Back in November, we learned that the talented and beautiful Charisma Carpenter (Buffy, Angel) would be guest starring on the winter season of The Lying Game. Now that the winter premiere is just days away, she answered some questions about her role (as Char's Aunt), her career and what it's like to work on The Lying Game

Question: Can you give us some insight into why Annie has been gone so long and her relationship with Phyllis (Char's Mom)?

Charisma Carpenter: Her relationship with Phyllis is sister. She’s been gone so long because I think when she was there, she was in high school, and things did not go well for her. She was very—well, treated poorly, not well received. I think some very bad things happened to her and what they are exactly has not at this point been revealed to me. It’s just touched on a little bit here and there.

But when she does come back, she is a completely different looking person in appearance and obviously, she’s monetarily better off. I guess she was in Los Angeles running a music company with her husband, who she is no longer with. She thought she would go back home and start fresh, to everyone else’s chagrin.

Question: How do you approach a character like Annie who knows so many secrets about people like Ted and Alec?

Charisma Carpenter:  I think it’s not about them, I think it’s about her is the way I would approach it. It being sort of like just focusing each interaction one at a time and knowing what my overall purpose is to be there and it’s a fresh start. So, it’s positive and it’s up and it’s a good thing. To play it any other way would really not—it would just be a different show.

I mean, part of The Lying Game is appearances aren’t always what they seem. I think if you go into it being difficult or giving too much attitude or whatever, there are not a lot of places to go with that. She’s optimistic. She wants a change. She’s open to befriending those people that weren’t nice to her when she was younger and starting new. I think she comes from a place of confidence and success and she has nothing to apologize for and she’s interested in opening those doors again.

Click on to keep reading!