Prudence Halliwell
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Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character 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 broadc ...
'', played by
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. She is the eldest daughter of Patty Halliwell and Victor Bennett. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older sister. Prue is introduced into the series as the eldest sister to
Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a 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 her second-oldes ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. Known for her work in television dramas, her career spans over four decades. Combs started her career in the 1980s with small roles on television soap operas a ...
) 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, Rom ...
(
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano ( ; born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and activist. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'' (1997–1998), Phoebe Halliwell in '' Charmed'' ...
). She is one of the first original featured leads and more specifically, a Charmed Oneone of the most powerful
witches Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
of all time. Prue initially possesses the power to move objects with her mind by channeling
telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
through her eyes. As the series progresses, she learns how to channel her telekinesis through her hands and gains the power of
astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
, the ability to be in two places at once. Prue also develops martial arts skills and becomes an effective hand-to-hand fighter like Phoebe. Prue is portrayed as the oldest, responsible, strong, "kick-ass sister" and "leader of the group." During her three seasons on ''Charmed'', she is regarded as the strongest and most powerful witch of the Halliwell sisters. Prue's storylines have mostly revolved around her protecting innocents and defeating the forces of evil in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
with her sisters, as well as leading a normal life as an appraiser for an auction house and later as a professional photographer for a magazine company. She also has romantic relationships with her old high school flame Inspector Andy Trudeau ( Ted King) in season one, and fellow auction house employee Jack Sheridan (
Lochlyn Munro Lochlyn Munro (born February 12, 1966) is a Canadian actor. His most notable film roles include ''A Night at the Roxbury'' (1998), ''Scary Movie'' (2000), ''Freddy vs. Jason'' (2003), ''White Chicks'' (2004), ''The Predator (film), The Predator ...
) in season two. In the third season, Prue is forced to marry the warlock Zile ( Tom O'Brien) in a dark marriage ceremony, but their marriage soon ends after he is vanquished. In the season three finale " All Hell Breaks Loose", Prue is attacked by Shax, a powerful demonic assassin sent by The Source of All Evil, ending the season on a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
. After Doherty departed the series, this attack was revealed to be fatal. She was replaced in season four by
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress and activist. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), she achieved recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generation' ...
, who played the long-lost younger half-sister
Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
. The character received a positive reception from television critics, who praised her strong persona and Doherty's performance. Doherty received two
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
nominations in 1999 and 2000, for Best Actress on Television for her portrayal of Prue. 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 devel ...
ranked Prue at number nine on their list of the Top TV Witches. In addition to the television series, the character has also appeared in numerous
expanded universe The term expanded universe, sometimes called an extended universe, is generally used to denote the "extension" of a media franchise (like a television program or a series of feature films) with other media, generally comics and original novels. ...
material, such as the ''Charmed''
novels A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of '' ...
and its comic book adaptation.


Casting and development

In 1998,
The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
began searching for a drama series, and looked to
Spelling Television Spelling Television Inc. was an American television production company that went through several name changes. It was originally called Aaron Spelling Productions, then Spelling Entertainment Inc. and eventually part of Spelling Entertainment Gr ...
, which had produced the network's most successful series '' 7th Heaven'', to create it. Expanding on the popularity of supernatural-themed dramas, the production company explored forms of
mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
to find mythological characters they could focus on with contemporary storytelling."Genesis" Documentary, ''Charmed'': The Complete Final Season Region 1 DVD In order to create the series, Constance M. Burge was hired as the creator as she was under contract with 20th Century Fox and Spelling Television after conceiving the drama ''
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
''. The character of Prue Halliwell was conceived by Burge, who wrote the pilot script for ''Charmed''. The pilot script was based around three mismatched sisters who are initially based on Burge and her two older sisters, Laura and Edie Burge. Prue is based on Burge's older sister Laura. On creating Prue, Burge stated "my older sister, Laura, is very strong, very driven and so I attributed the characteristics that my sister Laura has to the character Prue." 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 was also executive producer ...
claimed Prue was written into the series as "the older sister, the kick-ass sister. She was the tough one. She was probably the most skeptical about the magic up top, but ultimately became the most powerful of he sisters" Doherty stated that the character "had a sense of responsibility that she felt towards her family and she was very nurturing and maternal and giving".Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
When the series was in its first development stages, executive producer
Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the television series ''Family'' (1976–1980), ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977†...
had always known who he wanted for the role of Prue:
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
, an actress from a previous Spelling Television series, ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
''. Doherty, already devoted to the project, pitched the idea to her best friend, former ''
Picket Fences ''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on CBS in the United States. ...
'' actress
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. Known for her work in television dramas, her career spans over four decades. Combs started her career in the 1980s with small roles on television soap operas a ...
, whom she and Spelling wanted for the role of
Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a 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 her second-oldes ...
. Doherty played the role of Prue in a 28-minute test pilot (the "unaired pilot", never aired on television) alongside Combs and actress Lori Rom, who played the youngest sister
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, Rom ...
. Rom quit the series and a new pilot was filmed with former ''
Who's the Boss? ''Who's the Boss?'' is an American sitcom television series created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, that aired on ABC from September 20, 1984, to April 25, 1992, with a total of 196 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. It was produce ...
'' actress
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano ( ; born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and activist. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'' (1997–1998), Phoebe Halliwell in '' Charmed'' ...
, who took over the role of Phoebe.


Departure

In May 2001, it was officially announced that Doherty would be departing ''Charmed''. Following the announcement, rumors circulated that the reason behind Doherty's departure was because of a feud with Milano. Doherty told ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...
'' that "there was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work", and that there were never any problems between her and Combs. During an interview on ''Watch What Happens Live'' in 2013, Milano spoke about the rumored feud between her and Doherty, after a caller asked for the truth behind Doherty's departure. Milano said, "I don't know if she got fired, we never really found out what happened. I can tell you that we were on the air with her for three years and there were definitely some rough days. Holly and Shannen were best friends for like 10 years before the show started so it was very much sort of like high school. I would hope that in our thirties it wouldn't feel like that anymore." The producers originally considered recasting the role of Prue with a different actress. Actresses
Soleil Moon Frye Soleil Moon Frye (; born August 6, 1976) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She began her career as a child actress at the age of two. When she was seven, Frye won the role of Penelope "Punky" Brewster in the NBC sitco ...
,
Irene Molloy Irene Molloy is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her roles on television series ''Andy Richter Controls the Universe'' and ''Grosse Pointe''. She has also appeared in Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals, televisio ...
and
Denise Richards Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, TV personality, and model. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), the erotic thriller film '' Wild Things'' (1998), and the ...
were rumored to be possible replacements. Spelling even approached
Tiffani Thiessen Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress. Her roles as List of Saved by the Bell characters#Kelly Kapowski, Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993) and its Saved by the Bell#Spin-offs, spin-off me ...
, who replaced Doherty on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and
Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress, producer and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel serie ...
. However, both Thiessen and Hewitt declined the role. Producers then decided to kill off Prue and replace her with a long-lost younger half-sister named
Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
(played by
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress and activist. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), she achieved recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generation' ...
), in favor of having "a fresh face" join the series. The producers had to re-cut the season three cliffhanger to explain Prue's sudden disappearance. Following Doherty's departure from the series, all photographs of Prue in the Halliwell sisters' home were never seen again and she never appeared in any flashback scenes. In an interview with
TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...
marking the ten year anniversary of the
series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, ...
, executive producer Brad Kern said that he "tried like crazy to get her in flashbacks and to have photographs of her on the walls," but they could not afford to pay Doherty per-episode fee to use her image. Kern said that he regrets not being able to include a photo of Prue in the series finale's final montage, but added it would have been "impossible to accomplish" because "it was going to cost us a lot of money." Doherty revealed that she was asked to return for the series finale, but she declined the offer as she did not like the way the producers wanted to bring Prue back, stating it was "just not authentic", "nothing interesting or good", not "true to the character", and that "it didn't feel right." On such a return of hers, she stated that "the idea was floated by her". However, Kern commented that "there was no talk about bringing ohertyback physically" because they did not believe she would ever return or that the network would want her to. Kern felt that Doherty would not have returned because "there were a lot of internal issues that led up to her leaving...on a lot of different people's sides."


Appearances


Television

Prue is depicted as the eldest Halliwell sister on ''Charmed'', portrayed by
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
in the first 66 episodes of the series as well as the unaired pilot. At the start of season one (1998–99), six months have passed since the death of her grandmother, Penny Halliwell (
Jennifer Rhodes Jennifer Rhodes (born Janice Wilson) is an American actress best known in her many television roles specifically TV shows such as ''Friends'' and ''Gilmore Girls'' but she is mainly known for her role as Penny Halliwell on ''Charmed''. Life a ...
). After ending her engagement to Roger (
Matthew Ashford Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor and producer. He is known for playing the role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC Daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' (1987 to present). In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emm ...
), Prue moves back into her family's Victorian Manor with her middle sister
Piper A piper is a musician, a player of the bagpipe. As a noun proper, Piper may also refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * P ...
(
Holly Marie Combs Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. Known for her work in television dramas, her career spans over four decades. Combs started her career in the 1980s with small roles on television soap operas a ...
), and they are later joined by their youngest sister Phoebe (
Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano ( ; born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and activist. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'' (1997–1998), Phoebe Halliwell in '' Charmed'' ...
). On the night of Phoebe's return, she finds a book called the ''Book of Shadows'' within the Manor's attic. After Phoebe unknowingly recites aloud what turns out to be an incantation from the book, the three sisters each receive a magical power and discover their destiny as The Charmed Ones â€“ the most powerful good witches the world has ever known. Gaining the power to " move things with her mind", Prue battles with maintaining control of her newfound powers and keeping her identity as a witch secret. Due to the magical interferences in both her work and personal life, Prue finds it difficult to rekindle a relationship with her old high school flame Inspector Andy Trudeau ( T.W. King) and stay on top of her new job as an
appraiser An appraiser (from Latin ''appretiare'', "to value") is a person that develops an opinion of the market value or other value of a product, most notably real estate. The current definition of "appraiser" according to the Uniform Standards of Profes ...
for Buckland's Auction House. Throughout the first season, Prue and her sisters face off against various warlocks and demons who aim to steal their powers or harm innocents. In the first-season finale, Andy is killed trying protect her from a demonic foe. The show's second season (1999–2000) opens with Prue's continual struggle to deal with Andy's death. Prue feels responsible, and contemplates giving up on witchcraft entirely, but eventually decides to continue her destiny as a witch and protector of the innocent with help from her sisters. Prue later experiences growth in her magical abilities when she develops the power to " be in two places at once" via
Astral Projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
, and learns to open herself up to the potential of love again through a courtship with fellow Buckland's employee Jack Sheridan (
Lochlyn Munro Lochlyn Munro (born February 12, 1966) is a Canadian actor. His most notable film roles include ''A Night at the Roxbury'' (1998), ''Scary Movie'' (2000), ''Freddy vs. Jason'' (2003), ''White Chicks'' (2004), ''The Predator (film), The Predator ...
) and a romantic fling with ex-con Bane Jessup ( Antonio Sabato, Jr.). She eventually quits her job at Buckland's to pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional photographer. Prue subsequently gets a job as a photographer for ''415 Magazine''. In the season two finale, Prue and her sisters discover that the many attacks on their lives by evil beings have been orchestrated by a demonic force known as The Council. By season three (2000–01), learning of the new evil The Triad (who have replaced The Council), Prue becomes determined to prepare herself for any further attacks of evil on herself, her sisters and any future innocents in which to protect. Throughout the season Prue displays martial arts skills, strengthening her powers and researching, finding and destroying demons. Her fight and devotion as a Charmed One and fulfilling their destiny results in her becoming what has been coined as a "SuperWitch". Prue and her sisters eventually learn that the demon Belthazor and The Triad work for an even greater evil, The Source of All Evil, the leader of the demonic realm known as The Underworld. After Prue and Piper later discover that Cole Turner (
Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian-American actor. He is the only son of Sir William McMahon, a former Prime Minister of Australia. He is best known for his roles as Ben Lucini in ''Home and Away'', Detective Joh ...
), who is actually Belthazor, faked his death with Phoebe's help, the revelation causes a rift in their sisterly relationship. Later, after being forced to marry the warlock, Zile ( Tom O'Brien) in a dark marriage ceremony, Prue comes to understand Phoebe's draw to Cole's darker half. While the two sisters mend their relationship, Prue distrusts Cole for some time. Midway through season three, Prue also makes amends with her estranged father, Victor Bennett (
James Read James Christopher Read (born July 31, 1953) is an American actor. He played the role of George Hazard in the ''North and South'' television miniseries, and had a recurring role as List of Charmed characters#Victor Bennett, Victor Bennett on th ...
) who left the family shortly after their mother's death. During the season three finale, Prue and Piper unwittingly expose themselves as witches to the world after being caught on camera by a local news crew fighting with The Source's personal assassin Shax. In the aftermath of the exposure, Piper is shot by a crazed
Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...
n fanatic who wanted to join the sisters' coven. Prue frantically tries to get Piper to a hospital, but is thwarted by the crowd of media in her way. Prue disregards the laws of magic and uses her powers against everyone in her way to save her sister's life. Prue gets Piper to a hospital bed where Piper tells her she's "so cold", and dies in Prue's arms. Prue, overcome with grief and rage, uses her powers and fighting skills to hold off a S.W.A.T. team attempting to take her down. Cradling her sister's body, she promises to "fix" her death. In order to save her sister's life, Prue orders Piper's husband Leo Wyatt (
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 '' Sleepwa ...
) to find Phoebe and pass on a deal to The Source to turn back time. This would reset the exposure of magic and undo Piper's death. The Source agrees, knowing that he plans to double cross her in the end as Phoebe will be immune to the time reset while in The Underworld. In the end, Phoebe will not be able to warn her sisters' of the assassin's attack and he will kill her himself. Time is reversed to the sisters' first encounter with Shax. However, Phoebe no longer answers when Prue calls for help, as she was never sent back in time. The season ends on a cliffhanger with Piper and Prue left for dead after losing in the fight against Shax. Meanwhile, Phoebe remains trapped in The Underworld. In the premiere of season four (2001–02) "Charmed Again (Part 1)", it is revealed that Prue could not be saved in time from the fatal wounds she suffered at Shax's hands in the season three finale. Although the character is never shown again, Piper attempts numerous spells to resurrect Prue to no avail, and when she comes into contact with their grandmother, it is revealed that Prue is still struggling to adjust to being in the afterlife and that she is being helped to process her death by both Penny and the girls' mother Patty Halliwell (
Finola Hughes Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1959) is a British actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC soap operas ''General Hospital'' and ''All My Children'', and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film '' ...
). Penny also reveals to Piper that Prue cannot be summoned back to Earth because seeing Prue would not allow the sisters to grieve and finally move on. After going through phases of anger, denial, and depression, Piper accepts that Prue is really gone, and attends her funeral. This results in Phoebe having a premonition to save a young girl at the funeral and later discovering her identity as their younger half-sister
Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
(
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress and activist. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), she achieved recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generation' ...
), a love child between their mother and her whitelighter, who was kept secret because of her whitelighter heritage. With the addition of Paige, Piper and Phoebe are able to reconstitute the Power of Three and avenge Prue's death in vanquishing Shax. Also this season, the new Power of Three call on Prue's spirit to twice vanquish The Source â€“ both in his original incarnation and that of his next incarnation, Cole. In the fifth season (2002–03), Prue is briefly seen when Phoebe and Paige visit the past memory of Piper's wedding. However, Prue's face is never shown and only her back is seen due to
copyright law A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, e ...
s regarding Doherty's image. During the seventh season (2004–05) finale, it is revealed that after being asked for help from her sisters, Prue had taught Leo how to use astral projection despite being "really protective of it". Piper, Phoebe and Paige later utilize the power of astral projection to defeat the threat of the demon Zankou (
Oded Fehr Oded Fehr (; born ) is an Israeli American 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 '' Resident Evil: ...
). This is indicated by Piper stating "Thank you Prue," once Piper, Phoebe and Paige reflect on the successful attack. The season then ends with Manor door being shut by a
telekinetic Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
force, implying Prue closed it from the afterlife.


Literature

As one of the central characters of the series, Prue appears extensively in ''Charmed'' literature. These appearances are most prominent in the first 10 books 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 material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
. 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". Prue's first appearance in ''Charmed'' literature takes place within the novel ''The Power of Three'' by Eliza Willard on November 1, 1999, which acts as a novelised version of the series' premiere episode, " Something Wicca This Way Comes". Her last appearance in a ''Charmed'' novel takes place within ''Beware What You Wish'' by Diana G. Gallagher on July 31, 2001. In 2010, ''Charmed'' gained an officially licensed continuation in the form of a
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
, which is often billed as '' Charmed: Season 9''. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. While Shannen Doherty's image of Prue has yet to actually be seen in the comics, the character is seen as another person after taking over their body. In the twelfth issue of the comic, ''The Charmed Offensive'', seven years after Prue's death, Penny Halliwell informs the sisters that Prue has reincarnated into her next life, as her destiny was not completed when she died. However, it is later revealed in the issue that Penny had lied to the girls, mainly because she has no idea where Prue is. Later, Penny and her daughter Patty Halliwell task Cole to locate the missing Prue in exchange for helping him find peace in the afterlife. In the sixteenth issue of the comic, Cole finds her in Salem as another witch named Patience. 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 seven years, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe are finally reunited with a hug. In spite of the reunion, Prue's presence causes the sisters' powers to go haywire. Because the Charmed prophecy never spoke of a "Power of Four", the reunion of the four sisters causes their individual and collective powers to go out of control. To diffuse the chaos brought upon by the presence of the four sisters, Paige volunteers to relinquish her powers so that Prue can rejoin her sisters in the "Power of Three". Cole, however, steps in and informs Prue that the real reason she remained tied to the "Power of Three" and unable to move on in the afterlife was because she refused to truly let go of her destiny with her sisters. Realizing that her time as a Charmed One has passed, as she no longer inhabits the body of a true Warren witch, Prue instead surrenders her Warren powers so that Paige will be the only sister with the power to move things with her mind. Despite losing her active powers, Prue retains her status as witch and keeps the basic witch powers that allow her to cast spells and brew potions. Prue later returns to Salem, Massachusetts with Cole, who will help her train new witches to atone for his evil past.


Powers and abilities


Magical powers

In ''Charmed'' it is revealed that magical witches can develop and master a variety of magical skills and powers which include
scrying Scrying, also referred to as "seeing" or "peeping," is a practice rooted in divination and fortune-telling. It involves gazing into a medium, hoping to receive significant messages or visions that could offer personal guidance, prophecy, revel ...
, spell casting, and brewing potent potions. As a magical witch, Prue can utilize scrying, a divination art form that allows one to locate a missing object or person. Prue can also cast spells, often written in
iambic pentameter Iambic pentameter ( ) is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama. The term describes the rhythm, or meter, established by the words in each line. Meter is measured in small groups of syllables called feet. "Iambi ...
or as a
rhyming couplet In poetry, a couplet ( ) or distich ( ) is a pair of successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (closed) couplet, each of the two lines is end-stopped, implying that there ...
, 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. Prue also possesses the powers of
telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
and
astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
; however, in the comic book continuation, she chooses to lose these abilities because her and Paige's co-existence is unbalancing the Power of Three. Prue was also often described as the most powerful of the Charmed Ones.


Telekinesis

At the start of the series, it is revealed that Prue has the power to move objects and people with her mind using
telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
. While Prue's telekinetic powers work best with a direct line of sight, she appears to simply need only an intimate knowledge of the object's location in order to manipulate its movement. For instance, in the pilot episode, " Something Wicca This Way Comes", Prue is able to move the ink from her ex-fiancée Roger's pen, although it is mostly concealed in his shirt pocket. Later, while outside Roger's office, she curls her fingers in anger, which causes Roger's tie to tighten its hold around his neck. In the same episode, Prue also displays telematerialization as a second method for which she can move objects with her mind. After Prue telekinetically slides a creamer container towards her from across the bar in frustration, she proceeds to transfer a portion of the cream from its container by telematerializing the cream directly into her coffee without it going through the air or space between. The series premiere is the only instance in which Prue displays teleportation powers on-screen; however, she later uses this power again in the comics. In the ''Charmed'' series, certain magical powers are attached to emotional triggers, regardless, all powers can be affected by the user's emotions. For Prue, the emotional trigger for her telekinesis is anger and frustration. This emotion is channeled to initially unlock and control her powers, which can only be focused by squinting her eyes for the majority of the first season. In episode nineteen of season one, "Out of Sight", Prue learns how to channel her telekinesis through her hands as well. Later in the series, she obtains enough control over her powers in order to move objects with a mere crook or twitch of a single finger. The limits of Prue's telekinetic powers are unclear, but she appears to be able to move up to 400 pounds (181.4 kg) with her mind, sufficient to lift and throw two normal-sized adults with her powers. In the season two episode "Morality Bites", Prue travels ten years into the future from the year 1999 and inhabits her future self's body. In the episode, Prue discovers that in ten years time from 1999, her telekinesis becomes several times stronger when she telekinetically blasts out an entire wall of the attic with one swift hand gesture. After returning to the present, Prue never realizes the growth of this level of power before her death at the end of the third season. However, in the comics, after possessing the body of Patience, Prue's telekinetic powers did evolve to an advanced level — she was able to lift a car with her mind, levitate a chalk drawing off its surface, and even manipulate the chalk drawing to the extent where it exploded. She was even able to telekinetically hold her half-sister Paige in place and the latter admitted that she couldn't orb out of this.


Astral Projection

In the season two episode "Ms. Hellfire", Prue's powers expand allowing her to move her body to another location in the form of
astral projection In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
. This power developed from an intense desire to be in two places at once. While astrally projecting, Prue's physical body falls unconscious while her astral body appears in a new location in corporeal form. Unlike traditional astral projection, 'Astral Prue' is able to interact with the physical world. Prue displays the ability to astrally project across vast distances, regardless of her lack of familiarity with the location she is projecting to. However, she never displays the ability to astrally project across worlds. It is also revealed that Prue is unable to access her power of telekinesis while she is astrally projecting. In season three of the series, it is revealed that injuries sustained by Prue will not appear on her astral body. In the season three episode "Primrose Empath", after Prue is temporarily cursed with the power of
empathy Empathy is generally described as the ability to take on another person's perspective, to understand, feel, and possibly share and respond to their experience. There are more (sometimes conflicting) definitions of empathy that include but are ...
, she channels the emotions she feels to enhance her own magical powers, which enable her to astrally project emotions into other people as well as briefly utilize her astral and physical bodies at the same time.


Other abilities

During her time on the series, Prue displays an efficiency in the Latin language and displays an expertise on various artifacts from a number of art forms and cultures throughout history. In season two, Prue begins taking classes in self-defense with her sister Phoebe. She gradually becomes an effective hand-to-hand fighter with her skills on par with Phoebe's. Her skills in hand-to-hand combat advanced to the point where Prue is capable of besting multiple adversaries in season three, most notably demonic wrestlers, the demon Vinceres, vampire-like demons known as Seekers, and two S.W.A.T. team members. Prue is also skilled in the art of
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
, which she later turns into her full-time profession.


Death count

During the run of the series and her life as a Charmed One, Prue died three times.


Reception

In 1999, Doherty was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television for her portrayal of Prue. She received the same nomination the following year. Doherty and Milano's rumored off-screen feud earned them a nomination for Best Fight at the 2001 Wand Awards. Terry Kelleher of ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine labeled Prue "the serious one" out of the three Halliwell sisters. Michael Abernethy 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, ...
'' described Prue as "pragmatic" and noted that Doherty's performance in ''Charmed'' had "the hard edge" that was seen in her previous roles, further adding that she had "matured from a bitchy teenager into an assertive confident woman."
Ken Tucker Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and nonfiction book author. Early life and education Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' commented that Doherty's presence on the show was one of the main things that made it interesting, writing "Perennially crabby, delivering her lines as if she has contempt for them...curt, cranky Doherty gives ''Charmed'' its kick." ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
''s Steve Parks wrote that Doherty being cast as a witch was a "perfect" idea, due to her rumored poor off-screen behaviour. Kristin Sample of
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 devel ...
felt that Prue had the "best powers" and was "the bitchiest" witch out of the three sisters, further adding that Doherty "quite possibly could be a real life witch." In his review of the pilot episode, Rob Owen of the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
'' commented that "''Charmed'' is Doherty's show plain and simple. Her behaviour on and off screen may not always be charming, but she excels at this sort of formidable, prickly character."
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
's Joshua Levs named Prue the "uber-responsible older sister" and felt that Doherty made her "somewhat plausible." ''Entertainment Weekly''s Kate Ward added that she "gained an appreciation" for Doherty after seeing her on ''Charmed'', writing "Despite omnipresent rumors of her poor off-screen behavior, it's been difficult for me to think of Doherty as anything but charming." In her review of the first season, Karyn L. Barr of the same publication wrote that Prue was one of the reasons it was "spellbinding". Rachel Day of ''Geek Speak'' praised Doherty's acting on ''Charmed'' and wrote that she deserved her two Saturn Award nominations. Day noted that Doherty's "particularly outstanding" performances were in the season two episodes "Witch Trial" and "Murphy's Luck". SpoilerTV's Gavin Hetherington named Prue "one of television's most influential witches" and wrote that her death in the season three finale was "one of the best in television history" that "forever changed the course of the show." Angelica Bastien of ''
Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'' called Prue "the superior sister" and added that she preferred the show's first three seasons as she felt "''Charmed'' got pretty bad" in the seasons after Prue died. Brett Cullum of
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 revie ...
wrote that Prue was "the pragmatic no-nonsense leader of the group" during the first three seasons and she was "never afraid to lay down the law." He further added, "Not only was Shannen a pretty good witch, but nobody gives good bitch quite like her. She's infamous for being hard to work with, but she's got a charisma the show needed. She knew how to make Prudence strong and vulnerable all at once, and they relied on her to be the wise leader who put her fist down when necessary." Hugh Armitage of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
felt that "Prue's death was handled badly", further adding that "it never made sense that she would vanish" from the show completely, as "Prue never showed up in spirit form" and was not featured in any photographs displayed in the sisters' home.


Cultural impact

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 devel ...
ranked Prue at number 9 on their list of Top TV Witches. The following year, she was ranked at number 10 on the same list. Prue was included in
TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...
's list of "Shocking TV Deaths", while '' Glamour'' magazine included her in their list of favourite witches from TV. Prue's death was included on
io9 ''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
's list of the "Top 10 Most Shocking TV Deaths", with Meredith Woerner stating that her permanent death was shocking considering the show's light-hearted tone and forever changed the family dynamic. Doherty and her character have been referenced in television shows and films due to her portrayal as a witch in ''Charmed''. In the 2000 parody film, ''
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth ''Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th'' is a 2000 American direct-to-video parody slasher film directed by John Blanchard. The film stars Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Tom Arnold, Coolio and Shirley Jones. Several mid- and late 199 ...
'', Barbara Primesuspect (
Julie Benz Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Darla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel'' (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on ''Dexter (TV s ...
) is said to be yelling "''Charmed'' my ass!" at Doherty, who does not appear on-screen. In an episode of the teen comedy-drama series '' Popular'', entitled "The Shocking Possession of Harrison John", Josh Ford (
Bryce Johnson Bryce Owen Johnson (born April 18, 1977) is an American actor. Early life Johnson was born in Reno, Nevada. He has an older brother, Brendon, and a younger brother, Brett. He moved to Denver, Colorado, at the age of five. He graduated from high ...
) asks George Austin (
Anthony Montgomery Anthony Dwayne Montgomery (born June 2, 1971) is an American actor and graphic novelist. He is best known for his portrayal of Ensign Travis Mayweather on the UPN science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Enterprise'' (the fifth live-action ...
) who is Michael Bernardino's (
Ron Lester Ron Lester (August 4, 1970 – June 17, 2016) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in the films '' Varsity Blues'', '' Not Another Teen Movie'', ''Good Burger'', and the television series '' Popular''. Career Lester's first act ...
) "favorite hottie witch" on ''Charmed'' and George says it is Prue. In the episode "Cursed" of sitcom ''
So Notorious ''So Notorious'', sometimes stylized ''So NoTORIous'', is an American sitcom starring — and loosely based on the life of — actress Tori Spelling. The series debuted on VH1 on April 2, 2006, and despite lasting only ten episodes, recei ...
'',
Tori Spelling Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress. Her first major role was Donna Martin (character), Donna Martin on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', from 1990 to 2000. She has appeared in made-for-television films, including ''A Fri ...
and Sasan (
Zachary Quinto Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in the film ''Star Trek ...
) discuss who has put a curse on her and Sasan says, "It's Shannen! She knows all that witchcraft from ''Charmed''." The reference in ''So Notorious'' was meant as a joke to Doherty's rumored poor off-screen behavior when she and Spelling both starred together in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. In his review of the television series ''
Witches of East End ''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by the author Melissa de la Cruz and the first book 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 ...
'' being too similar to ''Charmed'', Christian Cintron of Hollywood.com noted that
Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond (born 4 January 1965) is an English film and television actress. She rose to prominence by appearing in '' The Baby of Mâcon'' (1993), '' Legends of the Fall'' (1994), '' First Knight'' (1995), '' Sabrina'' (1995), '' Smilla ...
's character
Joanna Beauchamp The following is a list of characters from the Lifetime supernatural drama ''Witches of East End'', based on the book of the same name by Melissa de la Cruz. The series centers on a family of immortal witches known as the Beauchamps: Joanna (pla ...
seemed "a lot like...Doherty's type-A character, Prue."


See also

* Woman warrior


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halliwell, Prudence Charmed (TV series) characters American female characters in television Astral projection in popular culture Fictional characters from San Francisco Fictional photographers Television characters introduced in 1998 Fictional demon hunters Fictional characters who can duplicate themselves Fictional characters with body or mind control abilities Fictional telekinetics Fictional murdered people Fictional characters who use magic