Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American actress. Benz grew up in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Franklin Regional High School in 1991. She later graduated from New York University. Initially, Benz followed her mother and older siblings, Jeffrey and Jennifer, into the figure skating field, and competed in the 1988 US Junior Ice Skating Championship. Benz gave up her pursuit of ice skating after an accident.
Benz achieved her first acting role in a local play in 1989. She is best known[citation needed] for playing the vampire Darla in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where she was the first character seen on screen and spoke the first line, and later in the spin-off series, Angel. She has acted in such films as Jawbreaker and As Good as It Gets.
Benz also provided the voice of Miranda Keyes in the video game Halo 2, though she will not return to the role in the upcoming sequel Halo 3 as Bungie wanted to try a new direction with the Miranda Keyes by giving the character an accent.
She is married to actor John Kassir.
For her role as Rita Bennett on Dexter, Benz won the 2006 Satellite Award for Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
Filmography
John Rambo (2008) as Sarah Miller
Law & Order (TV series) (episode Church) (2007) as Dawn Sterling
Dexter (2006) as Rita Bennett
Circle of Friends (2006) as Maggie
CSI (TV series) (episode Time of Your Death) (2006) as Heidi Wolff
Kill Your Darlings (2006) as Katherine
CSI: Miami (TV series) (episode Deviant) (2006) as Hayley Gordon
Supernatural (TV series) (episode Faith) (2006) as Layla Rourke
Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005) as Vicky
8MM 2 (2005) as Lynn Kraft
Lackawanna Blues (2005) as Laura
A Fate Totally Worse Than Death (2005) as Danielle
Halo 2 (VG) (2004) as Miranda Keyes
Oliver Beene (TV series) (episode Idol Chatter) (2004) as Cigarette Girl
Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (TV series) (episode A Weak Link) (2004) as Denise Johnson
Angel (TV series) (1999) as Darla (recurring; 2000-2004)
The Long Shot: Believe in Courage (2004) as Annie Garrett
Coupling (TV series) (episode Decatur Guy) (2003) as Amanda
Peacemakers (TV series) (episode The Witness) (2003) as Miranda Blanchard
The Midget Stays in the Picture (2003) as A-List Actress
George of the Jungle 2 (2003) as Ursula
Hot Shots Golf Fore! (VG) (2003) as Various Voices (voice)
She Spies (TV series) (episode Spies vs. Spy) (2002) as Elaine
Taken (2002) (TV series) as Kate Keyes
Glory Days (TV series) (episode Unaired Pilot) (2002) as Ellie Sparks
The Brothers (2001) as Jesse Caldwell
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) (1997) as Darla (recurring; 1997-2000)
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000) as Barbara
Roswell (TV series) (1999) as Kathleen Topolsky (recurring; 1999-2000)
Satan’s School for Girls (2000) as Alison Kingsley
The King Of Queens (TV series) (episode Train Wreck) (1999) as Julie
Payne (TV series) (1999) as Breezy O’Rourke
Jawbreaker (1999) as Marcie Fox
Dirt Merchant (1999) as Angie
Conrad Bloom (TV series) (episode The Rebound Guy) (1998) as Julie
Ask Harriet (TV series) (1998) as Joplin Russell (recurring; 1998)
As Good as It Gets (1997) as Receptionist
Fame L.A. (TV series) (episode The Beat Goes On) (1997) as Vanessa
The Big Easy (TV series) (episode BeGirled) (1997) as ?
Inventing the Abbotts (1997) as Co-Ed
A Walton Easter (1997) as Mae
Eating Las Vegas (1997) as ?
Darkdrive (1996) as Julie Falcon
The Single Guy (TV series) (episode Love Train) (1996) as Cranberries Girl
Sliders (TV series) (episode The Electric Twister Acid Test)(1996) as Jenny Michener
Diagnosis Murder (TV series) (episode Murder on Thin Ice) (1996) as Julie Miller
Hearts Adrift (1996) (TV) as Kristy
Black Sheep (1996) as Woman (uncredited)
Boy Meets World (TV series) (episode City Slackers) (1996) as Bianca Sabatini
Step by Step (TV series) (episode The Wall) (1995) as Tawny
High Tide (TV series) (episode Sea No Evil) (1995) as Joanna Craig
The Barefoot Executive (1995) (TV) as Sexy Woman
Hang Time (TV series) (episode Earl Makes the Grade) (1995) as Linda Cantrell
Empire (1995) as Christine Lambert
Cross Town Traffic (1995) (TV) as ?
Married… with Children (TV series) (episode “Field of Screams”) (1994) as Sascha
Hi Honey, I’m Home (TV series) (1991) as Babs Nielson
Two Evil Eyes (1990) (segment: The Black Cat) as Betty
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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