David Boreanaz is happy to wave goodbye to the character that made him famous
Fans of Angel were shocked by the recent news that the vampires series was being axed. Most of the cast were equally stunned, especially since the ratings for the current series, the fifth, have picked up after a shaky start in America. But David Boreanaz, who stars as the brooding vampire, is glad the show is coming to an end.
'I felt relieved about it, to be honest,' he says. 'I feel a lot of weight has come off my shoulders. Being on this strenuous set 9 months out of the year is really tough. But I feel really bad for the fans and I think the network really let them down.'
Almost 50,000 fans have signed a petition to try to persuade the WB network, which broadcasts the series in America, to keep the Buffy spin-off on air. And some of the cast have said they'd probably stay with the show if another network picked it up. But after playing Angel for 8 years Boreanaz is adamant he won't return to the role when the current series ends. He even quashes rumours of a two-hour TV movie. 'It's not going to happen - not in my mind!'
The 32 year old actor is instead looking forward to spending more time with his wife, former Playboy Playmate-turned-actress Jamie Bergman, and their son Jaden Rayne, who will be 2 in May.
So, while Angel celebrates its 100th episode this week with the return of Charisma Carpenter as Angel's sidekick Cordelia, Boreanaz has his sights set on another milestone - the show's finale in May. He's hoping that Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar will make a guest appearance, as he did on th elast series of her show. 'I really didn't want to do that,' he says. 'It took a lot to get me over to do Buffy, but I did it as a favour to Sarah and I hope that favour can come back. But it's not my decision.'
TV & Satellite Week