Where in the Horror are they Now? Emma Caulfield!

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

EMMA CAULFIELD

THEN: Every so often with Where in the Horror are they Now? I have the chance to look back at one of my favorite television shows. As a huge fan of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are a number of things that made me fall in love with all the denizens of Sunnydale. A huge part of the appeal of Buffy was the cast, so it’s nice to see what they are all up to. And this weeks subject was an instant favorite of mine once she joined the series as Anya Jenkins. As a vengeance demon turned human, she offered humor and a little bit of quirky tenderness to an ex-demon struggling to be human again. Plus, that whole "fear of bunnies" thing was hilarious. Yet the very talented Emma Caulfield started her career well before at another popular TV location with a familiar zip code.

Emma Caulfield started off working regularly on the small screen. The actress appeared on a number of shows in 1994 including Renegade, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Burke’s Law, and then a year later for an episode of the short-lived series based on the film Weird Science. Then in 1995 she earned a role on the popular Beverly Hills, 90210 as Susan Keats for thirty episodes. She apparently enjoyed working in the soap opera element as she also had a recurring role in the daytime drama General Hospital from 1996 to 1997. Around the time she was jumping from guest spot to guest spot, she was hired to play a fun little character called Anyanka in a little show about a girl with the power to kick vampire ass.

The 1998, Ms. Caulfield appeared in an episode of Buffy called The Wish, which was easily one of the stand out episodes for many a fan. What appeared to be a single episode run soon turned into a regular gig. In the episode “Doppelgangland” Anya returned and by the end, her character is forced to live as a regular high school student. Over the years Emma became an integral part of the show. From her charmingly bad social skills to her complicated relationship with series regular Xander – played by Nicholas Brendon – it was clear that she fit brilliantly in with her fellow Sunnyvale High classmates. My only complaint with the character is what happens to her in the series finale. Come on man, she deserved a little more than that.

After Buffy the Vampire Slayer finally bid farewell, Emma appeared in the genre entry DARKNESS FALLS in 2003. When I first saw this movie, I had high expectations and it was a huge disappointment. Strangely enough, after revisiting it on the SyFy Channel (at least I think it was SyFy) this past weekend or so, I found it to be better than memory serves. Before you get too excited and say it sucked, I agree that it certainly was a missed opportunity. However, the Jonathan Liebesman directed feature about a killer tooth fairy is not as abysmally bad as I remember. And thankfully, Emma Caulfield is quite good as a young woman who joins forces with Chaney Kley to ward off a tooth stealing demonic force. It may not be great, but frankly it may not be as bad as you remembered if you plan on revisiting.

After her incredible work on Buffy, the actress continued to appear on television with TV-movies such as I Want to Marry Ryan Banks in 2004, In Her Mother’s Footsteps in 2006 and A Valentine Carol in 2007. In 2009 the actress landed the leading role in an independent feature film called TiMER. This quirky comedic fantasy is a charming little fable and she once again brings her charismatic self to the role of a woman searching for her soul mate. She continued to take on small projects that include WHY AM I DOING THIS? in 2009, CONFINED and REMOVAL from 2010. And of course, don’t forget more work on the tele. In 2010 to 2011, she was a regular in the failed series Life Unexpected. It’s a shame really as I’d love to see her back on a successful weekly series.

NOW: While Emma Caulfield may not be a household name, she has kept pretty busy over the years. In 2014, she appeared in more indie flicks including BACK IN THE DAY and TELLING OF THE SHOES. In 2015, she was featured in AMERICA IS STILL THE PLACE. Yet her more notable appearances include playing “Cameron Chase” in Supergirl, and the “Blind Witch” for seven episodes of Once Upon a Time. Her most recent entry on IMDb is lending her voice to seven episodes of Fantasy Hospital.

And if you thought acting and singing wasn't enough – yes she sang on Buffy and a show she produced and starred called Bandwagon – she is also the co-author of the webcomic “Contropussy.” A new mother, this 43-year-old talent will likely return to work and I am looking forward to it. From Anya on, I’ve been a major fan of Emma. One day I want to see a Buffy reunion and I expect her to be a huge part of it. If you’d like to follow this lovely actress, you can check our her official Twitter page.  A couple of years back she also had a cool YouTube channel that you can find here called Essnemma which unfortunately had its last entry on March 27, 2014. We here at Arrow in the Head love Emma Caulfield, and we look forward to seeing more of her on the big and small screen.