Charisma Carpenter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charisma Carpenter
Carpenter at Phoenix Comicon in 2016
Born	(1970-07-23) July 23, 1970 (age 54) 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 best known for playing Cordelia Chase. This character appeared in the popular TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She then continued the role in its spin-off series Angel.

Charisma has also appeared in other TV shows. These include Charmed, Veronica Mars, and The Lying Game. She also acted in The Expendables movies.

About Charisma Carpenter's Early Life

Charisma Carpenter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her mother, Christine, worked at a bird sanctuary. Her father, Don Carpenter, was a salesman. Charisma has a mixed background, including 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 attended 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 went to 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 became a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers football team. In 1992, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

Charisma Carpenter's Acting Career

Charisma Carpenter was discovered while working as a waitress in Los Angeles. She was saving money for college at the time. A commercial agent noticed her, which led to many commercials. She also got roles in theatrical plays.

Her first TV role was in 1994 on Baywatch. Soon after, she got a main role in the NBC show Malibu Shores. This show was a short-lived teen drama.

In 1996, Charisma tried out for the main role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Instead, she was cast as Cordelia Chase. Cordelia was a popular, sometimes snobby, high school student. Charisma played Cordelia for three seasons on Buffy.

After Buffy, she got an even bigger role. She continued playing Cordelia Chase in the spin-off series Angel. She starred alongside David Boreanaz. Charisma played Cordelia for four seasons on Angel. Her character left the show in the fourth season. However, she came back for the 100th episode in the final season.

Carpenter at the Fan Expo 2007 Convention in Toronto, Ontario

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

From 2005 to 2006, she played Kendall Casablancas. This was a recurring role in the mystery show Veronica Mars. She was in 11 episodes. Charisma also appeared in the comedy-drama Greek. She reprised her role for two episodes in Season 2.

In 2007, she made guest appearances on Back to You and Big Shots. In 2009, she was a guest star on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

On March 20, 2008, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion took place. Charisma Carpenter attended this event. Many other cast members and the show's creator, Joss Whedon, were also there.

Charisma also appeared in TV films like Flirting with Danger and Cheaters' Club in 2006. She was also in the Syfy movie House of Bones in 2010. Around that time, she also guest-starred in Legend of the Seeker.

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

She appeared in an episode of Supernatural in 2011. She acted alongside her Buffy co-star James Marsters. 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 returned as Lacy in The Expendables 2. She later starred in the TV movie Mommy's Secret.

Charisma Carpenter'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 Carpenter is Catholic.

In February 2021, Charisma spoke out about her experiences while working on Angel.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

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

See also

In Spanish: Charisma Carpenter para niños