CHARISMA CARPENTER
THEN: There is one television series I never get tired of writing about. In fact, we’ve revisited this awesome show a couple of times in the past – hell, we even went original Buffy last week – and frankly it seemed like a good time to see what’s up with one of the coolest characters from the Buffyverse. Let’s talk Charisma Carpenter shall we? Not only was she one of the most stunningly gorgeous gals on the hit series, she was also one of the funniest. A modern day “Mean Girl” with – forgive me – an amazing amount of on screen Charisma! Yes, I went there and I’m damn glad I did, because if there was ever a name that was more perfectly suited, you’d be hard pressed to find one.
Now I’ll be honest, I’d never really heard of a show called Malibu Shores that aired in 1996. But I’m thankful for it, simply because if it played any part in the stunning Ms. Carpenter taking on the role of Cordelia “Cordy” Chase in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’m forever grateful. It was this groundbreaking series that helped make me an instant fan of the actress. It would have been easy to simply keep this surprisingly rich character as a one-dimensional comic relief, yet thanks to solid writing, and Carpenter’s perfect performance, she was easily a fan favorite. It was especially fun to watch her play off of Nicholas Brendon in an unlikely, yet sometimes very sweet romance. From Cordy’s first appearance on the series, I was instantly in love.
When David Boreanaz – Buffy love interest and vampire with a soul – left to star in his own series Angel, I was a little nervous about his taking Cordy with him. Yet once again, the delightful talent brought humor to the new series. And as the spinoff progressed, we saw an even deeper and more intense portrayal of this fantastic character. Now the truth is, I was more than a little disappointed with how they ultimately treated the character of Cordy on Angel. Frankly I don’t know the real reasons why, but as a fan it didn’t matter, I still dug her. Charisma Carpenter was absolutely perfect as the one time snob, and she made what may be one of the most impactful transformations on both Buffy and Angel. To this day, I still have a huge soft spot for Cordy.
What I tend to appreciate about television is that if an actor or an actress makes a big enough impression, they seem to have a home on the small screen. And Charisma did appear in a number of shows and made for TV movies including Miss Match in 2003 and the TV movie See Jane Date that same year. But for genre sake, this vivacious beauty appeared in three episodes of the hit series Charmed in 2004, plus she starred in eleven episodes of Veronica Mars in 2005-2006 – okay, that wasn’t necessarily genre but she still rocked. And while she found herself doing quite a bit of comedy, she did star in a thriller of a TV movie called Voodoo Moon in 2006 opposite Eric Mabius. This is one that I never got around to watching – the reviews weren’t kind – but one day I may take a stroll underneath the moonlight down memory lane for this.
Throughout the years, Charisma Carpenter continued to cross between horror and comedy and she is so damn good in both. In 2009 she appeared in the action series Legend of the Seeker for one episode. A year later she was featured in a couple more made for TV flicks. Both House of Bones and Psychosis found the actress back in horror in 2010. And that same year, she had a small role in THE EXPENDABLES opposite some serious action heavyweights. My biggest complaint about that feature is that she wasn’t in it enough, but I still had a blast.
Over the next few years she has done a ton of small budget thrillers including Deadly Sibling Rivalry (2011 made for TV movie) and Crash Site in 2011. She was featured on an episode of Supernatural in 2011 and once again she returned to THE EXPENDABLES 2 in 2012 with an even smaller role… come on people! More Charisma! She continued to work steadily with Haunted High in 2012 and as a series semi-regular on The Lying Game in 2012 to 2013. And then in 2013, she appeared in the family film Heaven’s Door which is another flick I didn’t see. Why the hell was she not in EXPENDABLES 3 is what I’m saying!?!
NOW: Thankfully, Charisma Carpenter has kept very busy since Buffy and continues to do so. She was the host of a very intriguing show called Surviving Evil which was inspired by her own very real-life horror that she endured several years back. And she also starred in a film clearly inspired by FIFTY SHADES OF GREY called BOUND, with co-star Bryce Draper. Plus she has a ton of upcoming films – according to the not always reliable IMDB – in the works including THE GRIDDLE HOUSE, GIRL IN WOODS, A HORSE TAIL and FELO DE SE. From Cordy to comedy to appearing in Playboy, Charisma Carpenter is one hell of a talent with immeasurable beauty.
If you’d like to find out what the lovely Charisma is up to, you can follow her on Twitter or her official Facebook page. And if you’d really like to find out more about the actress, you should check out her website entitled “Surviving Co-Parenting in Hollywood” which is a most interesting read. It is also very insightful to read about her own struggles and concerns about being a mother in a very insane and unpredictable career. I’ve been a major fan of Charisma since her days as Cordelia Chase, and I continue to do so… The question is, is a Buffy reunion too much to ask for at this point? Thanks for all the greatness Charisma!