Julie Benz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Benz in 2016 | |
| Born | (1972-05-01)May 1, 1972 (age 53) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouses | |
Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972)[1][2] is an American actress. She is known for her roles asDarla onBuffy the Vampire Slayer andAngel (1997–2004), and asRita Bennett onDexter (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006Satellite Award forBest Supporting Actress and the 2009Saturn Award forBest Supporting Actress.
Benz had starring roles onTraining Day (2017),Defiance (2013–2015),No Ordinary Family (2010–2011) and also had recurring roles in the television seriesRoswell (1999–2000),A Gifted Man (2011–2012),Hawaii Five-0 (2015–2017),Desperate Housewives, andLove, Victor (2021).
Her film credits includeJawbreaker (1999),The Brothers (2001),Rambo (2008),Saw V (2008),Punisher: War Zone (2008), andThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009).
Benz was born inPittsburgh.[3] Her mother, Joanne Marie (née Seemiller), was a figure skater, and her father, George Benz, Jr., is a surgeon in Pittsburgh.[4] Benz is of German and Welsh descent.[5][6]
The family settled in nearbyMurrysville, Pennsylvania, when Benz was two, and she started ice skating when she was three. She attended and graduated fromFranklin Regional High School in Murrysville.
When Benz was 14, she suffered a stress fracture in her right leg and had to take time off from skating.[7] The following year, at age 15, Benz says she was told by an acting coach that she would never succeed as an actress. "I remember the teacher telling me I should not even try acting. I still have the report card where she was like, 'You will never be an actor. Your voice is horrible.' That was the best thing that ever happened to me because I was like, 'I'll show you'," she later said.[8]
By 1989, with her figure skating career over, Benz became involved in local theater and was cast in the playStreet Law. Her first film role was a small speaking part in "The Black Cat" segment of theDario Argento/George A. Romero horror filmTwo Evil Eyes (1990).[9] A year later, she was cast in the TV showHi Honey, I'm Home! (1991),[2] which was cancelled after two seasons.
After graduating from high school in 1990, Benz studied acting atNew York University Tisch School of the Arts.[citation needed]
After graduating from New York University in 1993,[7] she moved toLos Angeles. Two weeks after her move, she obtained a bit part in a 1994 episode ofMarried... with Children, playing a girl who wanted to lose her virginity toBud Bundy.[8] Her subsequent roles included an unairedAaron Spelling television pilotCrosstown Traffic. She starred in another unaired TV pilot calledEmpire in 1995. Her other TV shows includedHang Time,High Tide,Step by Step, andBoy Meets World, plus a small role in the television filmThe Barefoot Executive.
During the 1990s, her acting career was varied and steady. She had an uncredited role inBlack Sheep and her appearance inDiagnosis: Murder as top figure skater "Julie" allowed her to demonstrate her skating talent. Later TV appearances included characters onSliders andThe Single Guy. She played Christy in the television filmHearts Adrift and a lead role as Julie Falcon inDarkdrive.
In 1996, Benz auditioned for the role ofBuffy Summers for the television seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer, but lost the role toSarah Michelle Gellar. However, she was offered the small role of the vampireDarla, in the pilot episode. Her performance was so well-received that her part was expanded to a few more episodes.
This role helped launch her career and Julie appeared in guest appearances in more TV shows such asThe Big Easy andFame L.A., along with a small role as a receptionist in the filmAs Good as It Gets (1997). She starred in the short spoof filmEating Las Vegas and the unaired TV pilotVeronica's Video, had a small uncredited role in the television filmA Walton Easter, and a small role inInventing the Abbotts.
In 1998, she had a recurring role as Joplin Russell in the TV showAsk Harriet, then guest starred on bothConrad Bloom andThe King of Queens. She made two films, the dark comedyJawbreaker andDirt Merchant, before landing a lead role in the TV seriesPayne, an American remake of the British sitcomFawlty Towers. It was cancelled after eight episodes had aired.
Benz reprised her role asDarla in 2000 for theBuffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off seriesAngel,[10] appearing in every season for at least one episode. Julie was a guest host for the TV showRendez-View, cast as Ellie Sparks inGlory Days and appeared in the unaired pilot; however, she left the show. Later, she guest-starred onShe Spies, was in the featured cast for the miniseriesTaken, did various voices for the video gameHot Shots Golf Fore!, appeared in the short filmThe Midget Stays in the Picture, and took over the role of Ursula forGeorge of the Jungle 2.
Benz appeared inPeacemakers,Coupling,NCIS, andOliver Beene. She landed the lead role of Annie Garrett in the television filmThe Long Shot[10] and provided the voice ofMiranda Keyes for the video gameHalo 2, though she did not return to the role in the sequelHalo 3, as Bungie wanted to try a new direction with the Miranda Keyes voice by giving the character an accent.[11] She portrayed Danielle in the direct-to-DVD filmBad Girls from Valley High in 2005. She had a small role in the critically acclaimed television filmLackawanna Blues.
In theSci-Fi Channel original filmLocusts: The 8th Plague, she played the lead female role Vicky. She also appeared in the straight-to-DVD film8mm 2 as Lynn. The film was originally calledThe Velvet Side of Hell and was not supposed to be a sequel to8MM. Benz appeared in episodes ofSupernatural,CSI: Miami,Law & Order, andCSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She had a supporting role in theSwedish independent filmKill Your Darlings (2006), a lead role in the television filmCircle of Friends (2006), and joined the cast of the TV showDexter asRita Bennett,Dexter Morgan's girlfriend and eventual wife.[12] Benz played a lead role in the fifth film of the popularSaw horror franchise,Saw V, asBrit, a real estate developer who is one ofJigsaw's five victims. Benz had a supporting role inPunisher: War Zone as Angela and co-starred withSylvester Stallone inRambo (2008), the fourth film of theseries.
She played the title role in the short filmKidnapping Caitlynn, written by her close friendJenny Mollen, which premiered at the Vail Film Festival 2009 and was released online April 6, 2009.[13] She starred in the television filmHeld Hostage as Michelle Estey.[14] in July. She also starred in the television filmUncorked (2009)[15] as Johnny Prentiss[16] which premiered in the UK in July 2009. She is the lead female character Special Agent Eunice Bloom inThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day which had a limited release on October 30, 2009, and was released on DVD March 9, 2010. She has been cast in anotherindie film calledBedrooms as Anna.[17] She played Frankie in the 2011 filmAnswers to Nothing.
Benz appeared onThe Soup withJoel McHale. Benz next took a recurring role onDesperate Housewives as Robin Gallagher, a stripper with a heart of gold and a master's degree in education who gets offered the chance to transition into a more legitimate career.[18] The character of Robin is further developed when the audience discovers she is alesbian and begins an affair with housewifeKatherine Mayfair (Dana Delany).[19] After the fourth season finale ofDexter, in which her character is murdered, Benz returned for the fifth-season premiere in a flashback scene.[20]
In early 2010,ABC announced that Benz had landed a lead role as Stephanie Powell in the network's drama pilotNo Ordinary Family.[21] Production of the series commenced in May and it premiered in September 2010,[22] as part of the 2010–11 season.[23] In May 2011No Ordinary Family was cancelled after one season with only 20 episodes filmed.
In 2011, she was cast in the new CBS TV showA Gifted Man. Originally a co-star, she was later downgraded to a recurring role.[24]A Gifted Man was cancelled by CBS in May 2012 after one season of 16 episodes. She was cast in the television filmRicochet as Elise Laird.[25] Benz played the lead female role, Mayor Amanda Rosewater, in the science fiction seriesDefiance[26] and also starred in the filmSupremacy[27] and the unaired TV pilotMiddle Ages.
In 2015, Benz landed a recurring role in the CBS seriesHawaii Five-O, playing the latest team member and Chin Ho's girlfriend, Abby Dunn. She also starred in the television filmCharming Christmas.
In 2021, she guest-starred in the TV seriesLove, Victor.
Benz married actorJohn Kassir on May 30, 1998. She filed for divorce in December 2007.
In 2011, she became engaged to Rich Orosco.[28] They married on May 5, 2012.[29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Betty | Segment: "The Black Cat" |
| 1996 | Darkdrive | Julie Falcon | |
| 1997 | As Good as It Gets | Receptionist | |
| 1997 | Inventing the Abbotts | Co-ed | |
| 1999 | Dirt Merchant | Angie | |
| 1999 | Jawbreaker | Marcie Fox | |
| 2000 | Bad Girls from Valley High | Danielle | |
| 2000 | Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th | Barbara | Direct-to-video film |
| 2001 | The Brothers | Jesse Caldwell | |
| 2003 | George of the Jungle 2 | Ursula Stanhope, Queen of the Jungle | Direct-to-video film |
| 2004 | The Long Shot | Annie Garrett | |
| 2005 | 8mm 2 | Lynn | Direct-to-video film |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Katherine | |
| 2008 | Punisher: War Zone | Angela Donatelli | |
| 2008 | Rambo | Sarah Miller | |
| 2008 | Saw V | Brit | |
| 2009 | The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day | Eunice Bloom | |
| 2010 | Bedrooms | Anna | |
| 2011 | Answers to Nothing | Frankie | |
| 2011 | Ricochet | Elise Laird | |
| 2014 | Supremacy | Kristen | |
| 2015 | Circle | Wife | |
| 2015 | Life on the Line | Carline | |
| 2016 | Havenhurst | Jackie | |
| 2019 | Foster Boy | Pamela Dupree | |
| 2020 | Nocturne | Cassie Lowe |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1992 | Hi Honey, I'm Home! | Babs Nielson | Main role |
| 1991–1992 | All My Children | Linda Connor | Guest appearances: December 31, 1991 – January 2, 1992[30][31] |
| 1994 | Married... with Children | Sascha | Episode: "Field of Screams" |
| 1995 | The Barefoot Executive | Sexy woman | Television film |
| 1995 | Hang Time | Linda Cantrell | Episode: "Earl Makes the Grade" |
| 1995 | High Tide | Joanna Craig | Episode: "Sea No Evil" |
| 1995 | Step by Step | Tawny | Episode: "The Wall" |
| 1996 | Boy Meets World | Bianca | Episode: "City Slackers" |
| 1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | Julie Miller | Episode: "Murder on Thin Ice" |
| 1996 | Hearts Adrift | Christy | Television film |
| 1996 | The Single Guy | Cranberries girl | Episode: "Love Train" |
| 1996 | Sliders | Jenny Michener | Episode: "The Electric Twister Acid Test" |
| 1997 | The Big Easy | Roxanne | Episode: "BeGirled" |
| 1997 | Fame L.A. | Vanessa | Episode: "The Beat Goes On" |
| 1997–2000 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Darla | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1998 | Ask Harriet | Joplin Russell | Recurring role |
| 1998 | Conrad Bloom | Julie | Episode: "The Rebound Guy" |
| 1999 | The King of Queens | Julie Patterson | Episode: "Train Wreck" |
| 1999 | Payne | Breeze O'Rourke | Main role |
| 1999–2000 | Roswell | Kathleen Topolsky | Recurring role (season 1) |
| 2000 | Satan's School for Girls | Alison Kingsley | Television film |
| 2000–2004 | Angel | Darla | Recurring role (seasons 1–3); guest role (seasons 4–5) |
| 2002 | Coupling | Amanda | Episode: "Decatur Guy" |
| 2002 | Peacemakers | Miranda Blanchard | Episode: "The Witness" |
| 2002 | She Spies | Elaine | Episode: "Spies vs. Spy" |
| 2002 | Taken | Kate Keyes | Miniseries |
| 2004 | The Long Shot: Believe in Courage | Annie Garrett | Television film |
| 2004 | NCIS | Denise Johnson | Episode: "A Weak Link" |
| 2004 | Oliver Beene | Cigarette girl | Episode: "Idol Chatter" |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Laura | Television film |
| 2005 | Locusts: The 8th Plague | Vicky | Television film |
| 2006 | Circle of Friends | Maggie | Television film |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Heidi Wolff | Episode: "Time of Your Death" |
| 2006 | CSI: Miami | Hayley Gordon | Episode: "Deviant" |
| 2006 | Supernatural | Layla Rourke | Episode: "Faith" |
| 2006–2010 | Dexter | Rita Bennett | Main role (season 1–4); guest role (season 5) |
| 2007 | Law & Order | Dawn Sterling | Episode: "Church" |
| 2009 | Held Hostage | Michelle Estey | Television film |
| 2009 | Uncorked | Johnny Prentiss | Television film |
| 2010 | Desperate Housewives | Robin Gallagher | Recurring role (season 6) |
| 2010–2011 | No Ordinary Family | Stephanie Powell | Main role |
| 2011 | Royal Pains | Elyse | Episode: "An Apple a Day" |
| 2011–2012 | A Gifted Man | Christina Holt | Recurring role (season 1) |
| 2013 | Sole Custody | Zoe | Television film |
| 2013 | Taken: The Search for Sophie Parker | Stevie Parker | Television film |
| 2013–2015 | Defiance | Amanda Rosewater | Main role |
| 2015 | Charming Christmas | Meredith Rossman | Television film |
| 2015–2017 | Hawaii Five-0 | Abby Dunn | Recurring role (season 6–7) |
| 2017 | Christmas Homecoming | Amanda | Television film |
| 2017 | Training Day | Holly Butler | Main role |
| 2019 | Dark/Web | Rideshare | Episode: "Rideshare" |
| 2019 | Light as a Feather | Skye Karras | Episode: "...Guilty as Sin" |
| 2019 | On Becoming a God in Central Florida | Carole Wilkes | Recurring role |
| 2019 | V. C. Andrews'Heaven | Kitty Dennison | Television film |
| 2021 | Love, Victor | Shelby | Guest role |
| 2021 | Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer | Celeste Beard | Television film |
| 2022 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | Sadie | Guest role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hot Shots Golf Fore! | Phoebe and Amy | |
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Miranda Keyes |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 11th Satellite Awards | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Dexter | Won |
| 2008 | Eyegore Awards | Eyegore Award | Won | |
| 2008 Scream Awards | Best Horror Actress | Dexter | Nominated | |
| 2009 | 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 2010 | 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Nominated | ||
| 36th Saturn Awards | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television | Won | ||
| Monte Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actress - Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2010 Scream Awards | Best Horror Actress | Nominated |
