Charisma Carpenter, best known as sharp-tongued Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is still keeping company with people who could kick your ass. Together with Lou Ferrigno and Erik Estrada (pictured), she’s now a member of The Butterfinger Defense League, a trio that will teach us how to ward off people who want to lay a finger on our Butterfingers. They do this through individual training videos (Carpenter’s alter ego “Sassy” has killer hips) and a group remake of a certain Sir Mix-A-Lot hit (“I Like Big Butterfingers”). Watch her in action after the jump. She also plays Jason Statham’s fiancée in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, which hits theaters in August. She stopped by my office last week to chat about which episode of Angel she showed Sly to help nab her role, the joys of working with an army of sassy puppies (that would be the Butterfinger gig), why she’s a cool mom (her son, Donovan, is seven), and what she’d like to do next (Broadway!).

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Did you have to read for Stallone?
CHARISMA CARPENTER: Yeah, I had to earn it. I had to earn it big time. I think they were filming the process of making The Expendables, and so my audition and him telling me I got the part was all taped. First we met, and he said a lot of people were auditioning for the role but they were too tough. “I really want you to convey the softness, that you want to connect with this person.” He was talking about the scene, and I said, “I want to show you a scene I did with David in ‘You’re Welcome’ [the season 5 episode of Angel in which Cordelia dies]. The tenderness, I think I know exactly what you’re looking for. Wait, I’ll be back in 10 minutes. Donovan, come on.” ‘Cause I had to bring him that day. So they said, “You can leave Donovan here with us if it’ll make you go faster.” [Laughs] So I go, and I come back, and I show that scene at the end — the kiss when I leave — and he punches me in the arm like “Good job… But you still have to read though.” Then he called me in the middle of the afternoon, and I had my son again, and he said, “We were gonna have you come tonight and read for it,” and I went. The next day, I’m driving my kid to school, my hair is in a bun, I have no makeup on, Ugg boots, oversized jeans and like a thermal shirt, and I get this call from his assistant. “I have Sly for you.” Okay. He said, “We want you to come into the office right now.” “Um, okay, well, can I just have like a half an hour? Can I at least brush my teeth?” “No, we want you to come now.” So I call my manager, I’m like, “They want me to come now.” “I can’t believe they want you to come now. What if you didn’t get the job, and then they’re gonna tell you?” I’m like, “I don’t think he would do that.” I hang up and go in. Stallone’s like, “So, how do you think you did?” I’m like, “Well it really doesn’t matter how I think I did, it only matters what you think. How did I do?” He goes, “No, I want to know. How did you think you did?” And I said, “Well, I think I nailed it.” And he goes, “You did. You got the part.” And I went, “[Shouts] Yes!… Are you sh–in’ me right now? You’re not f—ing kidding me right now, right?” He said, “No, I’m dead serious.” I jumped up, and I gave him a big hug. It was the best news. For me, it’s like my first bona fide film that’s gonna see the masses. I’m thrilled. I don’t even want it to be over.

What was it like to be on that set?
I work in television, and it’s fast. I’d been on the set a long time ago of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and it was very slow and you take a lot of takes, from different angles, and I just thought, Ohmygod, this is my first big budget movie… No. It was faster than a TV show. It was constantly go, go, go. Minds were being changed on the fly, and you just have to acclimate. I was just really bummed that I didn’t get to kiss Jason more. “Really? You don’t want another take? Are you sure? You sure you got it?” And yeah [Laughs] a lot of Red Bull on set. A lot of Monster drinks for everybody. [Stallone's] like “You’re fading. You’re fading. I can see it in your eyes. Here, take this.” “Okay. Sure, I’ll have another one.” It was fast and furious, and I don’t know how he does what he does. I don’t know how he’s been around for so long. I get it —  because he’s a genius and he wears a lot of hats — but I can’t believe he’s physically been able to do it this long.

Read the full interview HERE