Charisma Carpenter

Charisma Carpenter was born on July 23rd in 1970. She played Cordelia Chase in the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-1999) and its spin-off series Angel (1999-2004). She also starred as Kyra in Charmed (2004) and Kendall Casablanca's character in Veronica Mars (2005-2006), Rebecca Sewell in The Lying Game (2012-2013) as well as Lacy in The Expendables film series (2010-2012). Carpenter was born in Las Vegas (Nevada), the daughter of Christine Carpenter and who worked in a bird sanctuary, as well as Don Carpenter, an entrepreneur. Carpenter is of Spanish (from the maternal grandfather), French and German descent. Carpenter attended Bishop Gorman High School located in Las Vegas. She was also a part of a singing and dance group that was a part of the Las Vegas Valley. Carpenter moved with her family to Rosario Beach in Baja California, Mexico, at age 15. She was a student at Bonita Vista High School and Chula Vista School of the Creative and Performing Arts. Carpenter has traveled throughout Europe following her graduation. She returned to San Diego and worked in the video store as an aerobics instructor, property manager as well as a clerk. She also was a cheerleader for San Diego Chargers football in 1991. In 1992, she relocated to Los Angeles.While swimming in San Diego in 1991, she and two male colleagues were attacked by Henry Hubbard Jr., who was a former San Diego police officer and serial rapist, who tried to subdue them at gunpoint. In the midst of the struggle she and her two friends along with Hubbard were shot, causing Hubbard to flee from the scene; both friends were able to escape the assault. Hubbard was convicted and sentenced to a 56-year imprisonment for a series of rapes, as well as robberies. Carpenter took Hubbard's police-issue flashlight to the beach, that he had left at the scene, and the flashlight became one of the key pieces of evidence against Hubbard.