I’m not going to pretend that I was a big follower of actor / singer Andy Hallett’s work before or after his work on Angel as Lorne. Truth be told, Angel was the overwhelming highlight of his rather short career in Hollywood and once that show ended, I hadn’t heard nor seen another thing that Hallett had been in since.
It’s nonetheless shocking, though, to hear that he died yesterday at the age of 33 from heart failure.
A quick perusal of his bio reveals that he was an actor and singer, originally from Osterville, MA who moved to L.A. like so many of us in this town to pursue the Hollywood crapshoot. But he was a fixture on Angel – which is one of my all-time favorite shows – and I did quite enjoy his work as the soul-reading, karaoke bar-owning demon and later member of the Fang Gang. The character was one of Whedon’s more unique on the show and Hallett filled him with a fun easiness that only added to the show’s charm. He did the recurring guest / de facto regular cast member bit before being made a legit regular in Season 5.
Andy Hallett’s passing won’t get anywhere near the press that other, more famous actors who pass away young get. So I just wanted to pay my respects from a fan perspective rather than some soulless news blurb on an entertainment website. For four seasons or so, Hallett was a valued cast member of a great show that likewise was gone just a bit before its time. Hallett had battled the heart condition that took his life for five years and for his friends and family, I’m sure that this is a devastating loss. My condolences to them.
If Lorne were here, I’m sure he’d be able to read in his fans that we valued his work on the show and wish him a peaceful journey. And we wouldn’t even need to sing.