Charisma Carpenter

Charisma Lee Carpenter (born July 23, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for playing the character Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.

Personal life

Carpenter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she attended Bishop Gorman High School. At 15, the family moved to Rosarito B.C., Mexico, and then to Bonita (a suburb of San Diego) where she attended Bonita Vista High. After graduation, she was a San Diego Chargers cheerleader before beginning her Hollywood career. She had also dabbled in sky-diving. She married Damien Hardy on October 5, 2002 and she gave birth to son Donavan Charles Hardy on March 24, 2003.

Career

Carpenter was discovered by a commercial agent when she was a waitress. This led to several roles on TV advertisements. She made guest appearances in Baywatch and Miss Match, and she has had a role in Malibu Shores. Her best known role was that of Cordelia on TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She is one of the only cast members from Buffy and Angel who refuses to charge for her autograph at fan conventions.
She was slowly written out of the series of Angel and returned for the 100th episode thanks to the interest and support of the fans.
She has also had a recurring role as a psychic demon called The Seer in the popular witch drama Charmed, appearing in three episodes.
In 2004, Carpenter modeled nude for the June 2004 issue of Playboy magazine.
In March 2005, casting for The Fog was underway and Carpenter was rumored to be replacing original casting choice Stacy Ferguson (a.k.a. Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas) in the role of Stevie Wayne, a part played by Adrienne Barbeau in the 1980 version. Later reports stated that Carpenter, then 35, was deemed too old for Stevie Wayne. Selma Blair, then 33, was eventually cast in the role. This was a blessing in disguise, as the remake was a box office flop universally panned by critics and fans alike.
Carpenter had a recurring role as Kendall Casablancas in the TV series Veronica Mars for the 2005-2006 season. She has for years played supporting roles using the style of acting she adopted during her years acting on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Charisma recently starred in Voodoo Moon by writer/director Kevin VanHook, as well as an assortment of made-for-television movies. One such recent movie was called Relative Chaos on ABC Family, costarring with Nicholas Brendon, one of her costars from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Trivia

• She has a large scar on her belly from a childhood accident. While five years old, and playing around a swimming pool that was still under construction, she fell onto a piece of rebar. The scar was incorporated into Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the episode Lovers Walk, when her character fell onto an exposed piece of rebar.

• Charisma has four tattoos; a tribal sun on her lower back that represents life, a rosary on her left wrist as a reminder to stay centered, D² on the inside of her right wrist to represent the names of her husband and son, and the infinity symbol on her left ring finger beneath her wedding ring.

• Is good friends with See Jane Date co-star Holly Marie Combs.