Julie Benz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julie Benz
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
Known for	Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel Dexter No Ordinary Family Defiance
Spouse(s)	John Kassir ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2007)​ Rich Orosco ​ (m. 2012)​

Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) is an American actress. She is famous for her roles in TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, where she played Darla. She also played Rita Bennett in Dexter. For her work on Dexter, she won a Satellite Award in 2006 and a Saturn Award in 2009.

Julie Benz has also appeared in many other TV series. These include Roswell, Desperate Housewives, No Ordinary Family, and Hawaii Five-0. She has also been in several movies. Some of her film roles are in Rambo, Saw V, and Punisher: War Zone.

Early Life and Education

Julie Benz was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Joanne Marie, was a figure skater. Her father, George Benz Jr., is a surgeon. When Julie was two years old, her family moved to Murrysville, Pennsylvania. She started ice skating when she was three.

Julie went to Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville and graduated from there. When she was 14, she hurt her leg and had to stop skating for a while. The next year, at age 15, an acting coach told her she would not be a good actress. Julie later said this made her want to prove them wrong.

By 1989, her skating career was over. Julie started acting in local plays. Her first small film role was in Two Evil Eyes (1990). A year later, she got a part in the TV show Hi Honey, I'm Home! (1991). After high school in 1990, Julie studied acting at New York University.

Acting Career Highlights

After finishing college in 1993, Julie Benz moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She appeared in several TV shows like Hang Time, Step by Step, and Boy Meets World. She also had a small role in the TV movie The Barefoot Executive.

Benz at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con

In the 1990s, Julie's acting career grew steadily. She showed off her skating skills in an episode of Diagnosis: Murder. She also appeared in Sliders and The Single Guy.

In 1996, Julie tried out for the main role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She did not get that part, but she was offered a small role as a vampire named Darla. People liked her performance so much that her role was made bigger.

Benz at Paley Center for Media Gala Honoring Showtime Networks, The Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles 11 December 2008

(L-R): John Lithgow, Jennifer Carpenter, Julie Benz and Michael C. Hall at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2009

This role helped start her career. Julie then made guest appearances in shows like The Big Easy and Fame L.A.. She also had a small part in the movie As Good as It Gets (1997). In 1998, she had a recurring role in Ask Harriet and guest starred on The King of Queens. She also made two films, Jawbreaker and Dirt Merchant.

In 2000, Julie Benz returned as Darla for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off show, Angel. She appeared in every season of the show. She also did voice work for the video game Hot Shots Golf Fore! and played Ursula in George of the Jungle 2.

Julie appeared in other TV shows like NCIS and CSI: Miami. She played the main female role, Vicky, in the film Locusts: The 8th Plague. She also had roles in Supernatural and Law & Order.

Michael C. Hall and Julie Benz speaking at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013

In 2006, Julie joined the cast of the TV show Dexter. She played Rita Bennett, who was Dexter Morgan's girlfriend and later his wife. She also had a lead role in the horror film Saw V (2008) and a supporting role in Punisher: War Zone. Julie also co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in Rambo.

(L-R): Julie Benz, David Zayas, Michael C. Hall and C.S. Lee at the Paley Center for Media Honoring Showtime Networks in December 2008

Benz at Dexter night at the Saban Theatre, Hollywood, California, 4 March 2010

In 2010, Julie Benz got a main role as Stephanie Powell in the TV show No Ordinary Family. The show aired for one season. In 2011, she was cast in the CBS show A Gifted Man. She also played Mayor Amanda Rosewater in the science fiction series Defiance from 2013 to 2015.

From 2015 to 2017, Julie had a recurring role in the CBS series Hawaii Five-0. She played Abby Dunn, a new team member and Chin Ho's girlfriend. In 2021, she guest-starred in the TV series Love, Victor.

Personal Life

Julie Benz married actor John Kassir on May 30, 1998. They divorced in December 2007. In 2011, she became engaged to Rich Orosco. They got married on May 5, 2012.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Julie Benz para niños