For some reason, I wasn't able to get one good picture of Andy Hallett, the Host, but here they are anyway.
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Andy and Mark Lutz, the Groosalugg
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Andrew wants us to know that the first three new episodes of Angel will be a blast. He said he couldn't say more, but emphasized that they would be "a blast".
He promises that Cordy's character will be developed more this season and confirms that she is great to work with and a great gal.
He described Mercedes (Harmony) McNab as "a trip" and said she is a really funny person.
J. August (Gunn) Richards is the only actor that can suggest his own lines and get them rewritten, if something sounds more street-wise to him. Andy does get to suggest some of his own songs.
Andrew is also appearing in Amber (Tara) Benson's upcoming film "Chance". He plays a singer in a club that falls in love with Amber, but the course of their love is a rough one. Amber starred, wrote and directed the film. James (Spike) Marsters also plays in it.
In the last episodes of last season, Joss Whedon played Loren's brother, Numfar, who did the dance of joy. Joss wanted to trick Andy by pretending to be his "biggest fan" and gushing all over him. Andy was unsuspecting, but David Boreanaz saw through the disguise. Joss was really mad at David for spoiling the joke after he had spent hours in make-up.
Mark Lutz, the Groosalugg, said he had a great time on the set. He kept kidding Cordy about her outfit, which was mostly a string of small metal coin-like pieces, by asking her if she could spare some change.
Mark says that they tried to color his skin. They tried blue, silver and gold, but nothing worked out and they decided to leave him bare. He liked Conan stories when he was younger, so he actually enjoyed wearing the revealing warrior-like outfit.
Mark is working on the new X-Mutant project based on the X-Men comics.
Mark says that in Andy's small hometown of Osterville, Massachusetts, Andy is as well known as the Mayor. Everywhere he goes people stop him to talk.
Andy was raised as a Catholic schoolboy and now has all the priests in Worchester, Mass. watching Buffy and Angel. His dad also watches and writes Andy a critique after every episode.
Joss saw Andy singing in a club and began to get the idea for the Host character. About six months later they met by coincidence in the LA airport and Joss mentioned that he might have a role for Andy. Most of the season though Andy was only hired from week to week.
Andy said that he knew his character was working out when they wrote "#35 Happy Anniversary" about the Host teaming up with Angel to save the world. He described sitting in the convertible with David, being towed down the streets of LA at 1 am with the cameras rolling and ordinary people on the sidewalks yelling at them. He said it was one of his favorite moments. Especially since driving is something that he does to relax.
Andy tells us that he is signed for 13 episodes next season and might get more.
