One shocking revelation from a recent podcast interview shows that Charisma Carpenter, known for her role as Cordelia Chase in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was unaware of a major character’s death in the show for 22 years. Carpenter, who left Buffy after the third season to star in the spin-off Angel, shared this surprising news during a conversation with science fiction icon Katee Sackhoff on The Sackhoff Show.
When asked by Sackhoff if she had watched Buffy or Angel during their original television runs, Carpenter admitted that her busy schedule prevented her from doing so. She mentioned missing out on key scenes and storylines, including an episode in season 1 of Buffy titled «Angel» featuring Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz).
During the conversation, Sackhoff also shared her own lack of knowledge about a crucial pregnancy storyline in her show Battlestar Galactica. This prompted Carpenter to humorously reveal that she had only recently learned about the death of Buffy’s mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland), in season 5, episode 16 titled «The Body». The episode originally aired on The WB in February 2001.
Carpenter Charisma: «I had no idea that Joyce, Buffy’s mother, died! I was at a panel with [Kristine Sutherland] in Portland two years ago, and she started talking about it. I leaned in and asked, ‘She dies?’ And she said, ‘yes’.»
Katee Sackhoff: «[Laughing] It’s like a spoiler for you.»
Charisma Carpenter expressed, «Yes, I had no idea.» in response to a revelation.
What Carpenter’s story tells us about Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Carpenter’s story serves as a humorous anecdote, given that she was not involved in Buffy The Vampire Slayer after season 3, and the significant narrative change did not occur until season 5 with Joyce’s tragic death. The admissions of Sackhoff and Carpenter highlight that even actors in iconic shows may not always grasp the full impact of their stories.
With the interconnected nature of Buffy and Angel, where characters and narratives overlap, it’s understandable how crucial details could be overlooked on both sides of the franchise, even by someone like Carpenter.
