Biography
Who is Charisma Carpenter?
Early life and background
Charisma Carpenter was born on July 23, 1970, in Las Vegas, United States. Her parents are Christine, who worked at a bird sanctuary, and Don Carpenter, a salesman. She has French, German, and Spanish ancestry. During her childhood in Las Vegas, she participated in a local song-and-dance troupe.
When she was fifteen years old, her family relocated to Mexico and then settled in Southern California. She attended Bishop Gorman High School, Bonita Vista High School, and the Chula Vista School of the Creative and Performing Arts. Following graduation, she traveled across Europe before returning to San Diego to work various jobs, including serving as an aerobics instructor and a video store clerk. In 1991, she cheered professionally for the San Diego Chargers football team.
Career beginnings and major roles
While working as a waitress in Los Angeles, Charisma Carpenter was discovered by a commercial agent. This led to appearances in over twenty commercials and theatrical productions. She made her television debut in 1994 on an episode of Baywatch and later appeared in the short-lived teen drama series Malibu Shores.
In 1996, she auditioned for the title role in the supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was instead cast as Cordelia Chase. She played this popular character for three seasons before transitioning to the spin-off series Angel, where she remained for four seasons and returned for the one hundredth episode.
Television and film career
Following her time on Angel, Charisma Carpenter took on guest and recurring roles in numerous television programs. She played a psychic demon named Kyra in three episodes of Charmed and portrayed Kendall Casablancas in Veronica Mars during the 2005 to 2006 season. Additional television credits include guest appearances on Supernatural, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Greek.
In film, she starred in the action movie The Expendables alongside Sylvester Stallone, reprising her role as Lacy in the sequel. Her other film projects include Psychosis, Voodoo Moon, and Bound. In 2025, she launched a re-watch podcast titled The Bitch Is Back!, focusing on episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Personal life
Charisma Carpenter married Damian Hardy in Las Vegas on October 5, 2002. They welcomed a son named Donovan Charles Hardy in March 2003. The couple separated later that decade, and their divorce concluded in July 2008. She is of the Catholic faith.
In 2021, she spoke publicly about her experiences working with director Joss Whedon on the set of Angel, offering support to actor Ray Fisher. Outside of her acting career, she hosted the Investigation Discovery true crime series Surviving Evil, sharing her own experience as a crime survivor from an incident in her youth.
Birthday and age
Charisma Carpenter was born on July 23, 1970, which makes Charisma 56 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Charisma shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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