Prue Halliwell
Encyclopedia
Prudence "Prue" Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed
. Prue is depicted as one of the featured leads
as she fulfills her role as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Shannen Doherty
in the series between 1998 and 2001, appearing in every episode of the first three seasons until the character's death. Doherty was also twice nominated for a Saturn Award
for her portrayal of the character. In 2008, AOL
named Prue the 10th greatest witch in television history.
Early on in the series, Prue is regarded as the most powerful and fearless of the Halliwell sisters. During the first three seasons, Prue attempts to balance her destiny of defeating the forces of evil in San Francisco with taking responsibility for her sisters and leading a normal life as an appraiser for an auction house and later as a professional photographer. At the end of the third season, she is murdered by Shax
, the personal assassin of the Source of All Evil. In addition to the television series, the character has also appeared in numerous expanded universe
material, such as the Charmed novels and has been featured in the Source Book of the comic book adaptation
.
in the first 66 episodes of the series. At the start of season one (1998-1999), six months have passed since the death of her grandmother, Penelope Halliwell (nee Johnson)
(Jennifer Rhodes
). After ending her engagement to Roger (Matthew Ashford
), Prue moves back into her family's Victorian Manor
with her two sisters Piper
(Holly Marie Combs
) and Phoebe Halliwell
(Alyssa Milano
). On the night of Phoebe's return, the sisters find a book of spells
within the Manor's attic. After Phoebe recites an incantation from the book, Prue and her sisters each receive a magical power and discover their destiny as The Charmed Ones – 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 witchy interferences in both her work and personal life, Prue finds it difficult to rekindle a relationship with her old high school flame Detective Andy Trudeau
(T.W. King) and stay on top of her new job as an appraiser 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 an innocent. In the first season finale, Prue must come to terms with the death of Andy to a demonic foe.
The show's second season (1999-2000) opens with Prue's continual struggle to deal with the death of Andy from the previous season. After claiming to be responsible for Andy's death because of her powers and calling as a witch, Prue contemplates giving up on witchcraft entirely, but eventually decides to continue her destiny as a witch and protector of the innocent through the help of 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
, and learns to open herself up to the potential of love again through a courtship with fellow Buckland's employee Jack Sheridan (Lochlyn Munro
) 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 photographer. Prue subsequently lands 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.
In season three (2000-2001), Prue becomes determined to prepare herself for any further attacks from The Triad (who have replaced The Council), becoming what has been coined as a "Superwitch". In the premiere episode of season three, Prue first displays martial arts skills on-screen while battling a court room full of demonically-possessed humans. Prue and her sisters eventually learn that the demon Belthazor and The Triad work for an even greater evil, The Source of All Evil who is the leader of the demonic realm known as The Underworld . After Prue discovers that Cole Turner
(Julian McMahon
), who is actually the demonic hit-man Belthazor, faked his death with the help of her sister Phoebe the revelation forms a rift in the relationship of the two sisters. Later in the show, 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 mended their relationship, Prue retained her distrust for Cole for some time. Mid-way through season three, Prue also makes amends with her estranged father, Victor Bennett (James Read
) who left the girls lives shortly after their mother's death. During the season finale of season three, Prue and Piper unwittingly expose themselves as witches to the world after battling the Source of All Evil's personal assassin, Shax in public with the fight being caught on camera by a local news crew. In the aftermath of the exposure, Prue witnesses Piper die from the gunshot of a rifle used by a crazed Wiccan fanatic who wanted to join the sisters' coven. Phoebe makes a deal with the Source to save Piper's life, and time is reversed to the sisters first encounter with Shax. After the rebooted confrontation, the season ends on a cliffhanger with Prue and Piper left for dead after losing in a fight against Shax. Meanwhile, Phoebe is trapped in the Underworld.
In the premiere of season four (2001-2002), it is revealed that Prue has died from the wounds she acquired in the season three finale, although the character is never shown. In the same episode, Penny (Grams) reveals that Prue is still adjusting to being in the afterlife and that she is being helped to process her actual death by both Penny and the girls' mother Patty Halliwell (Finola Hughes
). Penny also tells Piper, who wants to see Prue, that she can't be summoned back to Earth because seeing Prue would not allow the sisters to grieve and move on. Also this season, along with the other witches of the Warren-Halliwell line, Prue's spirit is called upon by the new Power of Three to vanquish the Source twice – both in his original incarnation and that of his next incarnation, Cole Turner. In the fifth and following season (2002-2003), the character of Prue is briefly seen when Phoebe and half-sister Paige Matthews
(Rose McGowan
) visit the past memory of Piper's wedding. However, Prue's face is never shown, and only the character's back is seen due to copyright laws regarding the image of Shannen Doherty. During the seventh season (2004-2005) finale, it is revealed that 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
). This is indicated by Piper stating, "Thank you Prue," once Piper, Phoebe and Paige reflect on the successful attack.
with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-canon
. 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. 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
, which is often billed as Charmed Season 9
. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. While Prue has yet to actually be seen in the comics, her afterlife has been discussed. 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, due to the fact that 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 Turner to locate the missing Prue in exchange for helping him find peace in the afterlife.
. 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 series premiere episode, "Something Wicca This Way Comes
", Prue is able to move the ink from her ex-fiancee 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 aspects of minor teleportation
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 teleporting 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.
In the Charmed series, certain magical powers are attached to emotional triggers, although all powers can be affected by the user's emotions. For Prue, the emotional trigger for her telekinesis is anger. This emotion is channelled 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 (180 kg) with her mind, which is sufficient enough to lift and throw two adult sized figures with her powers.
In an episode of season two, "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.
. 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 obtained by Prue will not project onto her astral body. In the season three episode "Primrose Empath", after Prue is temporarily cursed with the power of Empathy
, 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.
, which she later turns into her full-time profession.
, 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
to find mythological characters they could focus on with contemporary storytelling. 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
.
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 states "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
claims Prue is 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 [the sisters]."
When the series was in its first development stages, former Picket Fences
actress Holly Marie Combs
auditioned for the role of Prue while Shannen Doherty
, an actress from a previous Spelling Television series, Beverly Hills, 90210
, originally auditioned for the role of Piper Halliwell
. By the time the roles were officially cast, the actresses had switched characters. Doherty played the role of Prue in a 28-minute test pilot (the "unaired pilot", never aired on network television) alongside Combs and actress Lori Rom
who played the youngest sister Phoebe Halliwell
. By the time the series aired on The WB, Rom had been replaced by the former Who's the Boss star, film and TV actress Alyssa Milano
.
In May 2001, it was officially announced that Doherty would be departing from the series. The producers originally considered recasting the role with a different actress. Executive Producer Aaron Spelling
even approached actresses Tiffani Thiessen
, who replaced Doherty on his previous series Beverly Hills, 90210, and Jennifer Love Hewitt
to take on the role as Doherty's replacement. Spelling revealed to Entertainment Weekly
, "Tiffani was our first choice to take over for Shannen — even before we asked Jennifer [Love Hewitt], 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, "[The character's] going to be the long-lost sister Alyssa and Holly never knew [they] had. And wait until you see what we came up with to explain why she's been lost: Nobody ever knew she even existed." This leaves Doherty as the only actress to portray Prue as an adult on-screen.
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
. Prue is depicted as one of the featured leads
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
as she fulfills her role as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
in the series between 1998 and 2001, appearing in every episode of the first three seasons until the character's death. Doherty was also twice nominated for a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
for her portrayal of the character. In 2008, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
named Prue the 10th greatest witch in television history.
Early on in the series, Prue is regarded as the most powerful and fearless of the Halliwell sisters. During the first three seasons, Prue attempts to balance her destiny of defeating the forces of evil in San Francisco with taking responsibility for her sisters and leading a normal life as an appraiser for an auction house and later as a professional photographer. At the end of the third season, she is murdered by Shax
Shax (Charmed)
The demon Shax appeared twice in the long running fantasy WB drama series Charmed as the demonic, personal assassin of the Source of All Evil...
, the personal assassin of the Source of All Evil. In addition to the television series, the character has also appeared in numerous expanded universe
Expanded Universe
The term Expanded Universe is generally used to denote the 'extension' of a media franchise with other media...
material, such as the Charmed novels and has been featured in the Source Book of the comic book adaptation
Charmed (comic book)
Charmed is comic book that is an officially licensed continuation of the popular The WB television series of the same name, which ended its eight year run in 2006. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. The comic book serves as a continuation set eighteen months after the...
.
Television
Prue is depicted as one of the featured leads on the television series Charmed, portrayed by Shannen DohertyShannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
in the first 66 episodes of the series. At the start of season one (1998-1999), six months have passed since the death of her grandmother, Penelope Halliwell (nee Johnson)
Penny Halliwell
Penelope Halliwell is a recurring, supporting fictional character from the WB television series Charmed that acts in our world from beyond death....
(Jennifer Rhodes
Jennifer Rhodes
Jennifer Rhodes is an American actress whose career spans four decades.- Life and career :Jennifer Rhodes grew up in Rosiclare, Illinois, a small town on the Ohio River.She also has one sister, Kim Rhodes. She became interested in theater while attending Southern Illinois University and moved to...
). After ending her engagement to Roger (Matthew Ashford
Matthew Ashford
Matthew Nile Ashford is an American actor best known for the long running role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives.-Personal life:...
), Prue moves back into her family's Victorian Manor
Halliwell Manor
Halliwell Manor is a fictional house, an important setting for the WB television series Charmed. Members of the Halliwell family have owned the Manor property for four generations...
with her two sisters Piper
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
(Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
) and Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Phoebe is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot,...
(Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
). On the night of Phoebe's return, the sisters find a book of spells
Book of Shadows (Charmed)
The Book of Shadows, or simply "the Book", is a fictional book of witchcraft from the TV series Charmed. In the beginning, the book was created by Melinda Warren and was passed down the family to the Charmed Ones. This book contains spells, incantations, potions and information of the evil beings...
within the Manor's attic. After Phoebe recites an incantation from the book, Prue and her sisters each receive a magical power and discover their destiny as The Charmed Ones – 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 witchy interferences in both her work and personal life, Prue finds it difficult to rekindle a relationship with her old high school flame Detective Andy Trudeau
Andy Trudeau
Andrew "Andy" Trudeau is a fictional character on the WB television series Charmed. He is portrayed by T.W. King in the series, and portrayed by Chris Boyd in the unaired pilot.- Character's background :...
(T.W. King) and stay on top of her new job as an appraiser for Buckland's Auction House. Throughout the first season, Prue and her sisters face off against various warlocks and demons
Major villains in Charmed
This article is a time ordered survey of the influence of major evil figures and powers during the eight year run of the award winning television series Charmed, which details the complications that come into the lives of three twenty-something sisters known to wiccan prophecy as 'The Charmed Ones...
who aim to steal their powers or harm an innocent. In the first season finale, Prue must come to terms with the death of Andy to a demonic foe.
The show's second season (1999-2000) opens with Prue's continual struggle to deal with the death of Andy from the previous season. After claiming to be responsible for Andy's death because of her powers and calling as a witch, Prue contemplates giving up on witchcraft entirely, but eventually decides to continue her destiny as a witch and protector of the innocent through the help of her sisters. Prue later experiences growth in her magical abilities when she develops the power to "be in two places at once
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
" via Astral Projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
, 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
Richard Laughlain "Lochlyn" Munro is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Munro was born in Lac La Hache, British Columbia. He started his acting career after a serious sports injury ended his dream of playing professional hockey. While playing music in various clubs around Vancouver, British...
) and a romantic fling with ex-con Bane Jessup (Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Antonio Sabàto, Jr.
Antonio Sabàto, Jr. is an American actor and model. Born in Italy and raised in the U.S., Sabàto first became known as a Calvin Klein model and for his role on the soap opera General Hospital. He continued appearing in films and television series throughout the 1990s and 2000s.-Early life:Sabàto...
). She eventually quits her job at Buckland's to pursue her lifelong dream of being a photographer. Prue subsequently lands 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.
In season three (2000-2001), Prue becomes determined to prepare herself for any further attacks from The Triad (who have replaced The Council), becoming what has been coined as a "Superwitch". In the premiere episode of season three, Prue first displays martial arts skills on-screen while battling a court room full of demonically-possessed humans. Prue and her sisters eventually learn that the demon Belthazor and The Triad work for an even greater evil, The Source of All Evil who is the leader of the demonic realm known as The Underworld . After Prue discovers that Cole Turner
Cole Turner
Cole Turner is a fictional character on the WB television series Charmed, portrayed by series regular Julian McMahon between seasons three and five. McMahon returned for a guest appearance in the show's seventh season, for its 150th episode. Charmed is a series which focuses on three good witches,...
(Julian McMahon
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayals of Cole Turner in The WB hit series Charmed, womanizing plastic surgeon Christian Troy on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning TV show Nip/Tuck, and Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and...
), who is actually the demonic hit-man Belthazor, faked his death with the help of her sister Phoebe the revelation forms a rift in the relationship of the two sisters. Later in the show, after being forced to marry the warlock Zile (Tom O'Brien
Tom O'Brien (actor)
Thomas Patrick "Tom" O'Brien is an American actor since the age of sixteen, having first trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, where he appeared in ACT's mainstage productions of The Holdup; and A Midsummer Night's Dream as Puck, opposite Annette Bening.O'Brien's feature...
) in a dark marriage ceremony, Prue comes to understand Phoebe's draw to Cole's darker half. While the two sisters mended their relationship, Prue retained her distrust for Cole for some time. Mid-way through season three, Prue also makes amends with her estranged father, Victor Bennett (James Read
James Read
James Christopher Read is an American actor, best known for his role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries.-Early life:...
) who left the girls lives shortly after their mother's death. During the season finale of season three, Prue and Piper unwittingly expose themselves as witches to the world after battling the Source of All Evil's personal assassin, Shax in public with the fight being caught on camera by a local news crew. In the aftermath of the exposure, Prue witnesses Piper die from the gunshot of a rifle used by a crazed Wiccan fanatic who wanted to join the sisters' coven. Phoebe makes a deal with the Source to save Piper's life, and time is reversed to the sisters first encounter with Shax. After the rebooted confrontation, the season ends on a cliffhanger with Prue and Piper left for dead after losing in a fight against Shax. Meanwhile, Phoebe is trapped in the Underworld.
In the premiere of season four (2001-2002), it is revealed that Prue has died from the wounds she acquired in the season three finale, although the character is never shown. In the same episode, Penny (Grams) reveals that Prue is still adjusting to being in the afterlife and that she is being helped to process her actual death by both Penny and the girls' mother Patty Halliwell (Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
). Penny also tells Piper, who wants to see Prue, that she can't be summoned back to Earth because seeing Prue would not allow the sisters to grieve and move on. Also this season, along with the other witches of the Warren-Halliwell line, Prue's spirit is called upon by the new Power of Three to vanquish the Source twice – both in his original incarnation and that of his next incarnation, Cole Turner. In the fifth and following season (2002-2003), the character of Prue is briefly seen when Phoebe and half-sister Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Paige is introduced at the start of season four as the fourth Halliwell sister and youngest Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Rose McGowan...
(Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
) visit the past memory of Piper's wedding. However, Prue's face is never shown, and only the character's back is seen due to copyright laws regarding the image of Shannen Doherty. During the seventh season (2004-2005) finale, it is revealed that 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
Oded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now 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: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...
). This is indicated by Piper stating, "Thank you Prue," once Piper, Phoebe and Paige reflect on the successful attack.
Literature
As one of the central characters of the series, Prue appears in a number of Charmed literature. These appearances are most prominent in the first ten books of the series of novels. The novels follow no strict continuityContinuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
with the series or each other, and are often considered to be non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
. 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. Her last appearance in a Charmed novel takes place within Beware What You Wish by Diana G. Gallagher
Diana G. Gallagher
Diana G. Gallagher is an American author who writes books for children and young adults based on television series. She has contributed to book series based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed, among others....
on July 31, 2001.
In 2010, Charmed gained an officially licensed continuation in the form of a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, which is often billed as Charmed Season 9
Charmed (comic book)
Charmed is comic book that is an officially licensed continuation of the popular The WB television series of the same name, which ended its eight year run in 2006. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. The comic book serves as a continuation set eighteen months after the...
. The series is published monthly by Zenescope Entertainment. While Prue has yet to actually be seen in the comics, her afterlife has been discussed. 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, due to the fact that 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 Turner to locate the missing Prue in exchange for helping him find peace in the afterlife.
Magical powers
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 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 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, Prue has also developed a number of magical powers which include Telekinesis and Astral Projection.Telekinesis
At the start of the series, it is revealed that Prue has the power to move objects with her mind in a manner similar to telekinesisPsychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
. 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 series premiere episode, "Something Wicca This Way Comes
Something Wicca This Way Comes
"Something Wicca This Way Comes" is the first episode of the drama series, Charmed, which was broadcast on The WB network. This is the series premiere of Charmed and the second pilot for the series. The original pilot never aired. The unaired pilot was shot in the actual manor that is shown on the...
", Prue is able to move the ink from her ex-fiancee 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 aspects of minor teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
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 teleporting 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.
In the Charmed series, certain magical powers are attached to emotional triggers, although all powers can be affected by the user's emotions. For Prue, the emotional trigger for her telekinesis is anger. This emotion is channelled 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
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
", 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 (180 kg) with her mind, which is sufficient enough to lift and throw two adult sized figures with her powers.
In an episode of season two, "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.
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 projectionAstral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
. 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 obtained by Prue will not project onto her astral body. In the season three episode "Primrose Empath", after Prue is temporarily cursed with the power of Empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
, 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.
Natural 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 rivaling Phoebe's. Her skills in hand-to-hand combat advanced to the point where Prue has been capable of besting multiple adversaries, most notably demonic wrestlers, the demon Vinceres and vampire-like demons known as Seekers. Prue is also skilled in the art of photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, which she later turns into her full-time profession.
Casting and development
In 1998, the Warner Brothers Television Network began searching for a drama series, and looked to Spelling TelevisionSpelling Television
Spelling Television Inc. was a television production company that produced popular shows such as Charmed, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Dynasty and Melrose Place. The company was founded by television producer Aaron Spelling in 1969...
, which had produced the network's most successful series 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
, to create it. Expanding on the popularity of supernatural-themed dramas, the production company explored forms of mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
to find mythological characters they could focus on with contemporary storytelling. In order to create the series, Constance M. Burge
Constance M. Burge
Constance M. Burge is the creator of the Charmed television series and short-lived Savannah series. Burge was also a writer for Judging Amy, Ally McBeal and Boston Public. She also worked as a producer for several shows. She left her executive producer position on Charmed because of disagreement...
was hired as the creator as she was under contract with 20th Century Fox and Spelling Television after conceiving the drama Savannah
Savannah (TV series)
Savannah is an American prime time television drama that ran from January 21, 1996 to February 24, 1997 on The WB. It was created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling.-Plot:...
.
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 states "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
Brad Kern is a distinguished television producer and writer best known recently for his work as head writer and executive producer on the hit supernatural drama Charmed, which he was showrunner on for all eight seasons...
claims Prue is 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 [the sisters]."
When the series was in its first development stages, former Picket Fences
Picket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
actress Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
auditioned for the role of Prue while Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
, an actress from a previous Spelling Television series, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, originally auditioned for the role of Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
. By the time the roles were officially cast, the actresses had switched characters. Doherty played the role of Prue in a 28-minute test pilot (the "unaired pilot", never aired on network television) alongside Combs and actress Lori Rom
Lori Rom
Lori Rom is an American actress.Rom attended Carnegie Mellon University's drama conservatory, where she also worked through school...
who played the youngest sister Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Phoebe is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot,...
. By the time the series aired on The WB, Rom had been replaced by the former Who's the Boss star, film and TV actress Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
.
In May 2001, it was officially announced that Doherty would be departing from the series. The producers originally considered recasting the role with a different actress. Executive Producer Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
even approached actresses Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
, who replaced Doherty on his previous series Beverly Hills, 90210, and Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
to take on the role as Doherty's replacement. Spelling revealed to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, "Tiffani was our first choice to take over for Shannen — even before we asked Jennifer [Love Hewitt], 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
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Paige is introduced at the start of season four as the fourth Halliwell sister and youngest Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Rose McGowan...
in favor of having "a fresh face" join the series. Spelling stated, "[The character's] going to be the long-lost sister Alyssa and Holly never knew [they] had. And wait until you see what we came up with to explain why she's been lost: Nobody ever knew she even existed." This leaves Doherty as the only actress to portray Prue as an adult on-screen.
Death count
During the run of the series, and her life as a Charmed One, Prue died 3 times.| Episode | Episode Name | Cause Of Death | Revival |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x20 | "The Power of Two" | Died from a potion she drank to try to vanquish a ghost. | Andy gave her CPR. |
| 2x22 | "Be Careful What You Witch For" | Stabbed by the dragon warlock. | Phoebe made a wish to a genie for Prue to be alive again. |
| 3x22 | "All Hell Breaks Loose" | Thrown through a wall by Shax. | Wasn't revived. |