History Creator / CharismaCarpenter

She is of French, German and Spanish heritage. Prior to getting into her acting career, she and her friends were attacked by police officer/serial rapist Henry Hubbard Jr. but managed to fend him off (though one friend was shot in the fight, he recovered from his injuries). Carpenter also retrieved some crucial evidence Hubbard left behind, i.e. his police-issue flashlight, aiding greatly in Hubbard's arrest and later conviction. She is thus a real life hero along with her fame from her roles.

* AdvertisedExtra: A lot of hype was made about her starring in ''Series/ScreamQueens2015''. She has five minutes of screen time in the second episode.

* TheRedStapler: [[invoked]] She's been told numerous times by fans that they named their daughters Cordelia in honour of her character.

She is of French, German and Spanish heritage. Prior to getting into her acting career, [[DarkAndTroubledPast she and her friends were attacked by police officer/serial rapist Henry Hubbard Jr. but managed to fend him off]] (though one friend was shot in the fight, he recovered from his injuries). Carpenter also retrieved some crucial evidence Hubbard left behind, i.e. his police-issue flashlight, aiding greatly in Hubbard's arrest and later conviction. She is thus a real life hero along with her fame from her roles.

* DyeingForYourArt: [[invoked]] She had brownish hair with blonde highlights when she was cast as Cordelia - the same colour as her female co-stars Creator/SarahMichelleGellar and Creator/AlysonHannigan. Hannigan went redhead while Carpenter went dark brown.
* HideYourPregnancy: [[invoked]] Initially on ''Angel'' - with long coats and lots of black helping it along. Eventually her character's ''secret'' pregnancy became a plot point. But notably after giving birth, Cordelia only appeared unconscious and from the shoulders up (as Charisma hadn't given birth yet).
* PopCultureUrbanLegends:[[invoked]] A long standing rumor was that Charisma had auditioned for Paige in ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' after Creator/ShannenDoherty was fired. This appears to be false, as Creator/HollyMarieCombs claims Creator/RoseMcGowan didn't audition and was offered the role straight away (she and Charisma are good friends, so she'd probably know if she did audition). Rose later confirmed that she didn't audition in her autobiography.

** [[invoked]] Her role as [[spoiler: Sutton and Emma's birth mother]] on ''Series/TheLyingGame'' was supposed to be a secret but everyone [[IKnewIt figured it out]] due to Carpenter's uncanny resemblance to Alexandra Chando.

Charisma Carpenter (born July 23, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American actress.

* StarDerailingRole: The ''Film/FiftyShadesOfGray'' knock-off ''Film/Bound2015'' seems to have been the final nail in the coffin for her Hollywood career as she has been relegated mainly to guest appearances and TV roles ever since.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: [[invoked]] Her role as [[spoiler: Sutton and Emma's birth mother]] on ''Series/TheLyingGame'' was supposed to be a secret but everyone [[IKnewIt figured it out]] due to Carpenter's uncanny resemblance to Alexandra Chando.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: She and her friends were attacked by police officer/serial rapist Henry Hubbard Jr. but managed to fend him off. Carpenter retrieved some crucial evidence Hubbard left behind, i.e. his police-issue flashlight, leading to Hubbard's arrest and later conviction.

* CreatorBacklash:[[invoked]] She really hated the Season 4 storyline of ''Angel'' involving the possessed Cordelia sleeping with Connor. She found it creepy and hated filming it.

Actress born July 23, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada, best known as Cordelia Chase from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', as well as Creator/JasonStatham's girlfriend, Lacy, in ''Film/TheExpendables'' and [[Film/TheExpendables2 its first sequel]].

She also starred as Susan in the 2010 horror film ''Psychosis''.

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* DyeingForYourArt: [[invoked]] She had brownish hair with blonde highlights when she was cast as Cordelia - the same colour as her female co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan. Hannigan went redhead while Carpenter went dark brown.

Actress born July 23, 1970, best known as Cordelia Chase from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', as well as Creator/JasonStatham's girlfriend, Lacy, in ''Film/TheExpendables'' and [[Film/TheExpendables2 its first sequel]].

* Kira/The Seer on ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' (3 episodes, 2004)

* Simone (voice) on ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' ("Phoebe Skips", 1995)

* Michelle Mulan in ''Film/Bound2015'' (2015)

!!Associated Tropes:

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Keep reading. You will find out how she managed to get a super-cop sent to prison for 56 years.
* DawsonCasting:
** Not so much anymore but she was playing mid-twenty-somethings into her mid-thirties. She was a full decade older than her character on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}''.

* DyeingForYourArt: She had brownish hair with blonde highlights when she was cast as Cordelia - the same colour as her female co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan. Hannigan went redhead while Carpenter went dark brown.
* HelloNurse: Appeared on two lists of the Most Desirable Women on Askmen - 2002 and 2005. She also later posed for Playboy. Despite this, she doesn't consider herself a sex symbol.
* HideYourPregnancy: Initially on ''Angel'' - with long coats and lots of black helping it along. Eventually her character's ''secret'' pregnancy became a plot point. But notably after giving birth, Cordelia only appeared unconscious and from the shoulders up (as Charisma hadn't given birth yet).
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: As a child, she fell into a swimming pool that was under construction and was impaled through the stomach by a piece of rebar. Her scars from the experience were used as Cordelia's scars when she was impaled on an episode of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''.
* NearRapeExperience: A horrific RealLife example. She and two friends were the [[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20108468,00.html final victims of a serial rapist back in 1991]]. This led to her becoming a host of a crime series ''Surviving Evil''.
* RapunzelHair: During her time on ''Buffy'' and the first season or so of ''Angel'' she had incredibly long hair. She actually requested to be allowed to cut it because it was too heavy for her head. After a few years she grew it out long again.
* TheRedStapler: She's been told numerous times by fans that they named their daughters Cordelia in honour of her character.
* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Her role as [[spoiler: Sutton and Emma's birth mother]] on ''Series/TheLyingGame'' was supposed to be a secret but everyone [[IKnewIt figured it out]] due to Carpenter's uncanny resemblance to Alexandra Chando.

Actress born July 23, 1970, best known as Cordelia Chase from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', as well as Creator/JasonStatham's girlfriend, Lacy, in ''Film/TheExpendables'' 1 and 2.

* NearRapeExperience: A horrific RealLife example. She and two friends were the [[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20108468,00.html final victims of a serial rapist back in 1991]]. This led to her becoming a host of a crime series ''Surviving Evil''

* AlliterativeName: Both she and her most well-known character have the initials C.C.

** Not so much anymore but she was playing mid-twenty-somethings into her mid-thirties. She was a full decade older than her character on ''Series/{{Buffy The Vampire Slayer}}'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
** She played 25-year-old Kendall on VeronicaMars at 34.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Her role as [[spoiler: Sutton and Emma's birth mother]] on ''TheLyingGame'' was supposed to be a secret but everyone [[IKnewIt figured it out]] due to Carpenter's uncanny resemblance to Alexandra Chando.

!!Associated Tropes:

* AlliterativeName: Both she and her most well-known character have the initials C.C.
* DawsonCasting:
** Not so much anymore but she was playing mid-twenty-somethings into her mid-thirties. She was a full decade older than her character on ''Series/{{Buffy The Vampire Slayer}}'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
** She played 25-year-old Kendall on VeronicaMars at 34.
* NearRapeExperience: A horrific RealLife example. She and two friends were the [[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20108468,00.html final victims of a serial rapist back in 1991]]. This led to her becoming a host of a crime series ''Surviving Evil''
* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Her role as [[spoiler: Sutton and Emma's birth mother]] on ''TheLyingGame'' was supposed to be a secret but everyone [[IKnewIt figured it out]] due to Carpenter's uncanny resemblance to Alexandra Chando.

!!Notable television roles:

!!'''This actress provides examples of:'''

* RapeAsBackstory: A narrowly averted, albeit horrific RealLife example. She and two friends were the [[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20108468,00.html final victims of a serial rapist back in 1991]]. This led to her becoming a host of a crime series ''Surviving Evil''