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Page 1 of 2 Occasionally, an actor will step onto the screen and into the guise of a very bad man, so convincingly – so unnervingly – audience members are left to wonder: was it acting, or did the eerie verisimilitude stem from a secreted demon locked deep within his brow? Yet, we rarely pause to wonder when an actor resonates as a resoundingly good character. Who doesn’t imagine Morgan Freeman sipping his morning tea, patio side, quietly optimistically, mulling the world, benevolence unwavering? Whose instinct – after seeing him tottering around as a bumble bee, and forlorn with love in Continental Divide – isn’t to suspect there’s more to the story or outright misquotation when we’re informed Gilda Radner was stonewalled a larger sweep on SNL because John Belushi firmly believe women aren’t funny?
Allowing oneself to be washed over with good vibes of an actor, just because he portrayed a swell guy is about as foolhardy as crushing on a fellow because of the bittersweet melody he played on his guitar.
And yet… … and yet, I cannot imagine Andy Hallett as anything short of extraordinarily wonderful. There is a certainty awake in my heart that his acquaintance would have been an absolute joy. 
| When a character is well-received, it is often said that viewers “fell in love”. There are any number of characters I could personally say it of. Most of them, however, clearly exist only within their allotted fiction. Once the book is closed, or the show ends, I’ll fondly reminisce, but rarely am I moved to wonder where a character might fit into other stories. The television series Angel was on top of its game when the final curtains were drawn. Amid the pangs of an end to the weekly dose of Buffyverse, was a small glimmer of hope: Lorne. Deep within the dregs of L.A. stood Caritas, a cozy karaoke bar run by The Host. Green flesh, red eyes and petite horns aside, The Host was the vision of swank. Always tailored in colorful suits and dapper neckerchief, The Host did more than sling the Cosmopolitans – he could peek into the futures and hearts of patrons… but only if they sang. A natural master of ceremonies, The Host was a marvelous creation. |
It was only during a four episode, season ending excursion, that The Host’s back story and name were revealed. Krevlorneswath of the Death Wok Clan (Lorne, for short) hailed from another dimension – a drab, violent, song-less world. Growing up, Lorne heard music in his head, which invited little more than ridicule from his brutish relatives. Longing for a land where people were free to be themselves, Lorne fled through a porthole to our world, and ended up opening a karaoke bar upon the very spot where he landed.
A character so grand, it’s easy to salivate for more. Clamor, the fans did. Lorne went from a two or three spot gig to a frequent guest, until he was finally bumped up to bonafide regular. Perhaps due to years of familiarity with the demon dressings of the Buffyverse, the deep crimson eyes and speckled green flesh didn’t really seem so out of place. Andy Hallett was simply, astonishingly, at ease in it. So much life breathed into the role, in fact, it is a pity Lorne doesn’t actually exist, a thousand miles from here, a demon with mad pipes, burning up the stage at a back alley bar. I doubt there are very many Angel viewers who, at some point along the series, didn’t experience risk or confusion in their lives and wish – just a little – they could drop in to Caritas for a swig and some divine direction. | 
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The legend of Lorne’s true origins has long been: Joss Whedon chanced into a blues revue, saw Hallett singing, and was inspired with the idea of Lorne. Somewhat true, but the reality is a bit more involved. In an interview with Israel’s TVE, Hallett revealed he came to Los Angeles with a friend, who happened to be a relative of Whedon. The group of friends frequented dodgy karaoke bars – and Whedon did see singing there, and the blues revue, and was inspired with Hallett towards the character of Lorne, but only offered an audition. As Whedon told him, flatly, “I was inspired by you – but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get it.” Luckily, Hallett brought an irrepressible charm to the character, and made it through.
Lorne wasn’t one to let the world get him down. Perhaps this world isn’t entirely a space where one is free to express themselves – but there is room in it for places which cater to such freedoms. Lorne’s little dive was one of them. One needn’t be a member of the Deathwok Clan to tire of peers passing judgment. Not all of us are bold enough to thrust out our chin, tell the system to bend itself sideways, tie on a glimmering neckerchief and do what makes us happy. Andy Hallett might have stopped a bit short of the deep purple suits, but he did take a chance that changed his life...
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