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 1984. 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 perhaps best known for portraying 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.
Benz achieved her first acting role in a local play in 1989. She is perhaps best known for portraying 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.
