SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains information on critical plot developments on the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Daniel 'Danny' Strong grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, where he attended Mira Costa High School. He performed with the USC Rep. Company at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he starred in the world premiere of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (as Snoopy). His early TV roles include Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell - The New Class and the unaired pilot version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Danny has also appeared in Seinfeld, Third Rock from the Sun and as a recurring character in The TV series Clueless. But, it is his role as Jonathan in Buffy the Vampire Slayer that he is most well known. Keri Allan caught up with him as the final volume of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was about to be released on video...

Keri Allan: What has been like for you to see your role of Jonathan evolve over the show?

Danny Strong: Oh well its really been wonderful and gratifying you know, seeing it just increase, increase, increase. It was one of the first jobs I got after I graduated from theatre school, and I had one line on the pilot presentation, and you never think its gonna turn into anything, and you know it just keeps going and going and going. It has become the most helpful credit of my career so far. It's been great.

KA: How did you feel about the total character arc of Jonathan then?

DS: I thought it was a really well thought out arc, really. It completely came full circle and this character, this scared young teenager eventually growing into a man, and finally coming to peace with himself, and then he dies!

KA: I can imagine that it was quite gutting when you found out you died in the end, did you think you'd reach the end of the show?

DS: Yeah, yeah. Well you know you just never know. I was off it for an entire season at one point and so there was never a point where I expected anything, it would have been nice to get through to the end, but its not the way the cookie crumbles as they say.

KA: What's you're fondest memory of the show?

DS: I would say the fondest memory was working with Adam [Busch] and Tom [Lenk] , I had a great time with them, they were great fun. Well Adam was, not so much Tom - I'm just kidding Tommy! I really enjoyed working with them.

KA: Did you take anything from the set with you when you were last there?

DS: Not on my final time, but when I did the episode Superstar, I stole all the props that are like Jonathan's propaganda. So I've got a lot of those in my closet, and have given some to my mum.

KA: You should sell them on ebay, become a millionaire.

D: Yeah maybe! I have the Jonathan swimsuit calendar, I'm curious what that would go for...

KA: What was Superstar like to do? How did you feel when you found out you were going to be the star of that episode?

DS: I couldn't believe it, I was so flattered that they had the confidence in me to give me such a great role. But then when we shot it I was really sick which was a real drag, it's your big episode and you're sick all the time.

KA: How do you think overall that Buffy changed your life? Where are you going from here?

DS: Life is what happens when you're busy making plans as the good old John Lennon said. So I'll keep rolling with the punches, keep doing what I do, keep doing them the best I can, and maybe someone will hire me, and maybe they won't! I write so I keep myself busy, I'm always working on something, so it's almost the focus of my attention these days.

KA: Thank you for your time.

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer season 7.2 is available to buy on video from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment from 08 September 2003

You can buy this video now by clicking here. You pay £25.99 (RRP: £34.99)

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