Behind the Scenes

Andy Hallett ~ Actor, Singer

t's always shocking when somebody young passes away; we find it hard to believe that a person with so much ahead of them can be gone from us so soon. It's even harder to believe when that somebody is as vibrant, full of life and spirited a personality as Andy Hallett, 33, who passed away March 29th with his father by his side. Remembered to the wider world as Lorne - the vampire with a soul's emerald skinned, karaoke singing, wise cracking spiritual guru - he is remembered to fans as one entertaining, kind, hilarious, hell-of-a guy.

The veteran of no less than 76 of Angel's 110 episodes he stole hearts as Lorne from the very moment he first appeared on screen, surprising us all when instead of doing something predictably villainous the horned beast opened his mouth and started to croon Gloria Gaynor. He would continue to surprise us over the years; in a role created especially for him by Joss Whedon, Andy gave comedy, light entertainment but also some real emotion and depth to the character and series. Often it was Lorne who provided us with the wisdom as well as the soundtrack, and Hallett quickly proved himself as talented a dramatic actor as he was a comedian and vocalist.

Born in 1975, a native of Massachusetts, Hallett's love affair with singing didn't begin until he was inspired by legendary divas Diana Ross and Patti LaBelle - her hit Lady Marmalade became Andy's signature tune at conventions. His foray into acting started when Whedon saw him in a Universal City Blues revue and inspired by his performance conceived the character of Lorne. Although the heart disease that would eventually claim his life limited his acting career after Angel, Hallett starred in Chance, a feature written and directed by fellow Whedonverse resident Amber Benson, as well as Angel writer Mere Smith's The Enforcers. He also provided the voice of Cricket for the 2005 animation Geppetto's Secret.

Hallett as "The Host" Lorne with puppet Angel on the TV series Angel

But where Hallett really made it into the hearts and minds of Angel aficionados was the convention hall. The Angel cast and crew have always been known for their generous and gracious way with fans but Andy "The Green Con Queen" particularly stood out (to borrow a Season 5 episode title) as the life of the party. Chatting to every fan in line, making sure nobody missed their chance at an autograph or picture, always willing to grace his audience with a song; nobody could fail to laugh or smile at his wit and joie de vivre. His con stories were instant classics. If Andy Hallett couldn't put a grin on your face, nobody could.

Andy's voice can still be heard on the Angel soundtrack Live Fast Die Never, but his enduring swansong will be the joy and entertainment he brought to both television and live audiences. He was multi-talented and an outstanding entertainer, but beyond that he was an incredibly generous, down to earth and affable human being and it is that for which we remember him.

So here's to you, Andy - sing it one last time.

"Now, I can hold a note for a long time. Actually, I can hold a note forever, but eventually that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after and the one after that. That's what makes it music."
- Lorne, "Happy Anniversary", Season 2

"My personal memories of Andy, of course, go back to his convention appearances [in England] and in particular to Andy appearing in the role of Lorne for a marathon photo shoot [at End of Days], being able to watch from behind the scenes it was no small feat for Andy as we all battled to keep cool; the smiles and laughter kept coming. Hundreds of photographs later including a few special photos there was genuine concern from Andy (and Dayne) to make sure that no fan would go away without a photo. In recognising his ill health I don't think that any of us that had the pleasure of working with Andy would have expected that photo shoot to have become so well thought of by the convention going community - his dedication and efforts will I hope not go unrecognised.

Of course it was not to be my last meeting with Andy, later as part of his UK tour he took in small venues and I was lucky enough to see him in a much smaller venue in Grimsby, sat just a few feet from Andy we sang along as he talked more intimately to the fans and assembled audience - a skill I have not seen repeated by many." ~ David Sexton

Fans may send Condolence cards to:
Andy Hallett
PO Box 924
Osterville, Mass 02655

On the behalf of its entire staff, CityofAngel.com extends our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Andy Hallett.

If you have any comments for CityofAngel.com regarding this 'Memorial' tribute, we would love to hear from you. Just email us at: comments@CityofAngel.com