No Angel
by Staff
Charisma Carpenter discovered a role to get her teeth into when she was cast as high school bitch Cordelia Chase in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Now the talented young actress has spread her wings by bringing Cordelia into young adulthood in the spin-off series, Angel.
Carpenter was discovered by an agent when she was working as a waitress in Los Angeles, saving for her college education. She appeared in more than 20 commercials before her crucial screen breakthrough with a guest apparence on the TV series Baywatch. Carpenter then landed an audition for Aaron Spelling, who cast her in the role of Ashley in the series Malibu Shores. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Carpenter's family moved to Mexico when she was 15. Now she lives in Los Angeles with her two golden retrievers.
Dreamwatch:
When you were very young you didn't like your
name, why was that?
Charisma Carpenter:
That was because it was different. Kids can
be cruel and they made fun of my name but I don't think there were any tears
shed. So I went by Chrissy and then I suppose I grew into my name and started
using it. Now I love it. I'd really love for people to know that is my real name
and not a stage name.
Where you really named after a fragrance?
My grandmother bought my mother some perfume. It was a few days after my birth
and I had still been un-named. My mother loved the name of the perfume, but
hated the fragrance. I think it's a lovely word.
You did ballet dancing from the age of five.
Was that a great passion?
When I was younger I was totally interested in dance, but I know that I did not
want to be a professional. I had thew ability but not the heart for it. I didn't
have the passion. It is hard work and doesn't pay that well. A lot is riding on
your physical appearance and your weight.
You originally auditioned for the role of
Buffy. Are there any regrets for not getting the part?
No. I had no regrets about not getting the part of Buffy but the media likes to
make a big deal out of it. It's all just a question of someone being right for a
part, of getting the right peg in the right slot. I wasn't upset. It is a
testament to the fact that I was chosen for the right part because it has grown
so much and is now such a pivotal part of Angel.
Why do you think that you were chosen for the
role of Cordelia?
I think they may have had a certain look in mind Cordelia and Buffy... a blonde
and a brunette. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time. Or
a case of preparedness meeting opportunity.
Why was it decided to create the spin-off
series Angel?
The spin-off came about, I believe, because they thought that Angel was a strong
character with great potential. But they did not know how people would respond,
and there was a great response. So around the second season of Buffy they
asked me to do it.
You are obviously an action girl because you
go rock climbing, horse riding, and sky diving?
I like sports, but I only did sky diving once. I enjoyed the thrill of that. It
was sometimes that I was really excited to do, and at the same time I was
terrified. If I'm scared of something I set out to try and conquer it. I was
probably the weakest link in the show at the beginning because I was so nervois
that I wanted to be sick all the time. So it was a challenge for me to overcome
those fears. I think I have done that althugh I still have my moments.
You write poetry, which suggest that you are
also a very sensitive person?
Poetry releases another side of me. I also do a lot of stream of consciousness
writing. I wouldn't say that I doodle. It's just something that I do for myself.
Might I try and write a script someday? I will never say never because all
things are possible. But that's not what my focus is on right now.
After college you went traveling around
Europe. Was that very adventurous?
I got so much out of all of that. I was never afraid of going into Europe
because I had a friend in Germany. What I got most of all from great experience
was that travel makes the world seem smaller. Everybody should have the
privilege of traveling. They do more in Europe and I guess that, as a result,
European kids are more sophisticated.
Why do you think Angel has been such a
succes?
I guess that people like the redemption theme
in the show and that it is a little more adult.
Do the fans get mixed up about you and your
TV character?
It's not as though I am Brad Pitt. I certainly have never encountered anything
negative. I'm sure that there is a lot of confusion between me and Cordelia.
They'll ask, "Why did you do that to Angel?" or "When are you going to be nice
to Buffy?" That sort of thing does happen a lot but it's harmless.
What is your ambition?
I want to be married and have a children. I'm
also thinking that some time I might go back to college and finish my education.