Charisma says she got her name from a "tacky bottle of Avon perfume from the 1970's. She is 30 years of age.  She grew up in a strict household which her friends dubbed "Alcatraz", but she laughs that she found lots of ways to get in trouble with her parents. . There was a lot of love in her family too however, and when asked what her life goals are, she always answers first she wants to get married and have a family. Unlike Cordelia Chase, Charisma comes across as sweet and charming in print interviews and on TV. During her teen years she worked in a video store, as a waitress, and as an aerobics instructor, bt she decided to try out acting by appearing in commercials, most notably one for Secret antiperspirant.  She moved to LA, but her first impression was not a good one - it was during the LA riots. The TV show Angel in many respects shows LA as it really is unlike other shows which tend to hide the horrid parts of LA, giving it this sort of realistic sense. After appearing in a few commercials, she was, not surprisingly, noticed right away and was offered guest starring roles on Baywatch and Pacific Blue. Those parts led to her winning the role of Ashley Green on Fox's short-lived Aaron Spelling production Malibu Shores  When she auditioned for the role of Cordelia Chase on Buffy,she had little experience, but now fans can't imagine anyone but Charisma as Cordelia.  She had the part down from the first episode, yet was able to develop her character into someone who is caring while still being self-centered.  She says she loves Cordy's truthfulness and the way she speaks her mind, but insists she's nothing like her.Unlike other actors who feel they have to work all the time, Charisma spends a lot of time on perfecting things.  She isn't interested in filling up all her free time with movies and keeping her plate full, but she doesn't have a lot of free time anyway.  While working on Angel she says "I stay up writing my lines over and over again to memorise them so they come across naturally". The funny thing with this is that although Charisma is not like Cordelia, She can relate to the situation she was in when she went to LA lookingi for an an acting Job. Charisma Carpenter's portrayal on Cordielia Chase is loved by many and is a favorite among Angel Fans. Charisma Carpenter currently resides in Los Angeles.