Whedonesque : Comments on 9790 : (SPOILER) Charisma Carpenter talks to TV Guide.

I love her, I do.

Here's hoping she gets a regular job. :-D

And Wonder Woman.

Emma Frost | March 14, 12:06 CET

It should appeal to the people who watched Buffy and Angel. It's got fighting and zombies....

<sarcasm>I'm not entirely convinced that's why the people watched Buffy and Angel. </sarcasm>

Caroline | March 14, 12:56 CET

I love Charisma and I keep my fingers crossed for WW too.

Jademaliburoad | March 14, 16:00 CET

We were robbed! Buffy and Angel had hardly any episodes with zombies.

[ edited by tichtich on 2006-03-14 14:30 ]

tichtich | March 14, 16:26 CET

Wonder Woman or a baby, She isn't actually choosing but it is an odd either/or nevertheless.
Caroline- what happened to purple sarcasm colour? I mean if anyone can use it, you can!

Lioness | March 14, 16:46 CET

Kinda disappointing to know she's only got 3 episodes left, just as her character is about to possibly become of some importance.

Christopher | March 14, 17:44 CET

I was lazy.

Caroline | March 14, 18:07 CET

Might be thinking of the sister show 'Cindy the Zombie Fighter' or maybe its spin-off 'Billy the Small Dog Annoyer' (very similar to 'There's Something About Mary' what with the small dog and the annoying).

I'd like to see her stay on Veronica Mars but so long as her storyline is juicy enough to get more viewers, i'm happy. The ratings are apparently looking a tad dodgy for VM and i'd hate to see it cancelled.

Saje | March 14, 18:12 CET

It's hard to stay spoiler free when I ignore the spoiler tags and say "Ooh, Charimsa Carpenter!" I liked the question about the Oscar dress, and like everyone, look foward to Charisma in WW.

Anusien | March 14, 18:13 CET

Every time I read an interview with her, it reminds me why she is my favorite actress from the 'verse. Here's to her finding a pilot!

two_guns | March 14, 18:34 CET

I LOVE HER. She really is my fave in the 'verse. I really am hoping she gets cast as WW and of course her own pilot.

jabby | March 14, 18:53 CET

"Sleazy and desperate"?

ilanit | March 14, 19:19 CET

*shifts uncomfortably*

I hate to be the lone voice of dissent here, but Charisma as Wonder Woman?! I don't think so. While it would be a nice wink and nod to the Whedonverse, that's ALL that it would be - a gimmick. Charisma, I fear, is a bit too old for the part of WW and lacks the necessary
grace, presence and ethereal beauty required. Casting her merely because it would satisfy Whedonites would be an absolutely misguided and selfish decision. I, for one, hope that an astonishing unknown is cast.

Inara's Spongebath | March 14, 19:34 CET

Damn, a lone dissenter and here I am with no rotten vegetables to throw ;).

I actually agree, Inara's Spongebath, I don't think she'd be right for Wonder Woman. Too worldly and perhaps a bit too old for the part (not that she doesn't look fantastic). I also wouldn't mind an unknown though I really think that, gimmicks aside, Morena Baccarin could play her to a T (and might be close enough to unknown as makes no difference given how 'many' people saw Serenity ;-( ).

Saje | March 14, 20:24 CET

I also don't think CC is right for the part. I'd love to see Morena in the role and actually think she'd be perfect for it.

Firefly Flanatic | March 14, 20:46 CET

Morena definitely has the look, but I think I'd have trouble seeing her as delicate, elegant, uber-feminine Inara again once seeing her as Wondy. I mean, WW is one kick-ass Amazon!

Not that I want to stereotype Morena or anything, and I could be totally wrong, but I picture her having more strength of character and intellect, rather than physical might.

Confusing the actor with the character, aren't I? Well, that's still my impression.

Willowy | March 14, 20:53 CET

Charisma is Wonder Woman...a perfect fit! Like others have stated, she is my favorite in the Verse, in fact, she's my favorite actress period! There will always be those who disagree and I respect everybody's opinion but CC brought life to Cordy, was amazing when given an opportunity on Charmed and plays the "bad girl" on VM perfectly! I realize that I'm far from impartial, but to me, two things made Buffy the greatest show to ever air on TV...Joss Whedon and the three most gifted and beautiful actresses in the world playing major roles: Charisma, Aly and Sarah!

Calledon | March 14, 20:57 CET

I agree too, Inara's Spongebath. I don't think she'd be right for the part and question a bit if she has the acting chops to pull off headlining a major movie.
I enjoyed the interview, though!

acp | March 14, 21:23 CET

Every time I read an article about Wonder Woman casting desires or speculation, I get kind of uneasy. I really feel bad for Joss when it involves one of his friends, whether it is Charisma or Morena or Nathan (what do you think he was doing in that kilt?). In the end, no matter who he (or Joel or Warner) casts, Joss will have to sit down with one of his friends and tell them that they will not be WW. Even though it is not personal, it will have to suck for Joss when he breaks the news.

Pliny | March 14, 21:26 CET

I think i'd rather see a non-Whedonverse actress in the role of Wonder Woman, personally. In fact i'm kind of hoping that the role goes to a virtual unknown, at least in science fiction and fantasy genre circles.

Having said that, if i had to choose somebody from either Buffy, Angel or Firefly it would have to be either Charisma or Morena, at least when it comes to the physical attributes of the known character anyway. Having said that, Jennifer Garner looked absolutely nothing like Elektra but that didn't stop her making that movie a hit.

Wait. Ignore that. BAD example!

The Watcher | March 14, 21:30 CET

Also agree with Inara's Spongebath. Also, can you really see a major motion picture casting somebody as Wonder Woman who's appeared in Playboy? I can't.

On casting of WW - whoever gets chosen, there's going to be a fandom riot. It's entirely possible (and probable) they'll go for a named actress. And I don't care: if it's something big and they can actually act under Joss' direction, fantastic.

gossi | March 14, 21:30 CET

I have a poll on Whedonverse.org on who should play WW: Morena, Eliza, Gina, Charisma or Other. Morena is winning so far. Unfortunely none of the folks who selected "other" wrote down a suggestion.

killinj | March 14, 21:35 CET

I just think it's wrong to charge — it feels sleazy and desperate.

Three cheers for Charisma. Seriously, I think it's cool that she doesn't exploit her fame to make money out of fans. Except when raising money for charity, which is a worthy exception.

I don't think she will play Wonder Woman but you never know.

Razor | March 14, 22:09 CET

I'll be about the 5th "lone" voice of dissension. I think there are several reasons, but her age alone would be a problem for an origin story.

I used to not take the Morena suggestion seriously because it came from the 'verse, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like she could be just right (especially is she works out to add some muscle). I don't think someone should get the job because they're a friend of Joss, but the right actor should not be excluded because they're a friend of Joss.

That said, I'm a big believer in casting unknowns. Think about how many Jossverse actors were unknowns before. We may never have been introduced to Morena, James Marsters, Alexis Denisof (among others) if Joss & Co. hadn't cast them when they did. There's always great talent out there waiting to be discovered.

p.s. I agree it's great of Charisma to not charge for autographs.

jam2 | March 14, 22:20 CET

I dunno. Morena would be a great fit as Diana but...when I look at her...and I know I've mentioned this before...I see the Golden Age Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman from Cooke's depiction of her in The New Frontier. Which is a great Wonder Woman, don't get me wrong but...eh.

Then again, it could work. I might very well be wrong, hahahaha.

Charisma has been a favorite of mine for WW since before Joss was writer/director. With him at the helm, I highly doubt a Whedonverser will play the role.

Emma Frost | March 14, 23:02 CET

Charisma should be Wonder Woman.
Joss most likely won't pick a Whedonverse actor.
I hate that actors charge for their autographs, because not all of us are trying to put them up on ebay.
I applaud Charisma for donating 100% of the procedes to charity not 5%, 50%, or 1% like some of these ridiculous companies do with charity promotions. I think if your going to give to charity, stop thinking about yourself for a minute.

ChosenOne5376 | March 14, 23:12 CET

Well, that was certainly one of the most enjoyable reviews I've ever read. She's so cute and funny.

But as for Wonder Woman? I'm gonna have to add my voice to those of the "dissenters"...she's not right for the part, especially since they're doing an origin story. Plus, I think that they should go with a relative unknown for the part. I mean, Christopher Reeve? Superman? That really paid off.

I think Morena would be great, but she has about a -474% chance of landing the job.

And I'm still wondering how in the hell that invisible jet is going to be not corny.

UnpluggedCrazy | March 14, 23:54 CET

Gossi...didn't Marilyn Monroe appear several times in Playboy? Didn't seem to cause major studios any concerns when casting her in "big" movies. Sure, it fit our image of Marilyn but it happened in a time when folks were blackballed for far less...

Calledon | March 15, 00:06 CET

Marilyn was on the cover of the first Playboy during her lifetime. She was very honest with the public about it and everything went just fine. :)

Jademaliburoad | March 15, 01:00 CET

Yes, but Marilyn was huge at the time. As backwards as it sounds, we live in a time where people will kill other people to fit their religious beliefs (and yes, I'm talking about wacky Christians here). We live in a time where hundreds of thousands of people complained about a NIPPLE (yes, one of those) on TV for half a second. It wouldn't surprise me if somebody took offense in the current climate to WW being nude at one point.

And I'm still wondering how in the hell that invisible jet is going to be not corny.

I'm not. Mock the corn with the characters and you're home and dry. Just stick somebody called AleXander in the script to do it.

[ edited by gossi on 2006-03-14 23:44 ]

gossi | March 15, 01:42 CET

Marylin's movies were for adults (even the comedies). Wonder Woman will be for adults and for kids (teens, at least). But most of all, she's a superhero. I can see how a studio (right or wrong) would not cast someone who'd been in Playboy as a superhero (like gossi said).

re: invisible jet. They did an invisible car with James Bond (Die Another Day) and it wasn't corny. I think the more supercool high-tech you make it, the less corny it is. BTW, how did Wonder Woman get that invisible jet? And Joss, why don't you just post the script here when you're done and answer some of these questions? ;-)

jam2 | March 15, 01:52 CET

I agree on not seeing Charisma as Wonder Woman, but I'd hate to see her just doing bitch roles, when she is such a great comic actress. She has perfect timing, perfect expression. According to David Greenwalt, he suggested bringing her to Angel because she was he thought she was so funny. This woman was born to do old-fashioned screwball comedies! If only someone were writing them.

barboo | March 15, 01:56 CET

Also, can you really see a major motion picture casting somebody as Wonder Woman who's appeared in Playboy? I can't.

They would cast a monkey if they were convinced it would bring in the punters

garda39 | March 15, 02:03 CET

They would cast a monkey if they were convinced it would bring in the punters

Nah, they tried that already.

(And no, I don't mean Adam Sandler this time).

gossi | March 15, 02:06 CET

I dunno if it was the nipple so much as the boob that was also on screen that offended people. But in fairness to Justin Timberlake I guess he must have some fans ;).

That's true jam2 but then Charlize Theron posed and went on to star in Aeon Flux though I don't know whether her photos were quite as, err, naked as Charisma's (and Aeon, apart from apparently being a bit rubbish, may be aimed slightly older). Personally I have no problems with it but I accept that studios can be funny about these things.

I also don't have a problem with an invisible jet. It's not like it's going to be the naff side-on clear plastic cut-out that we saw on the 70s series. Trust in Joss ;).

Saje | March 15, 02:30 CET

I do trust in Joss. But I also think it is a good idea for him to post the script here when he finishes it.That will give us all sorts of new fuel for the Wonder Woman debate. Couldn't you just see it?

Lioness | March 15, 02:53 CET

Oh yeah, he should definitely post the script. In fact, maybe Caroline should put that on the About page.

'Oh and if you're Joe Sweden you MUST post any and all related writings as and when they're completed (Whedonesque Charter, Paragraph 19, Subsection 42)'

Imagine if he did. That thread might finally hit the 'infinity comments' record everyone's secretly aiming for ;).

Saje | March 15, 03:17 CET

The TV series and "Justice League" type cartoons aside, didn't Wonder Woman have some bondage-type subscripts? I don't think I've ever actually read the comic, but for some reason that was something that's been in the back of my brain since I heard Joss was doing the script. It just seems like if anyone were able to get in a few tongue-in-cheek S&M remarks in, it would be him.

Hey, I searched around and came up with a pretty good WW article generally, in addition to supporting the S&M angle:

"Marston[Wonder Woman's creator] was always finding a way to get Wonder Woman tied up, sometimes spanked."

2001 WAPO article

I don't see how they can object to an actress for being in Playboy when the character herself has such ... nuance. I do agree that CC is too old for the part though, even IF she could pull it off, which is obviously debatable.

I don't see Morena in the part either.

rkayn | March 15, 04:33 CET

Speaking of Charlize Theron, I believe she did some Disney kid movie about a giant ape (not King Kong, obviously) after being in Playboy.

Mighty Joe? Something like that.

[ edited by rkayn on 2006-03-15 02:37 ]

rkayn | March 15, 04:36 CET

Hee! rkyan, in the earlier days, Wonder Woman had a lot of s&m...well...it's not even sub enough to call it subtext, it's just full on text.

It's quite cracktastic, to tell the truth.

Emma Frost | March 15, 06:21 CET

Flipping through the pages of Golden Age Wonder Woman comics is great for laugh. That guy was a bondage freak! The stories are just riddled with it. In fact, the golden lasso is there for WW to use it to bind people. Marston had some kind psychobabble B.S. explanation of how bondage and submission pares one down to their truest essence or something like that and that's why the lasso makes one speak the truth. But really it's just so bleedin' obvious he got off on B&D and spanking. And all this was aimed at children and nobody batted an eyelash over it (until "Seduction of the Innocent", that is).

My 2 cents on casting. I don't think Charisma is right for it. She's beautiful and sultry but doesn't have the regal bearing required for Diana. As Inara's Spongebath (great name, btw) so perfectly described it, she needs grace, presence, and ethereal beauty. That combination (IMHO) is not Charisma's type of beauty. I would like to see Charisma get more chances at comedy. She's really quite good at it and she's undervalued as a comic actress. I recall reading that Joss said he'll give her an audition for WW.

If it's going to a Whedonverse actress, I'd rather see Morena in the role. The other day I read Lucy Lawless is 5'10". And we do need Diana to be on the tall side. Plus Joss said age won't be such a factor (although it just might be when you factor in sequels). Personally, I think an unknown would be the best way to go but I'll be there opening day even if he casts Ruth Buzzi (who?).

Invisible Jet? I'd rather it not be there, but I'm not writing the script. If anybody can make it work, Joss can. It'll be interesting to see how he does it. I think flying under her own power works better for the character. Makes her more goddessy.

batmarlowe | March 15, 10:52 CET

If she's not playing a "bad girl", I think she has that "ethereal beauty" that Diana needs. She's not just "hot", she has classic beauty.
She moves very well, and has extensive background in dance and ballet that can come in handy in action sequences (like it did for Summer Glau).
Didn't Joss say that because Diana is new to modern society that age wouldn't be such a big factor in her coming of age story, or something like that?
I hope she gets the part. I think she can do it, especially if there's some comedy in the story.

Anna von Ovonov | March 15, 11:33 CET

I'm with the dissenters. I love Charisma, I just don't think she should be Wonder Woman. As for Morena, she'd be a better choice, but I still don't quite see her doing that role either. I'd be very happy for either of them if they did get cast, but I don't think the Whedonverse has the right actress to play Wonder Woman. So I too am going with unknown. Although I wouldn't mind a 'big name' either. If Serenity proved anything, it's that the lack of big names hurt the movie at the box-office (though certainly not artistically). So if they can find a big name to play Wonder Woman, who does a good job under Joss' direction, I'm all for it.

What I am also hoping, though, is that Joss finds a way to cast Amy and Summer in Goners. But, ofcourse, that's just because those are two of my favorite Whedonverse actresses ;-)

GVH | March 15, 13:42 CET

Count me in with the dissenters. I loved her as bitchy!Cordy, but when she went all nice and semi-heroic, a lot of the character's charm went away for me. Charisma is so beautiful, it's strange to think that comedy is her strong suit, but it is. Not even Anya was as good as being the Eve Arden-ish voice-of-cynical-reason as her. It's dramatically that I don't think she has the chops to play WW. Of all the Whedonverse actors, I'm pulling for Morena. She's a tad short and delicate-looking, but frankly, so was Lynda Carter. Girl was tall, but very, very thin. Morena has the beauty, the dramatic acting abilities (I think her eyes are amazing, they can go liquid with emotion or pain) and has a flair for comedy as well. Plus she was so woefully underused in both the series and the movie that I just want to see more of her.

dottikin | March 15, 14:59 CET

That's what I thought dottikin until gossi corrected me. IMDB has Morena down as 5' 7 3/4" (a full 1/4 inch taller than Charisma ;) - which may not be Lucy Lawless' 5'10" but is still fairly tall for a woman - and though she seems sort of delicate in Firefly/Serenity that's mainly down to how she's shot (e.g. if she fills the frame she won't seem as small), who she's standing next to (Adam Baldwin is 6'4") and the way she plays the character (think of the bit in Superman 2 when Chris Reeve straightens up and puffs out in preparation for telling Lois he's Superman - hard to imagine a more dramatic transformation without some kind of special effect).

I totally think she could do it, though so long as Joss gets the final word on casting I think we'll do OK no-matter who gets it (seems to have quite the gift for picking talent).

Saje | March 15, 15:50 CET

Batmarlowe, I totally agree that Charisma is undervalued as a comic actress. On Buffy and Angel she was often *hilarious*. It wasn't only that her lines were funny, her delivery of the lines was perfect.

Ilana | March 15, 16:23 CET

After seeing her play Jasmine, I have to go for Gina Torres if it's a Whedonverse actress. She does action, she does regal, she does wide-eyed wonder at being in a new world. It makes sense for Paradise Island to be a multi-racial society. There were (are?) no men there so the women weren't mating within their own society. They were either going outside to mate, or bringing in orphaned or abandoned babies, or some combination. And if they're somewhere in the Mediterranean, we're talking major trading routes with access to Africa, the Middle East, as well as Europe. Mediterranean society in the day was very polyethnic.

BTW, someone asked how WW ended up with an invisible jet. I remember reading the issue where that happened. It was actually Pegasus, the winged horse, and they flew through a magic cloud and got turned into an invisible airplane. I kid not. (It wouldn't surprise me if there were other origin stories for the jet. There often are in the classic comic books, but that's the one I happened to read.)

barboo | March 15, 19:05 CET

Lol, barboo, I think that's the older origin. The newer one is that 40,000 years ago, mankind's oldest ancestors - a race of people known as the Lasanarians - retreated beneath Anarctica when their scientific experiments accidentally created the Ice Age. Years and years and years later, Wonder Woman came to the aid of their kind and they gave her this artifact as a gift, this piece of Lasanarian technology that would pretty much take the shape of whatever Diana needed it to take the shape of. Also, this tech-thing was invisible.

Ergo, invisible jet.

On another note, Gina Torres would ROCK as Wonder Woman, but given that they cast a woman of color for Catwoman, and seeing how badly that flopped, I hardly think that WB would want to deviate too much from comic book canon at this point.

Emma Frost | March 15, 19:13 CET

I've moved round to thinking Evangeline Lilly would make a good Wonder Woman.

Simon | March 15, 19:37 CET

Really? I can't stand Evangeline on Lost. She has an interesting character and yet... she bores me to tears. Plus didn't she just sign on to shill rugs? SMG got a higher profile deal with Maybeline and Buffy never had Lost ratings. I don't think people connect to Evangeline very much - or she'd be as big as one of the Desperate Housewives right now.

I'm hoping Joss casts a complete unknown. It would be great if he got ALL the credit he deserves when this movie becomes a blockbuster. Wonder Woman is such a famous character that you don't really need a "name" to get people interested. I would pick Charisma over Morena though.

bravegal | March 15, 20:18 CET

She's so petite though.

batmarlowe | March 15, 20:22 CET

Emma Frost, thanks for the update on the jet. I also remember reading an origin issue for her where a bunch of Greek gods appeared to Hippolyte and gave their gifts to her newborn so that she could be a protector. The only specific one I remember is Heracles bestowing strength and Athena wisdom. Has that been superseded as well? Am I dated now by which Wonder Woman origin story I know?

And just for the record - I want to state that I hardly ever read Wonder Woman. I thought because it was seen as a girls' series it wasn't treated seriously by the writers and that it was a crappy book. I was into Daredevil and Adam Strange.

barboo | March 15, 23:10 CET

I totally agree with barboo. I think Charisma could certainly work beyond the "bitch" role. I thought her best work on either Buffy or Angel was around season two of Angel, where she had advanced beyond the stereotypical bitch of very early Buffy and really become a strong, independant yet vulnerable character, someone brave and often emotionally supportive to her friends but also incredibly funny and witty.

I don't think she is limited to the "bitch" role and I think she could do drama or comedy just as well. In fact I feel Charisma and Emma Caufield are two of the most hilarious actresses who have a great sense of comic timing, and I'd love to see them in a non-conventional comedy like Arrested Development. I mean there have been sitcoms filled with actresses who aren't as funny or natural as either of them, such as Jennifer Aniston or Debra Messing, but I think a run-of-the mill sitcom wouldn't do them justice.

Razor | March 15, 23:30 CET

Emma Frost, thanks for the update on the jet. I also remember reading an origin issue for her where a bunch of Greek gods appeared to Hippolyte and gave their gifts to her newborn so that she could be a protector. The only specific one I remember is Heracles bestowing strength and Athena wisdom. Has that been superseded as well? Am I dated now by which Wonder Woman origin story I know?

And just for the record - I want to state that I hardly ever read Wonder Woman. I thought because it was seen as a girls' series it wasn't treated seriously by the writers and that it was a crappy book. I was into Daredevil and Adam Strange.

barboo | March 15, 23:40 CET

Ooops. Sorry for the double post.

barboo | March 15, 23:42 CET

Well, I did not know that Charisma posed in Playboy.

I just looked up her pictures. Let me say...sweet mother of God, YOWZA!

*ahem*

Simon, if I weren't distracted, I would totally agree with you about Evangeline Lilly. But right now? Yeah, distracted.

Cancel all my meetings, and leave my phone off the hook...

[ edited by UnpluggedCrazy on 2006-03-16 05:47 ]

UnpluggedCrazy | March 16, 07:47 CET

Don't know why i didn't think of Evangeline Lilly for the role of Wonder Woman myself. Personally i think she is amazing on Lost and would certainly do the WW movie justice if given the part. Having a relatively new high profile actress as the lead character couldn't hurt. Not to mention, VERY hot!

The Watcher | March 16, 15:32 CET

Now that I am once more attentive, I publicly agree with Simon and Demonic.

Because saying "publicly" makes me feel all important.

UnpluggedCrazy | March 16, 21:35 CET

March 14 2006