Boreanaz is returning to series TV with a starring role in "Bones," co-starring Emily Deschanel and TJ Thyne. Premiering on Fox on September 13, 2005, "Bones" focuses on forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan (Deschanel, "Boogeyman") and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) who work together to crack difficult cases. Dr. Brennan and her team of experts examine human remains and assist Booth in trying to identify victims and figure out the cause of death.
INTERVIEW WITH DAVID BOREANAZ AND EMILY DESCHANEL:
You two interact like you’ve been working together forever – or like an old married couple...
DAVID BOREANAZ: That’s the kind of relationship we’re gonna have to really explore, in this show especially. For me it’s what’s made it so interesting to kind of jump on board is that there is something behind each one of these characters. Instead of your typical crime procedural show, this is a show that investigates that but also investigates into [the characters]. You put a lot more into these characters, what their life is all about behind closed doors. Because basically people watching it are behind the closed doors, it gives it a sense of how these characters tick.
What sort of research did you do to play these characters?
DAVID BOREANAZ: I worked with an undercover police officer in Los Angeles. I had a chance a little bit to work with him, but I’m basing this character on a lot of different other things.
EMILY DESCHANEL: I had the opportunity to talk to Kathy Reichs who my character is based on. She was there and I asked her a lot of questions, and I’ve started reading. I didn’t read her books before I did the pilot because I didn’t want that to completely inform my character, because I’m not playing the character in her book, even though I’m named after the character in her book. I’m really playing her so it’s kind of complicated. But I’ve read a lot of books on forensic anthropology. I’m still reading. I just started reading some her books, which are very good and fascinating and all of my whole family has read all of her books. My mother was so excited when I got this role. She said, “I’ve read all of her books. It’s so exciting!” And then my aunt, of course, had read most of her books. My granny hadn’t read her books but now has read all of the books. Everyone’s reading books. The books are very popular.
DAVID BOREANAZ: I’ve got nine stacks and I’m just looking at them right now. Wondering, well, should I go there or not?
EMILY DESCHANEL: They’re interesting. The characters - it’s very different… I’m based on Kathy - a generalized version of Kathy Reichs - because my character also writes crime novels and stuff like that. It was wonderful. We had Kathy on the set a lot and then there was another forensic anthropologist at different times to make sure everything was set up correctly.
Emily, this is very different from anything you’ve done before. What made this series so special you just had to sign on?
EMILY DESCHANEL: I think it’s a very intelligent show. Personally, I was really drawn to a very strong female character; an intelligent woman who is extremely good at her job but has trouble relating in her personal life to people beyond her area of scientific expertise. And I feel like this has really smart dialogue back and forth. This repartee that the characters have - that really drew me in.
I think that the way Hart [Hanson], the creator of this show, melded different genres together was fascinating to me. I think it was really different than a lot of things you read because it’s not just a crime-solving forensic show. It’s not really just about solving the crime and you don’t really know anything about the people who are doing it. To me, that’s not that exciting as an actor to play that because there’s nothing really to do. I mean you can slip in little things, but it’s hard - it’s a frustrating job. But here you really know about the characters. You really find out about who they are. You know about their relationships with people, you see what they’re struggling with in their life, how they connect with the crimes and victims of the crimes that they’re solving and all of that.
