. Sometimes the defining moments in our lives are not in what we say but in what we do.
One memory we were all denied though came when a young girl asked David if the tattoo of the Gryphon that Angel has on his shoulder is real. David said that it wasn't, to which the girl then promptly challenged him to prove it. A little bit reluctantly at first, David stood from the sofa and crossed his arms at the bottom of his shirt, ready to remove it and bare all. Unfortunately an over zealous cameraman jumped up to capture the moment a little too quickly for David's liking and he changed his mind and sat down. There was no way that David Boreanaz could be in the presence of so many without being stitched up a little. Prior to his arrival on stage, Glenn Dellimore had spoken to the crowd and encouraged somebody to ask about David's rendition of the Barry Manilow classic "Mandy". Sure enough somebody did and before anyone else had a chance to say Copacabana, the not so dulcet sound of our tone-deaf hero singing his theme tune could be heard playing over the speakers. David visibly cringed but gamely joins in a little, but after a while even he has had enough. In a plea to make it stop, he takes his microphone wire, wraps it loosely around his neck and pretends to make a noose. When that fails he simply sits with his hands over his ears until the DJ finally takes pity on him. Good thing he was signing autographs when the "OMWF" karaoke was taking place! David took the time to thank everyone, on behalf of the whole cast, for supporting Angel by watching the show and for coming out to events such as these. He apologised for being unable to talk to more people as they came through the auto sessions but appreciated our patience, love and understanding. If this 45 minutes of truly talking to people is anything to go by, then it is clear that David has heeded his father's good advice. Thank you Mr Roberts. Enter . . . Nick Brendon, Kristine Sutherland, Kelly Donovan, and Mark Lutz
Although Nick, Kristine, Kelly and Mark were not on stage as long as David, what they lacked in time they made up for with wit. Once again the audience were invited to the side of the stage to ask their questions. Kristine Sutherland is an incredibly beautiful woman who was tantamount to perhaps one of the most moving BtVS episodes ever and she didn't even have any lines - all she had to do was lie there incredibly still and look pale! When asked what it was like to play a dead person, she says, "It was strange, extremely strange especially because of this incredibly pale make-up they made me wear. I remember it was my last day of shooting and someone presented me with a cake and there I was in this deathly make-up just looking at this cake. Very strange" At that point, Nick interrupted seeming a little put out, "Cake? You got a cake?" he states as he looks questioningly between Kristine and his brother, "I didn't get a cake. You'd think after seven years I'd at least get a cake."
It seemed weird seeing Mark alone, without his usually partner in crime, Andy Hallett, in tow but at least in Andy's absence it meant that Mark actually got the chance to get a word in edgewise. Mark's background as a former stand up comedian usually guarantees amusing anecdotes and comic observations. He was extremely glad to be back in the land of the 'slappers' and had great joy in telling his companions on stage just what that uniquely British phrase meant. He was asked about how it felt to kiss Charisma Carpenter, "How do you think it felt?" he asked with that trademark Cheshire Cat grin of his, "In fact in the first scene we shot in Pylea, I remember Charisma was wearing the coin-like bikini. I gave her $5 and asked her if she had change for parking!" Macking on Queen C, Cordelia Chase, is the one thing that the characters of Xander and The Groosalugg had in common, but in reality Xander Harris has actually had his fair share of women on screen - Faith, Willow and Anya to name but a few. Nick even took great joy in teasing Kristine that even her character Joyce had come on to him on more than one occasion reciting a particular dream sequence scene as evidence. When asked which woman he would go for, Nick was enthusiastic in his reply, "Oh you've got to say lesbian Willow", he says, "after all you have to go after something that ultimately is unachievable!" For all of his joking, it is clear that Nick has helped to make Xander Harris one of the most popular characters in the Buffyverse and probably much of that can be attributed to the fact that he is just a normal guy. "I like the fact that Xander doesn't have any special powers," he replies when asked, "and I was very happy that by the time the end came Xander only actually ending up losing an eye as Joss was originally planning to kill him in the finale. Of course it meant I got to wear a cool eye patch for a couple of episodes." (Cue the obvious pirate jokes). With Buffy the Vampire Slayer being popular all over the world, it is an obvious conclusion that the cast are a well-travelled bunch as they meet and greet their fans from across the globe. Surely then they were perfect for travel advice. A young girl told of her plans to discover territories anew and she asked if the stage-side crew had any advice as to where she should go. "I hear Spain's nice, isn't it honey?" shouts Nick as he glances back at his beautiful wife, Tressa, who was standing just by the side of the stage for confirmation. She nods. "France is good too, we're going there as soon as we leave England" "You're going to France?" Kelly pipes up at his brother "Yeah and you're coming didn't you know?" Nick returns to much mirth "I'd avoid Pakistan or Turkistan, or anywhere else that adds in stan," Kelly adds helpfully. "Canada's pretty cool you know," chips in Canadian Mark Lutz. Heaven knows where that poor girl ended up! If David is synonymous with Barry Manilow's Mandy, then a certain cartoon dog who likes to sit atop his kennel must follow Nick Brendon around like the proverbial bad smell. Just as David was begged to sing Mandy (and then pleaded with to stop), Nick was asked if he would demonstrate the infamous Snoopy Dance! And thankfully he did, taking centre stage. "He's much better at this than me you know," Nick protested as he pointed at Kelly who promptly stayed where he was allowing Nick to take the spotlight. The legendary dance turned out to be his swansong, as Nick and the remaining cast were whisked away for another round of photos and autos. They thanked the crowd for their attention and affection and vowed they would return come nightfall. How Was It For You? As the weekend drew to a close, attendees reflected on the experience they had just been through. For some it was everything they had ever dreamed but for others, sadly, the day was not as special as they would have wanted it to be. Entry into the event was not cheap and some people paid extreme amounts of money to get Cocktail Reception tickets or Access All Areas passes. Poor organisation and miscommunication meant that some people were left wanting. The stewards worked hard to try to make the event run smoothly, but with a lot of people attending as well as working the convention for the first time, it did sometimes feel like the day was being run by trial and error. The guests in attendance were the main attraction and they did their utmost not to disappoint. They were open and friendly yet at times it felt like David was isolated from the camaraderie that so clearly was being demonstrated by the others. Whatever experience you take away from The David Boreanaz European Event weekend, there are sure to be many resounding memories. Until the next time!
Written by CoA Writer, Sue Grimshaw
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