What if... Charisma Carpenter had gotten the Buffy role?

[tbessie]

I think it's pretty well-known around here that Charisma Carpenter was originally up for the Buffy role, and SMG was up for the Cordelia role, but they switched them after auditioning them.

Do you think the show would have worked out as well as it did if they had been in their originally conceived roles? Would Charisma have made a good Buffy, and SMG a good Cordelia? Would it have "worked", do you think?

- Tim

 

[david4wt]

I don't know if she was prepared at the time to pull out a credible Buffy...SMG was already a great actress and she was really young! I think Charisma got better with time! She was amazing on Angel!
Can you imagine a blonde Charisma though? 😀

 

[BuffyElevated]

I don't think Charisma would have been a good Buffy. I liked her when she was sweet on Angel, but she was better as the snarky Cordy. 😉

 

[Cast No Shadow]

I think they both would have made it work, because they're both talented actresses. However, I definitely prefer it as it is.

 

[Living Dead Boy]

I don't think it would have worked. I loved Charisma, but IMHO, she's just not that good of an actress. Some of her lines feel very forced, and over-dramatic sometimes. SMG came out of the womb acting, and had already won herself an Emmy. I'm sure, given time, Charisma could've really sunk her teeth into the role, but SMG knocked it out of the park instantly.

 

[EvilWillow]

I don't think it would have worked. I loved Charisma, but IMHO, she's just not that good of an actress. Some of her lines feel very forced, and over-dramatic sometimes. SMG came out of the womb acting, and had already won herself an Emmy. I'm sure, given time, Charisma could've really sunk her teeth into the role, but SMG knocked it out of the park instantly.

Completely disagree. I think Charisma is a fantastic actress. I think they both could have pulled it off but I really love smg as Buffy. 🙂

On my phone!

 

[Zeppo]

Well, I wasn't a fan of blonde Cordy so .... no. 😛 Although it looked better as it grew out. Anyway, it's hard to say. She definately has the blasé and valley girl type going for her which is why I'm sure she was up for the part. I think she could've done a nice job, even Sarah as Cordy would've been alright; bringing a different depth to Cordelia sooner that I feel we later got in Angel.

 

[WWGD]

I think Charisma was best at being the bitchy one. SMG seemed (and still seems) naturally better at portraying a deeper more emotional character. I think the show would not have been as great as it is if Charisma had played the part of Buffy. Still, I love Charisma and totally had the biggest crush on her of all the women in BtVS back in the day!

 

[ladydorotea]

Likely, I would have never finished S1. Might have been a good thing too.

 

[EvilWillow]

I think Charisma was best at being the bitchy one. SMG seemed (and still seems) naturally better at portraying a deeper more emotional character. I think the show would not have been as great as it is if Charisma had played the part of Buffy. Still, I love Charisma and totally had the biggest crush on her of all the women in BtVS back in the day!

Have you ever seen SMG in Cruel Intentions? Man, she can play a bitch very well.

 

[WWGD]

Have you ever seen SMG in Cruel Intentions? Man, she can play a bitch very well.

Yeah!! I know she can! I have no doubt that SMG could have played a great Cordelia. All I was saying is that I don't think Charisma could have played such a good Buffy. 🙂

 

[brinkster130]

While I love both SMG and CC in the roles they ended up with, I think both could have played the other just fine. I think it would have taken CC a little longer to really settle into the character, and I think her fighting would have needed a lot of work but I can see her pulling it off.

 

[SlayerFest]

Imagine Charisma blonde...eek. Also, I don't think she's that great of an actress, I mean she plays Cordy really well, but I can't picture her crying and not making me laugh. I think SMG would have played her character too well to be honest haha maybe she would have been slightly less frightening than Kathryn or Kendall in the beginning because Cordelia was kind of a ditz in the first season...but when I think of her as Cordy, I just see her burning the school down. I guess not all of her "mean girl" characters have to be sociopaths. I'm just really glad that it worked out the way that it did.

 

[EvilWillow]

Imagine Charisma blonde...eek. Also, I don't think she's that great of an actress, I mean she plays Cordy really well, but I can't picture her crying and not making me laugh. I think SMG would have played her character too well to be honest haha maybe she would have been slightly less frightening than Kathryn or Kendall in the beginning because Cordelia was kind of a ditz in the first season...but when I think of her as Cordy, I just see her burning the school down. I guess not all of her "mean girl" characters have to be sociopaths. I'm just really glad that it worked out the way that it did.

I agree that charisma would look terrible as a blonde, but she can pull off crying really well. It made me tear up in season 3 in Lovers Walk and The Wish when she was crying then. I still prefer her add Cordy though.

On my phone!

 

[Mr Giles]

Noooo, Charisma could never be Buffy. She could barely even be a convincing Cordelia. Imho another actress would have been better in the Cordy role. Charisma, like Riley, was very cardboard.

 

[Ripper666]

That would be horrible. Buffy wouldn't be Buffy. Charisma was a amazing Cordelia and SMG an amazing Buffy. But no way the two change the roles. No way...