David Boreanaz is an American actor best known for his role on the supernatural drama series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" (as Angel), and on the television crime drama "Bones" (as FBI agent Seeley Booth).
Background
Ethnicity:
His father is of Italian descent. And his mother of half Slovak and part Irish.
Boreanaz was born in Buffalo, NY, and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Villanova, PA in 1978, when his father got a job on WPVI, Channel 6. His mother Patti Boreanaz was a travel agent. 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, but once he saw Yul Brynner in "The King and I," his acting aspirations were solidified.
Education
As a kid, he was a ball boy for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Boreanaz attended Rosemont School of the Holy Child and graduated at age 14 in 1983. He attended Malvern Preparatory School for Boys in Malvern, Pennsylvania. David was bullied as a child; he later became a strapping offensive end and a defensive back for his Catholic high school's football team, the Malvern Prep Friars.
David Boreanaz graduated from Ithaca College with a degree from the Roy H. Park School of Communications. He awarded the Young Alumni award in 2001 from Ithaca College and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from college.
Career
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 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" (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). In the dark yet hilarious series, Angel was a vampire dweller of that netherworld. The two had an on-and-off love affair for three seasons until Angel left town to search for redemption in 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". 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" (2005). The chemistry between the two opposing forces was an immediate hit.
Boreanaz also has a notable film career. He played supporting roles in several films, including "These Girls", "Mr. Fix It" and "Suffering Man’s Charity". His only starring role in film came in 2001, when he appeared alongside Denise Richards and Katherine Heigl in the slasher horror film "Valentine".
Boreanaz can currently be seen in the independent sports drama "The Mighty Macs" opposite Carla Gugino and Ellen Burstyn. Boreanaz plays “Ed Rush,” whose wife coaches the Immaculata College women’s basketball team, turning a losing team into national champions. In addition to voicing the role of “Hal Jordan” (aka “The Green Lantern”) for the animated feature "Justice League: The New Frontier".
With a quiet intensity that plays well on both the small and big screen, David Boreanaz has continued to earn rave reviews as “Special Agent Seeley Booth,” opposite Emily Deschanel, in Fox’s Emmy nominated crime/drama hit “Bones.” David can soon be seen in the series seventh season. In addition to his starring role, he also stands in as director and took the helm for the series’ 100th episode, as well as last season’s “Blackout in the Blizzard” and “Bullet in the Brain” episodes. According to The Hollywood Reporter (9/12/05), the show’s appeal is driven by “Deschanel and Boreanaz. They've got some real heat in their partnership that elevates ‘Bones’...”
Boreanaz recently wrapped production for Most Films upcoming film, "Officer down" alongside Stephen Lang, Stephen Dorff, James Woods, Dominic Purcell and AnnaLynne McCord. Boreanaz will play Detective Les Scanlon; directed by Brian A. Miller, the film is slated for release in 2012.
Filmography
FILM:
- Macabre Pair of Shorts (1996)
- Valentine (2001)
- I'm With Lucy (2002)
- The Hard Easy (2005)
- The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
- These Girls (2005)
- Mr. Fix It (2006)
- Suffering Man's Charity (2007)
- The Mighty Macs (2009)
TELEVISION:
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (regular, 1997-1999; recurring, 1999-2003)
- Angel (regular, 1999-2004)
- Bones (regular, 2005-present)