A lot of praise is heaped on Alexis Denisof and his portrayal of Wesley for the many changes he went through during the course of the show's five-year run. And deservedly so. He went from a bumbling, clumsy buffoon, who was more useful doing research than being out in the field, to a dual-wielding badass that didn't always need to rely on others to help him out of a jam. And Alexis Denisof made the progression seem all too real and well-earned. He explored every facet of Wesley's personality and always rose to the occasion, no matter what was asked of him. He could effectively portray a silly British guy who was prone to slapstick and pratfalls, a trodden-down little boy who's just looking for approval from his overly-critical father, a tortured anti-hero in a seemingly loveless relationship, or a quiet, reflective, yet still reliable friend who felt isolated and alone because of an unrequited love. Hell, he even portrayed "Angel" well on numerous occasions. And sometimes, he had to portray different versions of Wesley in the same episode. But he did so with ease. Alexis Denisof is definitely an amazing actor. However, so was everyone else on the show. The actors were always able to elevate the basic outlines of each of their character arcs. The nuances in their performances, as well as their cohesion as a unit, sold every moment and made each change feel natural. Even the villains were given great character development. They all went through various changes over the course of five seasons. Some of them even turned out to be good by the show's end. Or, at least, allies for certain fights. But they were all three-dimensional characters with rich histories and excellent motivations. And each one had a defining moment that made you rethink their character. And yet, even when they were working with Angel or showing new dimensions to their personalities, they still managed to retain their antagonistic tendencies and stay faithful to their characters. As opposed to just completely changing everything that made them interesting in the first place.
Ken is the writer/director of 'School Teen Drama': http://vimeo.com/139489. An avid watcher of movies and television, he currently writes a personal blog on his Facebook called 'Prose And Cons' that details his opinions on everything. In list form. He also infrequently hosts a video podcast on his YouTube Channel, SilverAndFriends. HA HA… Why not?
