And we just have to feature Charisma Carpenter in a Timeless Tuesday spot. I mean, you geeks out there have been crushing on her since the first time you saw her on Buffy The Vampire Slayer in 1997. Some of you may have forgotten her and how gorgeous she is. But that is one of the reasons why we have this Timeless Tuesday feature. To make you remember your crush from when you were a lot younger.
Who is Charisma Carpenter?
Charisma is an American actress who is probably best known as Cordelia Chase in the 90s series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel. She is a trained ballerina and a professional cheerleader.
Charisma was discovered by a commercial agent while she moonlights as a waitress in Los Angeles. She quickly transitioned from being a commercial model to being cast as one of the lead characters in a teen series. After her long stint in Buffy, she had recurring roles in other teen series such as Charmed, Veronica Mars, and Miss Match.
Charisma has also branched out into film, appearing in two of the Expendables movies as well as roles in over a dozen made-for-television movies.
Her Early Life
Charisma Lee Carpenter was born on 23 July 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her mother is of Spanish ancestry and her father is half-French and half-German. Charisma began studying classical ballet when she was 5 and she was a part of a performing arts group that was based in Las Vegas up until she was 9 years of age. Her family relocated to Baja California Mexico when she was 15.
Charisma went on a Europe tour after graduating in 1988. When she returned to the United States, she worked as a video store attendant, an aerobics instructor, and in the real estate business. Charisma worked as a cheerleader for the ‘San Diego Chargers’ in 1991, owing to her classical ballet training.
Career Journey Timeline
Charisma moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue higher education, with no apparent plans to work in the entertainment industry at the time. A commercial agent noticed her on Sunset Boulevard, where she was waiting tables to save for her college education. This was a turning point in Charisma’s life.
She appeared in over 20 commercials and was associated with Secret antiperspirants for two years. During this period, Charisma appeared in plays such as No, No, Nanette and Welcome Home, Soldier.
She debuted on television with Baywatch in 1994. Charisma appeared in only one episode but her performance bagged her one of the leads in the short-lived teen drama Malibu Shores in 1996.
Charisma auditioned for the title role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1996, while she was still filming Malibu Shores. Joss Whedon, on the other hand, had a different plan for her. Although she was initially disappointed by the casting decision, she is grateful to have played a character with multiple shades.
After playing ‘Cordelia’ on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for two years (1997-1999), she was offered a larger role and cast as Angel, a spin-off of the original show. She played this character for five years (1999-2004), before leaving the show in its fourth season in 2004. Charisma made one final appearance on the show in the 100th episode to provide “closure” to the viewers.
During and after Angel, she made guest appearances on some of the most popular shows of the time. She portrayed Serena Lockner in four episodes of ‘Miss Match’ in 2003, Kyra in three episodes of ‘Charmed’ in 2004, and appeared in two telefilms: See Jane Date and Like Cats and Dogs.
Kendall Casablancas, a recurring character, joined the cast of the noir mystery drama Veronica Mars in 2005. Charisma left the show after 11 episodes because her character had become redundant. In 2006, she appeared in four telefilms: Flirting with Danger, Voodoo Moon, Cheaters’ Club, and Relative Chaos.
Charisma kept herself busy for the next few years with one-episode roles in shows like Back to You, Big Shots, CSI, Legend of the Seeker, Burn Notice, and Supernatural). Between 2007 and 2009, she appeared in three episodes of Greek and made a guest appearance in 2011.
She also appeared in a few telefilms, including House of Bones, Crash Site: A Family in Danger, Deadly Sibling Rivalry, A Trusted Man, and Haunted High, before landing a lead role in the teen thriller ‘The Lying Game’ in 2012.
Facts and Trivia
Her first name, “Charisma,” was inspired by an ill-conceived line of ‘Avon’ perfumes, which she dislikes.
Charisma married Damian Hardy in Las Vegas on October 5, 2002. On March 24, 2003, she gave birth to her son, Donovan Charles Hardy. However, after divorcing in July 2008, the couple divorced in 2007.
In 2013, Charisma began hosting a reality show called ‘Surviving Evil’ on ‘Investigation Discovery.’ The contents of the pilot episode shocked her fans and the industry, as she appeared as a survivor. Charisma shared a harrowing personal story for the first time, which altered many people’s perceptions of her. Charisma told her horrific story of being attacked by a serial rapist when she was 21 on the show. It revealed a side of Carpenter that many viewers were unaware of.
Carpenter and two friends were attacked at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego in 1991 by 29-year-old police officer Henry Hubbard Jr. Hubbard held Carpenter at gunpoint and ordered her to restrain both of her friends. She bravely refused to follow his orders, giving her friends plenty of time to take on Hubbard. Both her friends and Hubbard received minor gunshot wounds. Hubbard was later apprehended. Carpenter saved a crucial piece of evidence, a police-issue flashlight, which helped secure the serial rapist’s 56-year prison sentence.
Charisma provided the voice of ‘Simone’ in the animated series ‘Hey Arnold!’ She also provided the voice of ‘Cordelia Chase’ in the video game based on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’
She created a few episodes of ‘Surviving Evil’ as well as the TV movie ‘Mommy’s Secret.’
Her Body Measurements
Charisma stands 5 feet, 7 inches and she rocked a 37-24-35 in her prime.
Charisma Carpenter Photos
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Also, do visit our Charisma Carpenter page for more of her stunning pictures.
Oh, and she’s got several nudes here that you just might like… You are welcome.
