Paige Matthews
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Paige Matthews is a fictional
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
from the American television series ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
'', played by
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer
Brad Kern Brad Kern is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer/showrunner of CBS TV procedural '' NCIS: New Orleans'' since midway through season two until the end of season four. Previously, he served as executive produce ...
as a replacement for lead character
Prue Halliwell Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older siste ...
, following the departure of actress
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
. Paige is introduced into season four as the fiercely independent younger half-sister of the show's remaining female leads,
Piper Piper may refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe Television * Piper Chapman, lea ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
) and
Phoebe Halliwell Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
(
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in '' My Name Is Earl'', Sa ...
). Like her sisters, Paige is a
witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
, and more specifically, a Charmed One—one of the most powerful witches of all time. Paige is introduced as the secret love child of the Halliwell sisters' mother
Patty A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world. ...
(
Finola Hughes Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1959) is an English actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas '' General Hospital'' and '' All My Children'', and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film '' Staying Alive'', the seq ...
) and her
whitelighter ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
(
guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
) Sam Wilder (
Scott Jaeck Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann ...
), making Paige both a witch and whitelighter. She was given up at birth and raised by her adoptive parents. At the beginning of season four, Paige goes on to help reconstitute The Charmed Ones by taking Prue's place in the "
Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer  as the exponent. Applications The powers of three give the place values in ...
", following her death in the season three finale. Like Prue, Paige possesses
telekinetic Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
abilities, but due to her mixed whitelighter heritage, this manifests as the ability to orb ("teleport") objects from one location to another through a vocal command. As the series progresses, Paige also receives whitelighter abilities such as the power to orb herself and others, as well as sensing, glamouring, and healing. Paige's storylines have often revolved around her protecting innocents and defeating the forces of evil in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
with her sisters. In the later seasons, she eventually receives her own whitelighter charges to train and protect as they learn witchcraft. Paige also has romantic relationships with fellow-witch Richard Montana (
Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in ''Cha ...
) in season six, and FBI agent
Kyle Brody ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(
Kerr Smith Kerr Van Cleve Smith (born March 9, 1972) is an American actor known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series ''Dawson's Creek'', Kyle Brody in The WB supernatural drama ''Charmed'', Robert in Freeform's '' The Fosters'' and Axel Palme ...
) in season seven. In the eighth and final season, Paige marries a human parole officer named Henry Mitchell (
Ivan Sergei Ivan Sergei Gaudio (; born May 7, 1971) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''. Life Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in Hawthorne, N ...
). The character was mostly well received by television critics, who complimented Paige's personality and felt that McGowan was the right choice for the role. McGowan won the Family Television Award for Favorite Sister in 2005 for her portrayal of Paige. In 2007,
AOL TV AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV. The product and service were develo ...
ranked Paige at number 13 on their list of the Top TV Witches, the lowest of the four sisters. In addition to the television series, the character has also appeared in numerous expanded universe material, such as the ''Charmed''
novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
and its comic book adaptation.


Casting and development

The character of Paige Matthews was conceived by executive producer
Brad Kern Brad Kern is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer/showrunner of CBS TV procedural '' NCIS: New Orleans'' since midway through season two until the end of season four. Previously, he served as executive produce ...
as a replacement character for
Prue Halliwell Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older siste ...
(
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
). In May 2001, it was officially announced that Doherty would be departing ''Charmed''. The producers originally considered recasting the role of Prue with a different actress. Executive producer
Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
even approached actresses
Tiffani Thiessen Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress who starred as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993), as Valerie Malone on Fox's ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1994–98), and as Lori on Netflix's ''Alexa & ...
, who replaced Doherty on his previous series ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'', and Jennifer Love Hewitt to take on the role as Doherty's replacement. Spelling revealed to ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', "Tiffani was our first choice to take over for Shannen - even before we asked Jennifer
ove Hewitt Ove or OVE may refer to *Ove (given name) *Ové, a surname *Ove Peak in Antarctica *''A Man Called Ove (novel)'', a novel by Fredrik Backman *'' A Man Called Ove'', a 2015 Swedish film based on the novel *Danish Organisation for Renewable Energy (O ...
but Tiffani told us she wants to do a half-hour comedy." Hewitt also declined the role. Producers then decided to kill off the character of Prue and replace her with a long-lost younger sister in favor of having "a fresh face" join the series. Spelling stated, " he character'sgoing to be the long-lost sister Alyssa and Holly never knew
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
had. And wait until you see what we came up with to explain why she's been lost: Nobody ever knew she even existed." Film actress
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
was later revealed to be cast in the role of Paige Matthews, her first role as a series regular on a television series. Kern stated, "From Paige's point of view, you go to bed one night, and you think you're a single child, and no one understands you. Then you wake up the next morning, and you find out you've got sisters who are witches, who've got supernatural powers, who have a destiny that you must now share and embrace, and you must learn your new powers." He later elaborated saying, "When we meet her, she will have been searching for many years, both for her birth parents, but also for an answer to that feeling that she's had inside of her that there's something special, there's something else that nobody has yet been able to understand and explain." On casting McGowan in the role of Paige, Kern admitted, "Our personal hope was to find somebody that would be of Shannen's calibre, that would have the sexiness, the edge and the range. That, for the age range we were looking for, is hard to find. We said, 'We don't want somebody conventional. We don't want a shrinking violet. We don't want just another pretty face that smiles and has great teeth. We want somebody who has an attitude.' I think Rose definitely has an attitude, and that's an energy that we can take advantage of for the betterment of the show."


Appearances


Television

Paige appears as the secret half-sister in the final five seasons of ''Charmed'', portrayed by
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
within 112 episodes from 2001 to 2006. . In the same episode, it is revealed that after Paige's adoptive parents (played by
Lisa Darr Lisa Darr (born April 21, 1963) is an American actress. Life and career Darr was born Lisa Darr Grabemann in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Mollie, an actress, and Karl Grabemann, a lawyer. She attended Stanford University and graduated i ...
and M. Scott Wilkinson) died, she went searching for her birth parents and suspected that she might be related to the Halliwell sisters. With
Patty Halliwell ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(
Finola Hughes Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1959) is an English actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas '' General Hospital'' and '' All My Children'', and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film '' Staying Alive'', the seq ...
) long since deceased, Paige relented on pursuing the matter further. After the
Source of All Evil '' Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good ...
learns of Paige's existence, he orders her killed. Paige is eventually saved by
Phoebe Halliwell Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
(
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in '' My Name Is Earl'', Sa ...
) and her boyfriend
Cole Turner Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...
(
Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
), and then subsequently introduced to
Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a Character (arts), fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Holly Marie Combs from October 7, 1998 until May 21, 2006. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Piper on h ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
) and her husband
Leo Wyatt Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season that initially set Phoeb ...
(
Brian Krause Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
). Paige then goes on to help reconstitute The Charmed Ones by taking
Prue Halliwell Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older siste ...
's (
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
) place in "The Power of Three". This is made possible after it is revealed that she is the daughter of Patty and the
Whitelighter ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
Sam Wilder (
Scott Jaeck Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann ...
), making her a "sister-witch" to Phoebe and Piper. The episode reveals that Paige was given up at birth to protect her from the wrath of The Elders if they were to discover her Whitelighter heritage. Like her sister Prue, Paige was born with " the ability to move things with her mind". Since she possessed the missing power, she was able to take her place in the Power of Three, thus reforming the Charmed Ones. Due to her Whitelighter heritage, however, her magical method of movement causes " objects to orb from a location to another". Paige has also shown the ability to impart
momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If is an object's mass an ...
on these orbing objects. Throughout season four, Paige shows that she has inherited a variety of Whitelighter powers such as orbing, and sensing. While Paige finds it easier to develop a friendship with Phoebe, she initially butts heads with Piper, but eventually the two sisters grow to have a mutual respect for each other. Later in the season, Paige reveals her identity as a witch to her childhood friend and "sometimes" boyfriend, Glen Belland (Jesse Woodrow). Once she develops more control over her witchcraft Paige is able to help her sisters' avenge Prue's death and vanquish the Source twice – both in his original incarnation and that of his next incarnation, Cole Turner. During the finale of season four, Paige and her sisters are later visited by the Angel of Destiny (
Dakin Matthews Melvin Richard "Dakin" Matthews (born November 7, 1940) is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and theatrical scholar. Best known as Herb Kelcher in ''My Two Dads'' (1987–1989), Hanlin Charleston in ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) ...
), who offers them the chance to live normal lives without magical powers or the threat of demons. Over the course of the episode, Paige eventually convinces her sisters to decline the offer and remain Charmed to continue doing good in the world. At the start of season five (2002–2003), Paige is officially promoted to social worker in the episode, " A Witch's Tail (Part 1)", but by the end of the second episode, " A Witch's Tail (Part 2)", Paige quits her job to pursue being a witch full-time. During this season Paige meets Sam Wilder (her birth-father) and slowly comes to terms with letting him into her life. Meanwhile, she struggles with living up to the legend of her deceased half-sister Prue and her title of "Superwitch". When Paige masters a difficult spell created by Prue, she appears to come at peace with her
sibling rivalry Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not. Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced ...
. Later in the season, Paige, alongside Phoebe, trains to be a
midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...
in order to deliver Piper's baby. When Piper gives birth to a boy she names
Wyatt Wyatt is a patronymic surname, derived from the Norman surname ''Guyot'', derived from "widu", Proto-Germanic for "wood". Notable people with the surname "Wyatt" include A * Aaron Wyatt, Australian musician * Addie L. Wyatt (1924–2012), Amer ...
, she also gives him the middle name Matthew in honor of his aunt Paige. In the sixth season (2003–2004), Paige grows tired of unemployment and obtains a job at a temp agency. While employed on the various jobs via the agency, Paige finds herself drawn into various magical endeavors concerning members of the magical community. Through one of these magical journeys she meets and later dates a witch named Richard Montana (
Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in ''Cha ...
), a relationship which mirrors the love affair Phoebe had with Cole as Richard attempts to avoid the temptations of dark magic. The couple eventually break up, but not before Paige binds Richard's powers so that he doesn't feel the temptation to misuse his powers. Also in this season, Paige becomes the second person to discover that the sisters' new time-traveling Whitelighter Chris Perry (
Drew Fuller Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...
) is actually Chris Halliwell and the second child of Piper and Leo. He has come back in time to prevent Wyatt from becoming evil in the future. Together, Chris helps Paige and her sisters discover that a powerful Elder named
Gideon Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiez ...
(Gildart Jackson) wishes to destroy the Twice-Blessed Wyatt, an act which causes Wyatt to turn his back on good in the future. During the start of the seventh season (2004–2005), Paige fights to keep Magic School from closing after the death of its headmaster, Gideon. The Elders then place Paige in charge of Magic School as the new headmistress once they realize how deep her dedication runs. Also this season, Paige befriends federal agent
Kyle Brody ''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(
Kerr Smith Kerr Van Cleve Smith (born March 9, 1972) is an American actor known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series ''Dawson's Creek'', Kyle Brody in The WB supernatural drama ''Charmed'', Robert in Freeform's '' The Fosters'' and Axel Palme ...
), and the two eventually grow close over their mutual investigation of The Avatars, powerful beings who are neither good nor evil. After initial hesitation, Paige and her sisters join sides with The Avatars in their plan to turn the world into a utopia against the warnings of both Kyle and The Elders. When The Charmed Ones discover that the new utopia robs the world of their free will, they join sides with Kyle and the demon Zankou (
Oded Fehr Oded Fehr ( he, עודד פהר; born ) is an Israeli actor based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of ''The Mummy'' and its sequel '' The Mummy Returns'', as well as Carlos Olivera in '' Resi ...
) and force The Avatars to restore the world to normal. Kyle, however, is killed in the process, but is resurrected as a Whitelighter as a reward from The Elders for helping to defeat The Avatars. He says his goodbyes to Paige, before leaving to start his new life. In late season seven, in episode seventeen " Scry Hard", Paige grows tired of being cooped up in Magic School and desires a reprieve from her duties as headmistress. At the suggestion of Piper and Phoebe, Paige instates the now human Leo as the new headmaster of Magic School in her place so that she can take a break while Leo can work in a place safe from the harm of demon attacks. The following episode, "
Little Box of Horrors ''Little Box of Horrors'' is a box set released by North Carolina horror punk band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 on May 9, 2006, on Restless Records in the USA and People Like You Records in Europe on May 29, 2006. However, the Europe ve ...
", The Elders manage to convince Paige that her continued quest for a life outside her role as a Charmed One stems from her destiny as a future Whitelighter. In the episode " Freaky Phoebe", Paige takes on official Whitelighter duties and gains her first charge in a witch named Mitchell Haines (
Seamus Dever Seamus Patrick Dever (born July 27, 1976) is an American actor known for his role as Detective Kevin Ryan in the ABC series ''Castle''. Early life Dever was born in Flint, Michigan, and moved at the age of six to Bullhead City, Arizona, ...
) who has the power of superhuman speed. In the season seven finale, during a suicide mission to vanquish Zankou, Paige and her sisters fake their deaths in order to escape the constant threat of demon attacks as well as police and government investigations. In the eighth and final season (2005–2006), Paige takes on the false identity of Jo Bennett (Christina Ulloa) and attempts to live a normal life free of magic. This proves to be impossible, as Paige hears the continual call of a new charge, a telekinetic witch named
Billie Jenkins Billie Jenkins is a fictional character who appeared in the American television supernatural drama ''Charmed'', which aired on The WB from 1998 to 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern and was portrayed by Kaley Cuoco. B ...
(
Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (200 ...
). In the fifth episode of season eight, " Rewitched", Paige and her sisters reclaim their true identities with the help of federal agent Murphy (
Brandon Quinn Brandon Quinn (born Brandon Quinn Swierenga, October 7, 1977) is an American television and film actor. He started his career in 1998 as Charles Murphy in the film '' Express: Aisle to Glory''. He has acted in other TV series and films such as ' ...
) in exchange for helping the FBI handle supernatural investigations. Episode eight, " Battle of the Hexes", introduces Paige to parole officer Henry Mitchell (
Ivan Sergei Ivan Sergei Gaudio (; born May 7, 1971) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''. Life Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in Hawthorne, N ...
). After a courtship, which involves Henry discovering Paige's secret identity as a witch and whitelighter, the couple get married in the episode " Engaged and Confused". Later in the season, Paige discovers that her charge Billie and her sister, Christy Jenkins (
Marnette Patterson Marnette Provost Patterson (born April 26, 1980) is an American actress and singer. Early life Patterson was raised as an only child by her mother in Los Angeles, California, where she was born. Her name is her mother's middle name: Marnette. ...
) are the ultimate power The Charmed Ones must defeat to save Leo from the Angel of Death (
Simon Templeman Simon Templeman (born January 28, 1954) is an English actor. He is known for his video game roles as Kain (Legacy of Kain), Kain in ''Legacy of Kain'', Gabriel Roman in ''Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'', Loghain in ''Dragon Age'' and Admiral Han'G ...
), but she has reservations because the women are human and not demons. In the end, Paige willingly participates in the ultimate battle between The Charmed Ones and the Jenkins sisters. After the series end, it is shown in flashforwards that Paige accepts her role as a Whitelighter, aiding many witches and future Whitelighters that include her nieces and nephews. It is also revealed that Paige and Henry's marriage will produce three children, twin daughters and a son.


Literature

As one of the central characters of the series, Paige appears in a number of ''Charmed'' literature. These appearances first began in the eleventh book of the series of novels. The novels follow no strict continuity with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
. However, the television series producers have final approval of everything in the novels, which could indicate the literature fitting into the established canon of the series and the so-called "''Charmed'' universe". Paige's first appearance in ''Charmed'' literature takes place within the novel ''Charmed Again'' by Elizabeth Lenhard in 2002, which acts as a novelised version of the fourth season premiere episode. Her last appearance in a ''Charmed'' novel takes place within ''Trickery Treat'' by
Diana G. Gallagher Diana G. Gallagher (March 14, 1946 – December 2, 2021) was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults based on television series. She contributed to book series based on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series), Buffy the Vamp ...
on January 1, 2008. In 2010, ''Charmed'' gained an officially licensed continuation in the form of a
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
, which is often billed as '' Charmed: Season 9''. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. Set eighteen-months after
the series finale "The Series Finale" is the ninth episode and series finale of the American television miniseries ''WandaVision'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows Wanda as she tries to p ...
, the sisters are seen living happy demon free lives and have each entered into motherhood. Paige has had twin girls with Henry Mitchell named Kat and Tamora Mitchell. In the comic series, Paige is working as a full-time Whitelighter and can also be seen helping Leo at Magic School with his students. In Issue #3, ''Innocents Lost'', Paige develops a new power in the form of a reinforced forcefield made up of orbs. Later in Issue #8, ''Oh, Henry'', Paige rescues a baby from the womb of his dying mother. She and Henry later adopt the infant boy and name him Henry, Jr. In the seventeenth issue of the comics, Paige looks for a witch named Sarah at a Salem house; however, she meets Cole who won't let her in. Despite his pleas, she orbs into the house where she meets Patience (Prue) and the two touch causing their powers to send them away. After recovering, Patience tells Paige that she is Prue. At first, Paige doesn't believe her, but they go to the manor where after six years, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe are finally reunited with a hug.


Powers and abilities


Witch abilities

In ''Charmed'' it is revealed that magical witches can develop and master a variety of magical skills and powers which include; scrying, spell casting, and brewing potent potions. As a magical witch Paige can utilize scrying, a divination art form that allows one to locate a missing object or person. Paige can also cast spells, often written in iambic pentameter or as a rhyming couplet, to influence others or the world around her. She can also brew potions, most often used to vanquish foes or to achieve other magical feats similar to the effects of a spell. As a witch and Charmed One, Paige has also developed a number of magical powers which include Telekinetic Orbing and Force Field (sometimes called Orb-Shield).


Telekinetic Orbing

In the second half of the two-part season four premiere, " Charmed Again (Part 2)", Paige displays her method of moving objects with her mind by teleporting objects from one location to another through a vocal command. When she vocally calls the name of an object or living being it will orb to her, appearing in hand or within close range to her body. This power is sometimes labeled Telekinetic Orbing. Due to her Whitelighter side, Paige's telekinetic power carries aspects of teleportation, although she still showcases the ability to impart
momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If is an object's mass an ...
on the objects she orbs allowing her to throw them across distances. Telekinetic Orbing does not require a great deal of accuracy in calling an object. For instance, in the season six episode " Hyde School Reunion", Paige orbs demonic acid by using the vocal call, "Icky stuff". She also displays the lack of need for accuracy in the episode " A Wrong Day's Journey into Right" when she redirects a shuriken by calling out, "Weapon...thingy." Over the course of her time on the series, Paige's powers grow in strength allowing her to move things without verbally calling for them. This can be seen in the episode, " Sword and the City" when she orbs the stoned encased
Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
into the attic of the Manor without a vocal command. She shows this skill again in the season eight episode "
Repo Manor The eighth and final season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, premiered in the United States on The WB from September 25, 2005 through May 21, 2006. Paramount Home Entertainment rele ...
" when she orbs the replica dollhouse of the Manor into the attic without saying anything as well. By late season seven, it becomes evident that Paige can now orb people and demons to any location by saying the name of the desired location. For example, she orbs Phoebe back to the Manor by stating, "Home!" in the episode "
Charmed Noir The seventh season of '' Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, premiered in the United States on The WB from September 12, 2004 through May 22, 2005. Airing on Sundays at 8:00 pm. Paramount Ho ...
". Towards the end of season eight, Paige displays the advanced skill of being able to orb and throw adult sized demons and people across distances in a similar fashion to Prue's telekinetic lift and throw method. The most prominent example of this occurs when she orbs the demon Asmodeus (Steven J. Oliver), a member of The Triad, directly into a fireball thrown by fellow Triad member Baliel (Sören Oliver). Paige also simultaneously orbs and throws two demons into a dumpster in the episode " Gone with the Witches".


Orb-Shield

In the ''Charmed'' comics, specifically Issue #3, ''Innocents Lost'', Paige develops a new power in the form of a reinforced force field made up of orbs. Paige displays the ability to encase others inside of her force fields, without being within them herself, when she uses her new power to contain the explosion caused by the resurrected Source's destruction in the tenth issue of the comic series, ''Three Little Wiccans''. In this same issue, Paige also uses her force field power offensively to push back demons.


Whitelighter powers

In ''Charmed'' a
Whitelighter ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
is a human soul that has been made a "
guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
" for good witches and other future Whitelighters (also known as a Whitelighter's "charge"). A Whitelighter acts in the service of The Elders who bestow these souls with their new angelic powers. Because Paige's father, Sam Wilder, is a Whitelighter, she has inherited a number of powers associated with this race of guardian angels which include Orbing, Sensing, Glamouring, and Healing. Of important note is that her Whitelighter powers exist independently from her witch powers, which has proven handy in situations where her witch powers were stolen or rendered null.


Orbing

Paige enters the series with the ability to orb, a teleporting ability unique to Whitelighters that allows them to travel anywhere in the world as well as between various supernatural worlds, including the magically guarded realm of The Elders (often called "Up There" in the show). In the season four episode " A Paige from the Past", it is revealed that Paige has always had access to her power to orb, as the ability saves her from dying in the car crash that killed her adoptive parents. When we are introduced to Paige, her orbing power can only be channeled in panic induced situations as a fear response. She is also only able to orb in and out within the same place, which makes her unable to travel across distances with the power. In the season four episode " The Three Faces of Phoebe", Paige displays growth with her orbing powers by transporting herself across town for the first time. In the same episode, she also displays the advanced ability of orbing with passengers. Despite taking on the full duties of a Whitelighter by the eighth and final season of the series, Paige never shows the ability to orb "Up There". Instead, whenever she congregates with an Elder, she orbs to the top of the suspension tower of the
Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...
to hold a meeting (though since she has successfully orbed to the Underworld on several occasions, this may have more to do with her personal attitude towards them than a lack of ability).


Sensing

In late season four, it is revealed that Paige has acquired the ability of sensing, a supernatural power which grants a Whitelighter a magical awareness of a charge's location and physical well-being. Paige's first instance of full on sensing is seen in the episode " Saving Private Leo". Paige's sensing power enables her to hear the "call" of her charges whenever they are in need, allowing her to go to them when they need her most. Before becoming a full-fledged Whitelighter, Paige displays the ability to hear her sisters' "call" when she is far away from them. As a Whitelighter, her charges must not always vocally call out to her when they are in need. The sensing power allows the Whitelighter to instantly hear a charge's inner call whenever the charge is in immediate danger, which is, more often than not, life-threatening.


Healing

Paige first shows a talent for healing in the season four premiere, " Charmed Again (Part 2)", when she uses her Whitelighter powers to enhance the healing abilities of her own Whitelighter, Leo Wyatt, to fully heal the half-demon Cole Turner. Later in that season, Paige is able to channel Leo's healing powers to heal him of his wounds after he has been poisoned by a Darklighter's arrow. However, it is not until the season eight episode "
Payback's a Witch The eighth and final season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, premiered in the United States on The WB from September 25, 2005 through May 21, 2006. Paramount Home Entertainment rele ...
" that Paige develops the trigger to be able to heal on her own. After expressing her love discreetly for wounded parole officer Henry Mitchell, Paige unlocks the emotional trigger of love to access her healing powers, which she later uses to heal Henry of his gunshot wound. Like all Whitelighters before her, Paige can only use her healing powers on humans and not animals or demons.


Natural abilities

Paige has proven to be a skilled painter and sketch artist, first introduced in the season four episode, " Muse to My Ears". Paige also showcases her singing talents in the season five episode, "
Sense and Sense Ability The fifth season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, originally aired in the United States on The WB from September 22, 2002 through May 11, 2003. Airing on Sundays at 8:00 pm. Paramount ...
". While she has limited training in physical combat, her fighting skills are proficient enough to best Billie in hand-to-hand combat in the season eight episode, " Malice in Wonderland".


Reception and cultural impact

Galen Adair of Wordandfilm.com described Paige as a "kindhearted, goofy witch," while a writer for
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
called her "voluptuous."
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
's Joshua Levs characterised Paige as "the lovable, secret, younger half-sister." In his review of the fourth season, Jeffrey Robinson of
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
felt that Paige fits right in with the sisters and noted that her addition changed the character dynamics of Piper and Phoebe "in a good way." In another review of the fourth season, Leigh H. Edwards of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' added that the addition of Paige was "contrived and clunky", but welcomed the idea of McGowan joining the show as a witch "since she has major goth cred as Marilyn Manson's former flame."
DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...
's Cynthia Boris wrote that McGowan brought "a youthfulness" and "a fresh viewer perspective" to ''Charmed'', further noting that "fans have come to enjoy her presence on the show." Sara Paige and Rachel Hyland of ''Geek Speak'' magazine described Paige as "snarky, compassionate and whimsical," and believed that "McGowan was well-suited for the role." Professional wrestler Paige named herself after McGowan's character. A writer for
MovieWeb MovieWeb is an entertainment news website and video brand. Overview MovieWeb reports on entertainment news through their long-running website and related social media and video platforms. The site also maintains a searchable database of films. H ...
praised McGowan's performance for delivering a "great and relatable character", noting that "She gets all of Paige's own quirks and emotions, and the feel of adjusting to things down really well." The writer also felt that McGowan was a "great casting choice" for ''Charmed''. Rob Lineberger of DVD Verdict commented on McGowan's acting in the fifth season, noting that she "clips off the end of every sentence, often growling more than annunciating her lines." Lineberger also added that "McGowan's impressive snarl" was one of the reasons he enjoyed that season. In his review of the sixth season, Lineberger wrote that McGowan was "still smoking hot."
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
's Jarett Wieselman commented on Paige's outfits, noting that many of the episodes featured her, along with Phoebe, wearing "a series of progressively revealing and ridiculous costumes in the name of vanquishing." Tariq Kyle of Hypable.com wrote that the funniest moment of ''Charmed'' was in the season four episode "Hell Hath No Fury", when Paige's breast size increased "by a ridiculous amount." At the 2001 Wand Awards, McGowan was nominated for Best New Cast Member for her portrayal of Paige. In 2005, she won Favorite Sister at the Family Television Awards. In 2007,
AOL TV AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV. The product and service were develo ...
ranked Paige at number 12 on their list of Top TV Witches. The following year, she was ranked at number 13 on the same list. In his review of the television series ''
Witches of East End ''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by author Melissa de la Cruz and the first entry in her ''Beauchamp Family'' series. It was published on June 21, 2011, by Hyperion Books and follows a family of Long Island witches struggling against da ...
'' being too similar to ''Charmed'', Christian Cintron of
Hollywood.com Hollywood.com is an entertainment news website covering popular culture topics including movies, television, music and celebrities. Hollywood.com is principally owned by Mitchell Rubenstein and Laurie S. Silvers, who previously founded Sci-Fi Ch ...
noted that
Mädchen Amick Mädchen Elaina Amick ( ; born December 12, 1970) is an American actress and television director. She is known for her starring role as Shelly Johnson on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991), its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
's "snarky, sarcastic" character Wendy Beauchamp "channels Rose McGowan's Paige Matthews."


See also

* Woman warrior


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Paige Charmed (TV series) characters American female characters in television Adoptee characters in television Fictional principals and headteachers Fictional shapeshifters Fictional social workers Fictional characters who can teleport Fictional characters who can manipulate light Television characters introduced in 2001 Charmed (TV series) witches Fictional demon hunters Fictional nephilims Fictional characters from San Francisco Fictional telekinetics Fictional characters with healing abilities Fictional witches Fictional alcohol abusers Female characters in television