Charisma Carpenter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charisma Carpenter
Carpenter in 2016
Born	(1970-07-23) July 23, 1970 (age 55) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Damian Hardy ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2008)​
Children	1

Charisma Carpenter (born July 23, 1970) is an American actress. She is well-known for playing Cordelia Chase in the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer (from 1997 to 1999) and its spin-off series Angel (from 1999 to 2004).

She also appeared in other popular shows. These include Charmed (in 2004) and Veronica Mars (from 2005 to 2006). Charisma also had roles in The Lying Game (from 2012 to 2013). She played Lacy in The Expendables film series (from 2010 to 2012). Her most recent TV appearance was in a 2022 episode of Dynasty.

About Charisma Carpenter

Charisma's Early Life

Charisma Carpenter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was the only child of Christine, who worked at a bird sanctuary, and Don Carpenter, a salesman. Her family background includes Spanish, French, and German roots.

When she was nine, Charisma was part of a song-and-dance group. They performed in the Las Vegas area. She went to Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.

At age 15, her family moved to Rosarito Beach, Mexico. Later, they moved to San Diego, California. She attended Bonita Vista High School and Chula Vista School of the Creative and Performing Arts. After finishing school, Charisma traveled around Europe.

When she came back to San Diego, she worked different jobs. She was a video store clerk and an aerobics instructor. She also worked in property management. In 1991, she was a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers football team. She moved to Los Angeles in 1992.

In 1991, while swimming in San Diego, Charisma and two friends were attacked. A former police officer tried to harm them. During the struggle, her friends and the attacker were shot. The attacker ran away. Charisma found a flashlight the attacker left behind. This flashlight helped police catch him. He was later sent to prison for many years.

Charisma's Acting Career

Charisma Carpenter was discovered by an agent while working in Los Angeles. She was saving money for college at the time. This led to her acting in plays and over twenty commercials.

Her first TV role was in 1994 on Baywatch. Soon after, she got a main role in the NBC show Malibu Shores.

In 1996, Charisma tried out for the main role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Instead, she was chosen to play Cordelia Chase. Cordelia was a popular high school student. After three seasons on Buffy, Charisma got a bigger role. She played Cordelia Chase again in the spin-off show Angel. She was on Angel for four seasons. She also returned for the 100th episode in the show's final season.

Carpenter at the Fan Expo 2007 Convention in Toronto, Ontario

In 2004, Charisma appeared in Charmed as a psychic demon named Kyra. She was in three episodes. She also had a role on NBC's Miss Match. She appeared in four episodes of that show.

She played Kendall Casablancas in Veronica Mars. This was a recurring role for 11 episodes in 2005 and 2006. Charisma also guest-starred in Greek. She came back for two more episodes in Season 2.

In 2007, she appeared in Back to You. She also had a two-episode role on Big Shots. In 2009, Charisma guest-starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Charisma has been in many TV movies and direct-to-video films. These include What Boys Like and Voodoo Moon. She also starred in See Jane Date and Relative Chaos. She appeared in Flirting with Danger and Cheaters' Club in 2006. In 2010, she was in the Syfy film House of Bones.

In 2009, Charisma starred in the film Psychosis. It was released in 2011. In 2010, she had a supporting role in Sylvester Stallone's movie The Expendables. After its success, she was cast in Human Factor and Crash Site. She also appeared in an episode of Supernatural.

In 2012, Charisma got a recurring role in The Lying Game. She played Rebecca Sewell. She became a regular cast member for the second season. Later that year, she played Lacy again in The Expendables 2.

In 2013, Charisma hosted a show called Surviving Evil. In one episode, she shared her own story of survival. She starred in the 2015 film Bound. She later led the TV movie Mommy's Secret.

Charisma's Personal Life

Charisma Carpenter married Damian Hardy on October 5, 2002. They got married in her hometown of Las Vegas. In March 2003, Charisma gave birth to their son, Donovan Charles Hardy. The couple separated in late 2007. Their divorce was finalized on July 8, 2008. Charisma is Catholic.

In February 2021, Charisma spoke out about her experiences working with director Joss Whedon. She supported actor Ray Fisher who also shared concerns.

Film and Television Roles

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Video Games

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002); as Cordelia Chase (voice role)

See also

In Spanish: Charisma Carpenter para niños