John Bosley (fictional detective)
Encyclopedia
John Bosley is a fictional character in the 1976-1981 television series Charlie's Angels
. He was portrayed by David Doyle.
He, along with Kelly Garrett
(actress Jaclyn Smith
), is the only character who stayed with the Townsend Agency for the show's entire five-season run.
The character of John Bosley also appeared - played by Bill Murray
- in the 2000 Charlie's Angels film
and played by Bernie Mac
in the sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
. In the 2011 television reboot, Bosley is portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez.
in the series.
Most of the Angels found themselves romantically involved at one time or another with someone they encountered on the job, and Bosley is no exception. In one early episode, Bosley mentions a wife, but by the second season he "has not been married for some time", and he became linked with several females encountered in cases, although always those of middle age. One particularly close relationship occurred when the Angels visited Aspen, Colorado
in season three. However, these liaisons never seemed to last beyond the episode, and otherwise, we learn little about Bosley's private life. He remains a father figure to the Angels. Ironically, although Bosley is proficient with firearm
s, disguises, and accents, his actions occasionally hampered the Angels' work. In one episode, Bosley, acting as an auction
eer, gets caught up in the excitement and mistakenly sells valuable merchandise not to an Angel as per the plan, but to an actual bidder; this ruined the Angels' plan to catch a cat burglar
.
".), he helped direct the Angels meet Charlie's desired ends in the series where most men were villains and women were often victims (outside the Angels themselves). Several times he played either a pratfall
-type character, the buffoon, or a Sugar Daddy
as part of one of the Angels' cover
s. Bosley always initiates the phone conferences between Charlie and the Angels as they learn of each case. He also acts as a bumbling father figure
to the ladies. Schwichtenberg described Bosley as a "narrative pimp" - with the sole male character (Bosley) an asexual "eunuch", the male viewer is free to desire the Angels without feeling threatened. Writing for the New York Times in 2000, Molly Haskell noted that critics, more so than the fans, saw Bosley and Charlie "more as procurers than protectors" and that the two male characters and the Angels "fell into pimp-prostitute roles along traditional gender lines".
for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and a 1980 Golden Globe Award
for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role.
, John Bosley was played by Bill Murray
, and then in the sequel, a new character, John's adoptive brother Jimmy Bosley (late comedian Bernie Mac
), replaced him. Murray's take on the stodgy and avuncular Bosley character was more buffoon-like, giving rambling speeches of little or no help to the Angels. Murray's Bosley was well received; the Washington Post described him as "very funny as the Angels' fussy, butler-esque helper", but considered the fact that this was "only because Murray's funnier than the role written for him".
For the first film, Drew Barrymore
, the producer and star of the film series, pursued Murray for months to play Bosley; he consistently declined. Eventually, he did the film but did not return for the sequel. Murray clashed with co-star Lucy Liu
on the set; the two eventually made up, but Murray didn't want to work again with her, fearing that they may have another clash despite the success of the first film.
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
. He was portrayed by David Doyle.
He, along with Kelly Garrett
Kelly Garrett
Kelly Garrett is one of six female fictional private detectives in the 1976–1981 television series Charlie's Angels. She was portrayed by Jaclyn Smith, who also portrayed the character in the 1977 pilot episode of The San Pedro Beach Bums and reprised the role in a cameo in the 2003 film Charlie's...
(actress Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith
Jacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best-known for the role of Kelly Garrett in the television series Charlie's Angels, and was the only original female lead to remain with the series for its complete run...
), is the only character who stayed with the Townsend Agency for the show's entire five-season run.
The character of John Bosley also appeared - played by Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
- in the 2000 Charlie's Angels film
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
and played by Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
in the sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
. In the 2011 television reboot, Bosley is portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez.
Original series
In early episodes, Bosley takes a playfully antagonistic role to the Angels. He also frets about vacation days, car damages, and timeliness when the opportunity arises. Bosley is apparently the only Townsend Agency employee to have ever met Charlie, and he remains steadfast in never revealing Charlie's identity, or even a clue as to what he looks like. This was a running jokeRunning gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the series.
Most of the Angels found themselves romantically involved at one time or another with someone they encountered on the job, and Bosley is no exception. In one early episode, Bosley mentions a wife, but by the second season he "has not been married for some time", and he became linked with several females encountered in cases, although always those of middle age. One particularly close relationship occurred when the Angels visited Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
in season three. However, these liaisons never seemed to last beyond the episode, and otherwise, we learn little about Bosley's private life. He remains a father figure to the Angels. Ironically, although Bosley is proficient with firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s, disguises, and accents, his actions occasionally hampered the Angels' work. In one episode, Bosley, acting as an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
eer, gets caught up in the excitement and mistakenly sells valuable merchandise not to an Angel as per the plan, but to an actual bidder; this ruined the Angels' plan to catch a cat burglar
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
.
Critic's analysis
John Bosley (often nicknamed "Boz") is portrayed as a middle-aged man of average looks, especially when contrasted with the glamorous "Angels". However, he is warm, funny, and intelligent, and often helps the Angels either with background information, or often joining them in the field. Seemingly asexual (and thus unthreatening - Bosley has been described as an "indulgent eunuchEunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
".), he helped direct the Angels meet Charlie's desired ends in the series where most men were villains and women were often victims (outside the Angels themselves). Several times he played either a pratfall
Physical comedy
Physical comedy, also known as slapstick, is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall , a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy...
-type character, the buffoon, or a Sugar Daddy
Age disparity in sexual relationships
Age disparity in sexual relationships refers to sexual relations between people with a significant difference in age. Whether these relationships are accepted and the question of what counts as a significant difference in age has varied over time; and varies over cultures, different legal systems,...
as part of one of the Angels' cover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
s. Bosley always initiates the phone conferences between Charlie and the Angels as they learn of each case. He also acts as a bumbling father figure
Father Figure
"Father Figure" is the U.S. number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records in 1988 as the third single from the album Faith.-History:...
to the ladies. Schwichtenberg described Bosley as a "narrative pimp" - with the sole male character (Bosley) an asexual "eunuch", the male viewer is free to desire the Angels without feeling threatened. Writing for the New York Times in 2000, Molly Haskell noted that critics, more so than the fans, saw Bosley and Charlie "more as procurers than protectors" and that the two male characters and the Angels "fell into pimp-prostitute roles along traditional gender lines".
Recognition
David Doyle was nominated for a 1977 Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and a 1980 Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role.
Film series
In the Charlie's Angels filmCharlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
, John Bosley was played by Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
, and then in the sequel, a new character, John's adoptive brother Jimmy Bosley (late comedian Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
), replaced him. Murray's take on the stodgy and avuncular Bosley character was more buffoon-like, giving rambling speeches of little or no help to the Angels. Murray's Bosley was well received; the Washington Post described him as "very funny as the Angels' fussy, butler-esque helper", but considered the fact that this was "only because Murray's funnier than the role written for him".
For the first film, Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
, the producer and star of the film series, pursued Murray for months to play Bosley; he consistently declined. Eventually, he did the film but did not return for the sequel. Murray clashed with co-star Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
on the set; the two eventually made up, but Murray didn't want to work again with her, fearing that they may have another clash despite the success of the first film.