Emma Caulfield is an American film and television actress whose career dates back to the mid-1990s. Though she is best known for her work on the beloved show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, she has appeared in key roles across numerous memorable projects.
Background Info
Emma Caulfield was born on April 8th, 1973 in San Diego, California. At her birth however, she was known as Emma Chukker –– the daughter of Denise and Rodney Chukker, and sister of one Samantha Chukker.
The name “Chukker” derives from Hindi, though altogether Emma is said to have descended from English, Portuguese, German, and Luxembourgian relatives. It is not known precisely when she settled on “Caulfield” for her professional name.
Early Life
Caulfield (or perhaps then Chukker) took an interest in acting as early as her high school days, at which point she is known to have studied the subject at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse, as well as the Old Globe Theatre in town.
At the Old Globe, she was awarded the “Excellence in Theatre Arts” honor, and soon thereafter she advanced her pursuit of drama at TASIS (The American School In Switzerland) England.
By 1994, she was beginning her career on television.
Acting Career
Emma Caulfield’s professional acting career started in 1994 and continues to this day. Along the way, she has starred in multiple acclaimed and well-liked shows, and has appeared in a few films as well. Below are some of her most noteworthy projects:
Burke’s Law
Caulfield’s first professional role was in the CBS crime drama Burke’s Law –– a revival of a popular 1960s show in which Gene Barry reprised his role as the wealthy police officer Amos Burke.
The show ran for just two seasons, and Caulfield appeared in just one episode, as the character Beth in “Who Killed The Beauty Queen?” But this was still the beginning of a long and successful television career for the then-21-year-old actress.
Saved By The Bell: The New Class
Saved By The Bell: The New Class was a spinoff of the popular teen series Saved By The Bell. And though it wasn’t quite the hit the original show was, it did run for seven seasons from September of 1993 through September of 1999.
Here too, Caulfield played a small role, depicting the character Nurse Penny Brady in the season two episode “Blood Money.” But there she was again with her name attached to a fairly major property right at the outset of her career.
Weird Science
Based on a 1985 film of the same name, the Weird Science TV series ran throughout the mid-‘90s. A sort of comedy-slash-sci-fi sitcom, it follows two high school students who create their dream girl on a computer.
Caulfield did not have a major role, but appeared in the first-season episode “Who Killed The Beauty Queen?” as Beth in 1994.
Beverly Hills 90210
Beverly Hills 90210 has become a sort of sprawling franchise over the years –– a teen soap opera of sorts that spans 10 original seasons and a fairly recent spinoff. And it was the original show that more or less constituted Emma Caulfield’s breakout.
The young actress played the role of Susan Keats, who appeared primarily in season 6 (and mostly in 1996) Keats was an editor and a proud feminist who ultimately left the other characters to pursue her career –– but not before Caulfield had made a distinct and favorable impression on audiences.
General Hospital
Fresh off of her stint on Beverly Hills 90210, Emma Caulfield took on the role of Lorraine Miller in the smash hit soap opera General Hospital.
This show has run for a near-record span, and has revolved around numerous characters, families, and major events at and around a major hospital in Port Charles, New York.
Lorraine Miller was but one of countless characters to seize the spotlight over the years, but once again Caulfield made a positive, memorable impression.
Miller was a nurse at Mercy Hospital, as well as a friend and accomplice of Carly Corinthos (Sarah Brown).
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Following General Hospital, Caulfield got what would become the defining role of her career on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series.
Caulfield was 25 years old at the time, and had become a recognizable face to some TV fans –– but not yet a major name. With Buffy though, she became a star.
Caulfield played the role of Anya Jenkins –– a former demon, originally slated for just a two-episode run.
When Anya proved to be a popular character in the early going, however, she was added to the core cast for the long haul. Caulfield would ultimately appear in 85 episodes of Buffy, spanning from 1998 to 2003.
Fans largely adored Caulfield’s performance, though some had qualms with how her character was used.
If anything, there was a desire for more of Caulfield on screen, and a more fleshed-out version of Anya (despite the fact that she was a regular presence on the show).
What did she do after Buffy The Vampire Slayer?
The part of Anya on Buffy remains the defining role of Emma Caulfield’s career. That said, she has also had numerous noteworthy performances since, such as the following:
Monk
Monk was an eight-season show that started in 2002. It was a comedic mystery series that revolved primarily around Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a private detective with OCD and his assistant Sharona, played by Bitty Schram and later Natalie, played by Traylor Howard.
Emma Caulfield was not a series regular, but did appear as the character Meredith Preminger in the 2004 episode “Mr. Monk And The Girl Who Cried Wolf.”
Life Unexpected
Life Unexpected was a teen drama series that aired for two seasons beginning in 2010. It follows Lux Cassidy (Britt Robertson) as a foster child who finds her biological parents and thereafter has to navigate a complex family dynamic.
Emma Caulfield played the role of Emma Bradshaw, who was the boss and ultimately love interest of Lux’s father Nate (aka “Baz”).
Gigantic
This short-lived teen dramedy aired on TeenNick for 18 episodes between 2010 and early 2011.
The main focus of the show is on the children of fictional Hollywood stars, and the concept of Hollywood teens in general.
Caulfield played the role of Sasha, who was the stepmother of Piper (Jolene Purdy), the best friend of protagonist Anna Moore (Grace Gummer).
It was a supporting role, but a fitting bit of casting given Caulfield’s history in teen dramas.
Bandwagon: The Series
Equal parts comedy, documentary, and autobiographical features, Bandwagon: The Series is a show that is more or less about Emma Caulfield.
The actress conceived of and produced the series, and stars as herself –– or at least a version of herself. It’s an unusual project, and one that consisted of only 15 episodes.
But it was well received, and further solidified Emma Caulfield as a talented actress long after her Buffy breakthrough.
Once Upon A Time
If you haven’t watched this fantasy series, it’s a bit difficult to characterize. But the gist is that Once Upon A Time was a modern drama in which characters continually found famous fairy tales coming to life.
Emma Caulfield joined late in the first season and stuck with the show for a seven-episode run as the “Blind Witch,” a character built on the concept of the witch from “Hansel & Gretel.”
Fantasy Hospital
Fantasy Hospital represents Emma Caulfield’s main foray into animation. The show ran in 2016, and concerned a group of fantasy characters (dwarves, fairies, and the like) running a magical hospital. Caulfield voiced the part of Nurse Misty Windham, an accomplished elf nurse.
What is Emma Caulfield doing now?
Notably, Emma Caulfield is still very much a working actress. She appeared in 2021 in the Disney+ Marvel series WandaVision as Dottie Jones and Sarah Proctor, and also worked on one episode of the Good Girls series.
In 2022 meanwhile, she appeared in the feature film I’m Charlie Walker, in the role of Fran. One could argue that these appearances –– in an acclaimed Marvel series and a feature film –– represent some of the most significant work the 49-year-old actress has done since Buffy.
Caulfield also spends a fair amount of time interacting with fans. She’s a regular at conventions (appearing at Wales Comic Con, German Comic Con, TGS – Springbreak, and SiliCon with Adam Savage all in 2022). She also maintains a Cameo, enabling fans to contact her for short video messages.
The actress also has a graphic novel available for sale –– a story about an adventurous cat called Contropussy that she wrote in 2012.
Fans will also be heartened to know that Emma Caulfield is still friends with Sarah Michelle Gellar from their Buffy days.
Personal Life
Emma Caulfield was married to Cornelius Grobbelaar, beginning in 2006 and ending in 2010.
Six years after her divorce, Caulfield announced publicly that she was expecting her first child with Mark Leslie Ford –– a film producer and actor best known for 2017’s Suburbicon and 2019’s Velvet Buzzsaw.
She gave birth to a daughter on July 10th, 2016, naming her Knightley Lake Ford. Emma and Mark Leslie Ford were married by 2017, and remain together.
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