Cordelia
-Character Profile-
(From DVD Buffy The Vampire Slayer Collection : Cordelia)
 

CHARISMA CARPENTER: My name is Charisma Carpenter, and I play the character Cordelia Chase.

CORDELIA

CHARISMA CARPENTER: Cordelia was an only child from a broken home. She was really confident and self-reliant. She knew her weaknesses and her resources.

- Cordelia:<<Being this popular is not just my right, but my responsibility, and I want you to know I take it very seriously.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: She knew how and when to use them. Very manipulative.

- Harmony:<<C. For “Cordelia?”>>
Cordelia: <<No, C for “Wilma”, little brain.Of course C for “Cordelia”. This way, people will associate me with something sweet. Here’s a chocolate…Oh, I don’t think I need the loony-fringe vote.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: I love that about her. Brutally honest. Tells you like it is.

- Giles:<<I don’t recall ever seeing you here before.>>
Cordelia: <<Oh, no, I have a life.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: And at first, it was venomous, without thought. It was bluh all over you with the truth, whether you wanted to hear it or not.

- Cordelia:<<What’s going on here? Did Scott not ask her to the homecoming dance yet?>>
Buffy:<<Thanks, Cordelia. Humiliation’s really good for my colour.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: It’s such a Cordelia thing to say, but the clothes were fabulous! It was very important to be distinguished from Buffy’s character.
Since my character was like Cruella De Vil, it was important that my hair stayed dark.

- Cordelia:<<I don’t see what the big deal is.>>
Buffy:<<I’m not making a big deal. You wanted the orchid. You got the orchid.>>
Cordelia:<<It goes with my complexion better.>>
Buffy:<<It does have that sallow tint.>> -

SEASON 1, EPISODE 11
"OUT OF MIND, OUT OF SIGHT"

JOSS WHEDON: It’s strange for a show called Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but reality is always the most important thing that we deal with.

- Cordelia:<< Hi. Did you see Mitch? He broke up with Wendy seconds ago, and he’s already nosing around.>>
Harmony:<<It’s shameless.>>
Cordelia:<<In the spring, if he makes varsity baseball, maybe I’ll take him on a test drive.>>
Invisible girl:<< Hi, guys.>>
Cordelia:<< What do you want?>> -

JOSS WHEDON: It limits us in terms of the scope of what we can do and how many fun moves we can make in a story. We have to keep it grounded.

- Cordelia:<<I know we’ve had our differences with you being so weird and all and hanging out with these total losers…Somebody is after me. They just tried to kill Mrs Miller. She was helping me with my homework. And Mitch and Harmony…This is all about me! Me, me, me!>>
Xander:<<Wow! For once she’s right.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: It was difficult because you didn’t want to lose her edge, which was so entertaining, but at the same time, she had to be likable.

- Cordelia:<<Are you saying she’s invisible because she so unpopular?>>
Buffy:<<That about sums it up.>>
Cordelia:<<Bummer for her. It’s awful to feel that lonely.>>
Buffy:<<You’ve read something about the feeling?>>
Cordelia:<<Hey, you think I’m never lonely because I’m so cute and popular? I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone. People just wanna be in the popular zone. Sometimes when I talk, everyone’s so busy agreeing with me, they don’t hear a word I say.>>
Buffy:<<Well, if you feel so alone, then why do you work so hard at being popular?>>
Cordelia:<<Well, it beats being alone all by yourself.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: It would make no sense to hang out with somebody that insulted you all the time.

- Cordelia:<<Look, I didn’t get a chance to say anything yesterday, with the coronation and everything, but I guess I just wanted to say thank you…all of you.>> -

SEASON 2, EPISODE 10
"WHAT’S MY LINE PART 2"

CHARISMA CARPENTER: The character change from first to second season had to do with the relationship with Xander, bringing her more into the Scooby Gang…

- Cordelia:<<Do you have anything in raisin? You wouldn’t think so, but I’m both a winter and a summer.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: One of my favourite scenes was the scene where the worm demon was after us, and we were in Buffy’s basement and we were afraid of the worm guy to get us…

- Xander:<<What’s up?>>
Cordelia:<<He’s a salesman, and he was just leaving. Right? Ok, bye-bye. Thank you.>>
Xander:<<Ok, Mary Kay, time to…>> -

JOSS WHEDON: The idea that this plain and sweet-looking guy walks into a house and we hear a bloodcurdling scream, is always the most fun.

- Xander:<<Time to run.>> -

JOSS WHEDON: Then to justify it, basically, with him turning into a bunch of goopy worms, which is one of the nicer and grosser things we managed to do, is just very pleasing.

- Xander:<<Find something to cover the crack under the door!>>
Cordelia:<<Uh…here! I don’t to worms.>> -

JOSS WHEDON: The idea was to have them in peril so terrible – Xander and Cordelia – that they would have no choice but to fall into each other’s arms. And worm guy being our worst one, it seemed perfect for that.

- Xander:<<Could you sit down? You’re making me queasy.>>
Cordelia:<<You should be thinking up a plan.>>
Xander:<<I have a plan. We wait. Buffy saves us.>>
Cordelia:<<How will she even know where to find us?>>
Xander:<<This is Buffy’s house. She’ll find us.>>
Cordelia:<<What if she doesn’t? What I’m supposed to do? Waste away here with you? No, thanks.>>
Xander:<<What are you doing?>>
Cordelia:<<Seeing if he’s gone.>>
Xander:<<What if he isn’t?>>
Cordelia:<<You think we should slack here and hope that somebody else decides to be a hero? Sorry! Forgot I was stranded with a loser!>>
Xander:<<I never forgot I’m stuck with the numb-brain who let Mr Mutant in the house!>>
Cordelia:<<He looked normal!>>
Xander:<<He is supposed to have the word “assassin” over his head? All it took was a prospect of a free makeover, and you licked his hand like a dog.>>
Cordelia:<<You know what? I’m going.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: That was really freaky, but I enjoyed it because Xander and Cordelia had a really nice moment.

- Xander:<<I’m not stopping you.>>
Cordelia:<<I bet you wouldn’t. I bet you’d let a girl go off to her doom all by herself.>>
Xander:<<Not just any girl. You’re special.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: We’re fighting, and there’s so much sexual tension, that finally they just glob on to each other and have at it. They just kiss and get it over with.

- Xander:<<Three more seconds with you, and I’m gonna…>>
Cordelia:<<I’m gonna what? Coward.>>
Xander:<<Moron.>>
Cordelia:<<I hate you!>>
Xander:<<I hate you!>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: That was just so much fun and Nicky is just the best actor to work with. He’s just so genius without even trying.

- Cordelia:<<Get ‘em off! Get ‘em off of me! Let’s get out of here! Come on, let’s go! OK!>> -
 

SEASON 3, EPISODE 5
"HOMECOMING"

- Cordelia:<<Hi. I hope you’ll consider me for homecoming queen.>> -

MARTI NOXON: “Homecoming” was fun because it’s stuff a lot of teenage girls are concerned with.

- Cordelia:<<I’m under a lot of pressure here.>>
Buffy:<<Oh, yeah, campaigning, Rough gig.>>
Cordelia:<<What would you know about it? Just because you were guacamole queen doesn’t mean you understand this.>>
Buffy:<<Obviously it involves handing out entirely lime fliers.>>
Cordelia:<<No. It involved being part of this school and having actual friends.>> -

MARTI NOXON: It was fun to lampoon that and get into it, that this felt so life-and-death to them, then became literally life and death.

- Cordelia:<< Like to see you try to win the crown.>>
Buffy:<<You would?>>
Cordelia(scroffs)
Buffy:<<Then you will.>>
Cordelia:<<What does that mean?>>
Buffy:<<I’ll show you how it’s done. I’m gonna run for homecoming queen, and I’m going to win.>>
Cordelia:<<This is starting to be sad.>>
Buffy:<<Sorry, Cordy. You have no idea who you’re messing with.>>
Cordelia:<<What? The Slayer?>>
Buffy:<<I’m not talking about the Slayer. I’m talking about Buffy. You’ve awakened the prom queen within. And that crown is going to be mine.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: That was such a great show, but it was very hard to film. Very physical.

- Vampire:<<Faith, Buffy, have a nice death.>>
Cordelia:<<Hello? How stupid are you people? She’s a slayer. I’m a homecoming queen!>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: That was the first time I’d spent a lot of time with Sarah and our characters and getting to know my character more through that.

- Cordelia:<< Why is it every time I go somewhere with you, it always ends in violence and terror?>>
Buffy:<<Welcome to my life.>>
Cordelia:<<I don’t wanna be in your life. I wanna be in my life.>>
Buffy:<<Well, there’s the door. Please feel free to walk out at any time with your life.>>
Cordelia:<<All I wanted was to be homecoming queen.>>
Buffy:<<And that’s all I wanted too, Cordelia.>>
Cordelia:<<Why do you care about homecoming when you do stuff like this?>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: It was fun. We were at each other the whole time and really competitive, like I wasn’t thinking for myself enough.

- Cordelia:<<You think if you get me mad enough, I won’t be so scared. And, hey, it’s working. Where’s a damn weapon?>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: I thought that I could take care of myself, and she very much made it clear that I did need her, and I was able to trust in her because I found that I could rely on her.

- Xander:<<Oh, God. What did you two do to each other?>>
Buffy:<<Long story.>>
Cordelia:<<Got hunted.>>
Buffy:<<Apparently not that long. Tell you one thing, though: you don’t wanna mess with Cordelia.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: She deepened a lot that season because it gave her a third dimension.

- Cordelia:<<After all that we’ve been through, this who-gets-to-be-queen capade seems…>>
Buffy:<<Damn important.>>
Cordelia:<<Oh, yeah.>>
A guy:<<And the winner is…Hey, I believe we have a first for Sunnydale High. We have a tie. The winners are Holly Charleston and Michelle Blake.>> -

SEASON 3, EPISODE 20
"THE PROM"

MARTI NOXON: “The Prom” was interesting because we did wrap up an arc and make some big decision and sort of send characters on their way.

- Xander:<<Ok, how long does it take you to buy a damn dress?>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: You got more insight to what she felt, what her heart side outside of the materialistic end of her character.

- Cordelia:<<I’m considering things more carefully nowadays. I don’t wanna get stuck with another dud.>>
Xander:<<Well, this should work for ya. It positively screams “nympho”.>>
…:<<Is this a customer or a friend?>>
Xander:<<Neither. Just stopped by for my daily helping of bile.>>
…<<Get back to work and quit goofing. Mrs Finkel so has it in for you.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: When you see a whole person in all of their glory and all their garbage, they just seems more human and relatable.

- Cordelia:<<Yes, I work here.>>
Xander:<<But why?>>
Cordelia:<<I’m trying to buy a dress.>>
Xander:<<But don’t you already have all the dresses?>>
Cordelia:<<I have nothing, OK? No dresses, no cell phone, no car. Everything had been taken away because Daddy made a little mistake on his taxes…for the last 12 years. Satisfied? Are you happy Xander now? I’m broke. I can’t go to college, and I can’t stay home because we no longer have one.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: The dress shop, that was the last scene that I ever did on that show, ever. Last time I worked with Nicky. That was a sad time.

- Xander:<<Wow.>>
Cordelia:<<Yeah, neato. Now you can tell all of your friends how Cordy finally got hers. How she has to work part time just to get a lousy prom dress on layaway. And how she has to wear a name tag. I’m a name-tag person. Don’t leave that out. The story just wouldn’t have the same punch.>> -

MARTI NOXON: Season three was about growing up, maturing in a relationship. We got to that place in “The Prom”.

- …:<<Don’t forget your dress. Aren’t you wearing in tonight?>>
Cordelia:<<As much as I hate to admit it, I haven’t finished paying for it yet.>>
…<<Well, somebody did.>>
Cordelia:<<What? Who?>> -

MARTI NOXON: It resonated for a lot of people.

- Xander:<<Cordelia, Wesley. My God in heaven, it’s good to see you. How are you both? And details, please.>>
Wesley:<<Very well, thank you.>>
Cordelia:<<Yes, thank you.>>
Xander:<<It looks good on you.>>
Cordelia:<<Well, duh.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: It wouldn’t be true to the story if I were to change the way Cordelia was written and her humour and how she’s so truthful. It’s like she drinks truth serum. I don’t think there was a place for it.

- Cordelia:<<How does your pathetic need to recapture your glory give you the right to splinter my vote?>>
Buffy:<<How can you think it’s OK to talk like this? Do you have parents?>>
Cordelia:<<Yeah, two of them, unlike some people.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: For a long time, fans didn’t really respond to me, and I didn’t know if that was because I was so scary as a character or what.

- Cordelia:<<Behold, the weirdness.>>
Buffy:<<You’re probably wondering what I’m doing with this.>>
Cordelia:<<Wow. I’m not.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: I still was considered, I think, as much of an insider as an outsider can be on Buffy.

- Xander:<<”Disassembled.” That means when he’s broken down into his buggy parts.>>
Cordelia:<<I know what it means, dork-head.>>
Xander:<<Dork-head? You slash me with your words.>> -

CHARISMA CARPENTER: What was so interesting about Cordelia is that we didn’t know at the time that she was a lot deeper than she is. When asked to rise to an occasion, she’s there. I’m like that too.

- Cordelia:<<Listen up, needle-brain. Buffy and I have taken out your cronies and your girlfriend.>>
Vampire:<<Wife!>>
Cordelia:<<Whatever. The point is, I haven’t broken a sweat. See, in the end, Buffy is just the runner-up. I’m the queen.>> -

(Images)

A CURA DI Cordy