Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nev., Carpenter moved with her family to Mexico when she was 15. She had studied classical ballet since the age of 5 and pursued dancing as part of her high school curriculum by commuting between Mexico and San Diego to take classes at the School of the Creative and Performing Arts.

Carpenter did not initially intend to pursue a career in acting, but fate intervened when she was discovered by a commercial agent while waitressing in Los Angeles to save for her college education. Since then, she has appeared in more than 20 commercials.

Her first break in television came with a guest appearance on the popular series Baywatch. Shortly thereafter, she landed an audition for Aaron Spelling, who cast her as a regular in the series Malibu Shores.

Carpenter currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif. with her two Golden Retrievers. A fitness enthusiast, her outdoor interests include rollerblading, rock climbing, hiking and sky diving.