The Actor Or The Character?

white avenger

white avenger

white avenger
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This is primarily for the Spuffies and Bangles, but it could work just as well for Xander's relationships with Anya or Cordelia, Spike with Buffy or Drusilla, Angel with Buffy or Cordelia, or any other character who has had two significant others throughout the two series.Just substitute the appropriate names.

If, from the beginning of "Buffy," James had played Angel, and David was introduced in Season Two as Spike, would you still support the same ship that you do now?

I would probably still prefer Buffy with Spike, even if the character had been portrayed by David, because I didn't start watching the show until "Once More With Feeling," so I got used to Buffy and Spike together before I ever saw her with Angel.
 
If James was Angel than hell no.

But if David was Spike then I don't know maybe I can see him being S2 and S7 Spike but not the past Spike's.
 
I find it being a little bit of both. But mainly the character of Spike is who I like the best with Buffy. I have no problems with David(Gotta love him in Bones), but I just think Angel's character is too "bleh" for Buffy. Besides. I ship Cangel on the side
 
I wouldn't change the 'ships I like just because of the actor playing them; I'm a Spuffy fan because of all the cute moments (And yes, Bangel shippers, there are many. 😉) between them. I don't think it would really make a difference if David was Spike (though I don't think I'd do it aswell). Angel would still be Angel and I'd still think he were wrong for Buffy.
 
It's really difficult to picture, but I am pretty sure that what I like about Spike and Buffy is, well, Spike and Buffy. If David can play him as convincing (which I think he can, although, so far in what I've seen of him, he doesn't really have the cheeky) than it would still be Spike and Buffy. Same with Angel and Buffy. I am pretty sure that James can pull off an Angel.

And in the end, Spangel would still be the same, too, I guess.
 
Well, as itsxpaperdoll says, it's really difficult to imagine, but I do know that the fact that I like Spuffy is mostly to do with the way the relationship was written. I don't really care if it's "true love" or indeed if Buffy ends up with him - the fact is that I found Buffy and Spike's relationship MUCH more interesting to watch than Buffy and Angel's (so for the record, I'm not fundamentally against Bangel; I just like Spuffy better. 😛)

So assuming that James and David could both pull it off, I'd remain a Spuffy. 🙂
 
This is really difficult. I don't really know how to answer...

I like Spuffy - for several reasons, but one of those reasons is that I thought Spike and Buffy had great chemistry - obviously that was down to James and Sarah as well.

With regards to Bangel, I don't think Buffy and Angel had much chemistry at all. I know a lot of people will disagree lol - but that's my opinion.

So I don't know... I just can't imagine David in the role of Spike one bit (but I have a better time imagining James as Angel) - so I can't really comment. I'm gonna leave my answer as "don't know" and just be glad that James played Spike and David played Angel - as that's the way I like it!
 
Honestly, I don't think either one of them would work in the other role. David IS Angel and James completely owns the role of Spike. I remember the first time I ever saw James doing an interview and I was shocked that a)he wasn't British and b) wasn't a jerk. LOL That role embodied him, and as hard I try, I can't picture David being Spike. I love both ships and I could never choose one over the other...
 
Anyone else have a strange sentence in their ears now? "Angel is lame. His hair is weird colored, and he's bloody stupid."

Though it's really hard to picture the actor swap, I'm pretty sure I'd still be firmly anti-Bangel and ok with Spuffy. Even if it had been JM to gasp "Buffy....." a zillion times, it would have killed my nerves just as much as it did with DB. I guess it would separate the goats from the sheep among the Spuffies more than among the Bangels. Spuffy would - in my eyes at least - go considerably less hot on the visuals (with JM, at least I can see where the "he's hot" comments are coming from, very much not so with DB... he has his cute moments, but for hotness, I seem to use a very different thermometer 😛 ), but the appeal of the storyline would work just as well... so those who just shipped Spuffy for the "porn factor" might jump ship. ^^
 
BuffyElevated
BuffyElevated
OMG I don't know how you can't find DB completely droolworthy! LOL
Like EB said, it's impossible to know. While the writing gives the characters direction, the actors are the ones who really make them. Honestly, I can't really see them in each other's roles (although I can see JM as Angel MUCH more easily than I can see DB as Spike), but overall, I'm not so sure if it would completely change my perceptions of the relationships. I like both of them, but tend to prefer Spuffy because I think their relationship is more mature, and I think that aspect of it has more to do with the writing than the actors.

Still, I would be lying to myself if I said that I wouldn't like Spuffy a little less with DB as Spike and Bangel a little more with JM as Angel. I mean, come on, let's be honest...our Buffy boyfriend of choice is definitely affected by which guy we find the most attractive. For example, I'm a Spuffy, and, while David is a damn good-looking guy, he doesn't get me all happy in my happy places like James does.
 
B
Blondie Bear
Heehee . . . happy places. (sw) Me, too, BTW.
Its a 50/50 with me. I mean the charecters wouldve been somewhat different. If DB played Spike well he wouldnt have been english and I dont he wouldve been plat.blonde, and who knows if he wouldve survived beyond Spikes inital life span (which was the middle of S2). Same goes for James, who knows if he would have stuck around longer as Angel if he played the charecter. The actors give these charecters personalities. Just look at how different Willow was from the unaired pilot to the actual pilot. Actors delever lines differently and inspire the charecters differently.

Plus then comes the whole chemistry part. Buffy/Angel only had as great of chemistry with one another because SMG/DB had such great chemistry with each other. Same I guess could be said for Spuffy...
 
white avenger;681511]This is primarily for the Spuffies and Bangles, but it could work just as well for Xander's relationships with Anya or Cordelia, Spike with Buffy or Drusilla, Angel with Buffy or Cordelia, or any other character who has had two significant others throughout the two series.Just substitute the appropriate names.

If, from the beginning of "Buffy," James had played Angel, and David was introduced in Season Two as Spike, would you still support the same ship that you do now?

I would probably still prefer Buffy with Spike, even if the character had been portrayed by David, because I didn't start watching the show until "Once More With Feeling," so I got used to Buffy and Spike together before I ever saw her with Angel.
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Great question. I think it's interesting that some people have a hard time disassociating the actor with the character. Personally, I love James' protrayal of Spike - but it's Spike I love, the character, and David probably would have brought his own interesting twist and style to the character.

In my opinion, the actors whom play the roles have nothing to do with the ships I prefer. I'd still prefer Buffy/Spike even if David had been cast as our lovable Platinum vampire. And yes, I'd still despise Buffy-era Angel for his boring, one-dimensional and melodramatic personality.

---------- Post added at 01:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:47 PM ----------

HisMrs said:
Honestly, I don't think either one of them would work in the other role. David IS Angel and James completely owns the role of Spike. I remember the first time I ever saw James doing an interview and I was shocked that a)he wasn't British and b) wasn't a jerk. LOL That role embodied him, and as hard I try, I can't picture David being Spike. I love both ships and I could never choose one over the other...
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Yeah, but we would have never known the difference if another actor had been cast as Spike.

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 PM ----------

Still, I would be lying to myself if I said that I wouldn't like Spuffy a little less with DB as Spike and Bangel a little more with JM as Angel. I mean, come on, let's be honest...our Buffy boyfriend of choice is definitely affected by which guy we find the most attractive. For example, I'm a Spuffy, and, while David is a damn good-looking guy, he doesn't get me all happy in my happy places like James does.
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Agreed! I think James is disturbingly attractive, and I enjoy seeing him and Sarah go at it I admit, and that is part of the reason I love Spuffy so much - BUT one of the big aspects I find so interesting about Spuffy is their complex and conflicted relationship. Bangel never had that. There was no question if they loved each other or not. Yet with Spuffy, it's up for debate and always will be.
 
Crazy Flakes said:
I mean, come on, let's be honest...our Buffy boyfriend of choice is definitely affected by which guy we find the most attractive. For example, I'm a Spuffy, and, while David is a damn good-looking guy, he doesn't get me all happy in my happy places like James does.
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Personally, that's not really how I decide my preferred relationships. A good example would be that I find Cordy and Darla to both be more attractive than Buffy, but I like Bangel.

Honestly, the only reason I prefer Bangel is because Joss writes Buffy and Angel to love each other more than they do Spike or Cordy respectively. I'm pretty sure Joss has even said that recently.

My preference doesn't have much to do with which couples I find more interesting, where I think the Spuffys primarily gauge their preference on that factor.

Going by the more exciting factor, I'd say Cangel & Spuffy are at least as interesting as Bangel. Buffy and Spike dealt with more real issues together, like her insecurities about being a leader, providing for her family, etc. And with Cordy at Angel's side, she elevated him into a real Champion, where by Buffy's side, Angel was kind of simpering at times (in a cool way though 😛).

I still don't think those factors overrule the fact that Joss simply writes Buffy & Angel loving each other more.

---------- Post added at 07:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 PM ----------

I don't know if I would've liked those guys switching roles, because Spike is all about the swagger where Angel's all about the reserved confidence. I haven't seen Boreanaz (or many actors for that matter) pull off that over-the-top masculine swagger believably (I've heard Marster's Spike compared to Fonzie). And I don't know if Marsters could pull off the "quiet guy who still manages to emit a cool factor with seemingly little body language or dialog."
 
I still don't think those factors overrule the fact that Joss simply writes Buffy & Angel loving each other more.
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I'd have to disagree with this. I believe Spike loved Buffy as much if not more then Angel ever did. After all, Spike got a soul for her. However, if you are referring to how Buffy loved Spike I would have to agree - but from Spike's side - who's to say he didn't love her as much as Angel did?
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer said:
I'd have to disagree with this. I believe Spike loved Buffy as much if not more then Angel ever did. After all, Spike got a soul for her. However, if you are referring to how Buffy loved Spike I would have to agree - but from Spike's side - who's to say he didn't love her as much as Angel did?
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That is what I'm saying. Joss said that as well. I'm saying that Buffy loves Angel more than she loves Spike.

And Angel loves Buffy more than he does Cordy.

I'd say that Angel loves Buffy as much as he's capable of loving another person. But Angel's loyalty lies with the "Good Fight" above his love for Buffy or even Connor.

Spike also loves Buffy as much as he's capable of, which might be more than Angel's capable of. Spike's really the only character that's always been in touch with his emotions, also he'd probably side with Buffy over the Good Fight...

All I was saying before is that Joss has written the show from the perspective that both Buffy & Angel's ideal would be the two of them together. I'm not saying that Bangel's better or more entertaining, it's just the characters' ideals.
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Good post. Agreed.
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