Charisma Lee Carpenter was born on July 23, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada where she also attended Bishop Gorman High School. She was also educated at Chula Vista High and Bonita Vista High. She was a waitress when she was discovered by a commercial agent. This gave her projects for television advertisements and guest appearances in Baywatch and Miss Match, and a role in Malibu Shores. She was then cast for the role of Cordelia in the hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Carpenter also appeared as a guest star in
Charmed and
Veronica Mars , and posed nude in Playboy magazine.
Cordelia Chase is played by Charisma Carpenter in the hit television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Chase was a rich and beautiful girl who enjoyed ridiculing those who she saw as inferior to her, such as Willow Rosenburg. A downfall in her social status occurred when she became a member of the Scooby Gang and when she was rumored to be in love with Xander Harris, another one she liked to subordinate. She didn’t admit it, but she did like him. Another challenge in her life happened when her family became bankrupt and lost all their money. She could not afford college, despite her intelligence so she turned to acting instead.
(Photo courtesy of WB)