Angel cast ended up 25 years after the spinoff series
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Here's what the "Angel" actors have doing since moving the action from Sunnydale to sunny Los Angeles.
By Danny Horn Published on October 5, 2024 09:00AM EDT
ANGEL, Vincent Kartheiser, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, 1999-2004
Photo: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
After three years of high school heroism on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), brooding bloodsucker Angel got his own spinoff series, becoming a private detective stalking the streets of a noir-ish Los Angeles. Premiering on the WB in 1999, Angel offered a darker and more mature take on Buffy's formula, as the lead character (David Boreanaz) wrestled with the evil within himself up until the series finale in 2004. Some even say this spinoff is better than the original.
The cast included Buffy veterans Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Spike (James Marsters), along with newcomers Gunn (J. August Richards) and Fred (Amy Acker). Some actors have also popped up in other Whedon projects over the years, including Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, and The Avengers.
Read on for Entertainment Weekly’s guide to where the Angel cast is now.
01
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David Boreanaz (Angel)
David Boreanaz stars in Warner Bros. drama "Angel; David Boreanaz attends the 2023 American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes
Frank Ockenfels/Online USA; Paul Morigi/Getty
David Boreanaz scored his career-defining role as Angel, an immortal vampire cursed with a soul, who moves from Sunnydale to Los Angeles to help people who have lost their way.
While Angel is tormented, Boreanaz considers himself lucky to get such a complex character. "It was all timing, really. [Angel] initially had an arc of six out of the 12 episodes. He was somebody who could be recurring and a love interest to Buffy,” he told EW in 2017. “It happened so quickly, but in order for things to happen quickly when you recognize them, you have to be ready; when it hits, it’s quick. When Buffy hit, I was in the right spot at the right time, but I had been struggling for years just to get in the door."
When Boreanaz hung up his fangs and left the Buffyverse, he stepped straight into another hit: the police procedural Bones (2005–2017), where his chemistry with Emily Deschanel kept things sizzling for 12 seasons. Boreanaz moved on to the military drama SEAL Team (2017–2024), which ends its seven-season run in October 2024.
Boreanaz married Playboy model Jaime Bergman in 2001; the pair have two children, Jaden and Bella.
02
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Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase)
1999 Charisma Carpenter Stars In The Tv Show "Angel.; Charisma Carpenter at New York Comic Con Activation
Getty; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty
Charisma Carpenter played Cordelia Chase, a former Sunnydale high school cheerleader who gains the ability to see visions of people in need.
After many years, Carpenter spoke out against Joss Whedon in 2021, accusing the showrunner of harassment. "Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel," she said in a statement. "While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me and alienate me from my peers. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation and, at times, destructively."
Carpenter left Angel during the fourth season, although she returned for the show's 100th episode. She joined season 2 of the high school noir Veronica Mars (2005–2006) as the new trophy stepmom of the infamous Casablancas family. On the big screen, she appeared in The Expendables (2010) and its 2012 sequel.
The actress has since guest-starred on Blue Bloods (2013), Sons of Anarchy (2014), Scream Queens (2015), and the Dynasty (2022) reboot. Recently, she returned to her signature role in the Audible audio drama Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, in which Cordelia becomes the new Slayer.
Carpenter wed Damian Hardy in 2002, but the pair split in 2008. They have one son, Donovan.
03
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Glenn Quinn (Allen Francis Doyle)
ANGEL, season 2, Glenn Quinn; ROSEANNE - "Gallery" 1993 Glenn Quinn
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Glenn Quinn was Allen Francis Doyle, a human-demon hybrid who receives visions from The Powers That Be.
The Irish actor was familiar to '90s viewers as Mark Healy, Becky's boyfriend (and later husband) on Roseanne (1990–1997). From there, he landed his role on Angel, although his character was killed in the ninth episode.
Quinn struggled for many years with substance abuse. He died in 2002 of an accidental overdose at age 32.
Boreanaz told EW in 2017 that he and Quinn became good friends during his time on the series. "The unfortunate circumstances of his plight and his choice took him into a different direction for which I was very oblivious to, but that was something that will always remain with me,” Boreanaz said. “I miss the guy, even to this day — just a remarkable human being and it’s sad the way it happened."
04
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Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)
ANGEL,2nd Season, Alexis Denisof; Alexis Denisof attend Park Elm at Century Plaza launch event
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Vivien Killilea/Getty
Alexis Denisof played Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who gets fired by the Watcher's Council and becomes a demon hunter working with Angel and Cordelia.
Wesley was introduced in Buffy’s third season as the title character’s replacement Watcher. Showrunner Joss Whedon later had Denisof reprise the role in the main cast of Angel for all five seasons.
After Angel, Denisof had recurring roles on How I Met Your Mother (2006–2014) and Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse (2009). Whedon also cast Denisof in The Avengers (2012), as a servant of Thanos, and Much Ado About Nothing (2012) as Benedick. The actor has since maintained his supernatural fantasy street cred on Grimm (2013–2015), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2019–2020), and Legacies (2019–2022).
In 2003, Denisof wed actress Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow on Buffy and Lily on How I Met Your Mother. They have two daughters, Satyana and Keeva.
05
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J. August Richards (Charles Gunn)
ANGEL, Vincent Kartheiser, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, 1999-2004
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
J. August Richards was Charles Gunn, a self-taught demon hunter who joins Angel's team and falls in love with Fred.
Richards talked to EW in 2000 about working on the Angel set: "It’s a tough schedule, 12-hour days and lots of night shoots. But the tone on the set is anything but dark. David [Boreanaz] is an 'up' kind of guy, which you certainly wouldn’t expect from watching the show. You forget that he has a smile, but he does."
After Angel wrapped, Richards had a recurring role as Deathlok on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2018) and booked gigs on the Law & Order spinoff Conviction (2006), the legal drama Notorious (2016), and the high school dramedy Generation (2021). He recently returned to his monster-centric roots in Peacock’s adaptation of Vampire Academy (2022).
In 2023, Richards married model Joshua Gbor.
06
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Amy Acker (Winifred “Fred” Burkle)
ANGEL, Amy Acker, 1999-2004; Amy Acker attends the Lionsgate's "Ordinary Angels" New York Premiere
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Amy Acker played Fred Burkle, who survives captivity in another dimension and becomes a member of Angel Investigations.
Acker followed that breakout performance with a key role in the final season of Alias (2005–2006). She costarred in Whedon’s Dollhouse and was the writer-director’s Beatrice in his big-screen take on Much Ado About Nothing, while also scoring a bit part in the Whedon-penned The Cabin in the Woods (2012).
The Texas native found a home on network TV as the hacker/assassin Root in Person of Interest (2012–2016) before moving on to the superhero series The Gifted (2017–2019), set in Marvel's X-Men universe. Recently, she had a recurring role in 9-1-1: Lone Star (2022).
Acker and actor James Carpinello got married in 2003. They have a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Ava.
07
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Andy Hallett (Lorne)
ANGEL, Andy Hallet, 1999-2004; Andy Hallett
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Albert L. Ortega/WireImage
Andy Hallett played Lorne, an empathy demon who owns a karaoke bar and reads people's futures while they sing.
Unsurprisingly, it was Hallett's gifts as a singer that earned him the role. At the time, he was working as a personal assistant to Whedon's then-wife, Kai Cole. The star showrunner reportedly came up with the character after seeing him sing. Hallett appeared off-and-on as the golden-voiced demon beginning in season 2 before officially joining the main cast in season 4.
Soon after finishing his work on Angel, Hallett developed a heart condition that kept him from acting, although he remained in touch with fans at genre conventions. He died in 2009 from congestive heart failure at age 33.
Costar J. August Richards spoke to EW in 2019 about Hallett's passing: "He brought so much to the table. He was the life of the party and made us all laugh. He was a beautiful man."
08
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James Marsters (Spike)
ANGEL, James Marsters, 1999-2004; James Marsters attends the red carpet and Q&A for Amazon Freevee's "Casa Grande"
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Albert L. Ortega/Getty
James Marsters played Spike, a punk vampire who gradually transitioned from villain to hero on Buffy. After two prior appearances in seasons 1 and 2, he officially joined the Angel cast in season 5, quickly developing dynamic onscreen chemistry with Boreanaz.
Marsters has been a genre mainstay on TV ever since, from the supervillain Brainiac on Smallville (2005–2010), to a guest spot on Torchwood (2008), to recurring appearances as terrorist Barnabas Greeley in Syfy's Caprica (2010). He took on a major role in Hulu’s Runaways (2017–2019) as yet another supervillain, Victor Stein, and recently reunited with costar Charisma Carpenter for the podcast series, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.
Marsters was married to Liane Davidson from 1989 to 1997; they have a son, Sullivan. He later married Patricia Rahman in 2011, but they split in 2021.
09
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Vincent Kartheiser (Connor)
ANGEL, Vincent Kartheiser; Vincent Kartheiser poses during a photocall for the TV show "Das Boot"
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty
Vincent Kartheiser played Connor, Angel's human son who was locked away in a hell dimension until his teen years.
A few years after his stint on Angel, Kartheiser broke big as the smarmy, ambitious Pete Campbell in Mad Men (2017–2015). Since then, he's had recurring roles on Hulu’s Casual (2016) and The Path (2018), as well as Netflix's sci-fi head trip The OA (2019). Most recently, he played Dr. Jonathan Crane — a.k.a. Scarecrow — in season 3 of Titans (2021).
The actor has spent some time on the big screen as well, appearing in Alpha Dog (2006) and In Time (2011), alongside Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.
Kartheiser married actress Alexis Bledel, with whom he shares one son, in 2014. They divorced in 2022.
10
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Mercedes McNab (Harmony Kendall)
ANGEL, Mercedes McNab, (Season 5), 1999-2004; Mercedes McNab attends WhedonCon 2018 held at Warner Center Marriott
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Mercedes McNab was Harmony Kendall, a former resident of Sunnydale who gets turned into a vampire and comes to work as Angel’s assistant when he takes over Wolfram & Hart.
McNab first garnered attention in Addams Family Values (1993) as a snobby camper who looks down on Wednesday. The Canadian actress appeared sporadically as Harmony for five years on Buffy before making the move to Angel in its fifth season. Once her time in the Buffyverse was complete, she appeared in the slasher film Hatchet (2006) and booked a handful of guest spots on the small screen, including Reaper (2007), Supernatural (2007), and Psych (2008).
McNab married real-estate developer Mark Henderson in 2012 and has not acted since. The couple share a daughter and a son.
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