Charisma Carpenter

Charisma Carpenter starred as Cordelia Chase, a mystical seer of visions who still harbors the dream of being discovered by Hollywood.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Carpenter moved with her family to Mexico when she was 15. She had studied classical ballet since the age of 5 and pursued dancing as part of her high school curriculum by commuting between Mexico and San Diego to take classes at the School of the Creative and Performing Arts.

Carpenter did not initially intend to pursue a career in acting, but fate intervened when she was discovered by a commercial agent while waitressing in Los Angeles to save for her college education. Since then, she has appeared in more than 20 commercials.

Her first break in television came with a guest appearance on the popular series Baywatch. Shortly thereafter, she landed an audition for Aaron Spelling, who cast her as a regular in the series Malibu Shores. It was from her role in the series, that she caught the eye of Buffy producers.

Carpenter originally auditioned for the role as the ass-kicking Slayer, the role that would eventually go to Sarah Michelle Gellar. Cordelia Chase became the part she was to play in Jossverse for seven glorious years. A character that was at first portrayed as selfish became the focus for fans who found her endearing.

Cordelia bid a not-so-fond farewell to Sunnydale after three years of fighting demons and vampires, but her days were not over when she reappeared in the sister show, Angel. Carpenter’s character became a pivotal member of the LA gang, where she fought alongside the vampire with a soul and their link to the Powers That Be, the Brachen demon, Doyle.

Doyle passed his mind blowing visions to Cordelia moments before his death, giving her the power to actively help Angel fight the good fight. Fans were transfixed as they watched the materialistic girl from Sunnydale transform herself into level-headed, caring Cordelia.

Carpenter was presented with a challenge in the fourth season when her character would become evil and turn on Angel & co. Despite being heavily pregnant, Carpenter continued in her role as Cordelia Chase and after the birth of her son, she reprised her role to appear in the 100th episode “You’re Welcome” in season five, which would be the last.

Carpenter moved on to make guest appearances in several episodes in the sweet comedy Miss Match. She also showed off her figure in a tasteful Playboy spread.

Carpenter currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif. with her husband and son and her two Golden Retrievers. A fitness enthusiast, her outdoor interests include rollerblading, rock climbing, hiking and sky diving.