Julie Benz
Julie Benz | |
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Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | May 1, 1972
Education | BFA, New York University Tisch School of the Arts |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1987–present |
Known for | |
Spouses |
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Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972
Benz has also starred in the television series Roswell (1999–2000), Desperate Housewives (2010), No Ordinary Family (2010–2011), A Gifted Man (2011–2012), Defiance (2013–2015), Hawaii Five-0 (2015–2017), Training Day (2017) and Love, Victor (2021).
Her film credits include Jawbreaker (1999), The Brothers (2001), Rambo (2008), Saw V (2008), Punisher: War Zone (2008), and The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009).
Early life and education
Benz was born in Pittsburgh.[3] Her mother, Joanne Marie (née Seemiller), was a figure skater, and her father, George Benz, Jr., is a surgeon in Pittsburgh.[4]
The family settled in nearby Murrysville, Pennsylvania, when Benz was two, and she started ice skating when she was three.[5]
She attended and graduated from Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville.[6]
When Benz was 14, she suffered a stress fracture in her right leg and had to take time off from skating.[6] 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.[7]
By 1989, with her figure skating career over, Benz became involved in local theater and was cast in the play Street Law. Her first film role was a small speaking part in "The Black Cat" segment of the Dario Argento/George A. Romero horror film Two Evil Eyes (1990).[8] A year later, she was cast in the TV show Hi Honey, I'm Home! (1991),[2] which was cancelled after two seasons.
After graduating from high school in 1990, Benz studied acting at New York University.
Career
After graduating from New York University in 1993,
During the 1990s, her acting career was varied and steady. She had an uncredited role in Black Sheep and her appearance in Diagnosis: Murder as top figure skater "Julie" allowed her to demonstrate her skating talent. Later TV appearances included characters on Sliders and The Single Guy. She played Christy in the television film Hearts Adrift and a lead role as Julie Falcon in Darkdrive.
In 1996, Benz auditioned for the role of Buffy Summers for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but lost the role to Sarah Michelle Gellar. However, she was offered the small role of the vampire Darla, 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 as The Big Easy and Fame L.A., along with a small role as a receptionist in the film As Good as It Gets (1997). She starred in the short spoof film Eating Las Vegas and the unaired TV pilot Veronica's Video, had a small uncredited role in the television film A Walton Easter, and a small role in Inventing the Abbotts.
In 1998, she had a recurring role as Joplin Russell in the TV show Ask Harriet, then guest starred on both Conrad Bloom and The King of Queens. She made two films, the dark comedy Jawbreaker and Dirt Merchant, before landing a lead role in the TV series Payne, an American remake of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. It was cancelled after eight episodes had aired.
Benz reprised her role as
Benz appeared in
In the
She played the title role in the short film Kidnapping Caitlynn, written by her close friend
.Benz appeared on The Soup with Joel McHale. Benz next took a recurring role on Desperate 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.[17] The character of Robin is further developed when the audience discovers she is a lesbian and begins an affair with housewife Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany).[18] After the fourth season finale of Dexter, in which her character is murdered, Benz returned for the fifth-season premiere in a flashback scene.[19]
In early 2010, ABC announced that Benz had landed a lead role as Stephanie Powell in the network's drama pilot No Ordinary Family.[20] Production of the series commenced the following May and it premiered on September 28, 2010,[21] as part of the 2010–11 season.[22]
On May 13, 2011, No Ordinary Family was cancelled after one season with only 20 episodes filmed. In 2011, she was cast in the new CBS TV show A Gifted Man. Originally a co-star,[23] she was later downgraded to a recurring role. A Gifted Man was cancelled by CBS in May 2012 after one season of 16 episodes. She was cast in the television film Ricochet as Elise Laird.[24] Benz played the lead female role, Mayor Amanda Rosewater, in the science fiction series Defiance[25] and also starred in the film Supremacy[26] and the unaired TV pilot Middle Ages.
In 2015, Benz landed a recurring role in the CBS series Hawaii Five-O, playing the latest team member and Chin Ho's girlfriend, Abby Dunn. She also starred in the television film Charming Christmas.
In 2021, she guest-starred in the TV series Love, Victor.
Personal life
Benz married actor John Kassir on May 30, 1998. She filed for divorce in December 2007.[27]
In 2011, she became engaged to Rich Orosco.[28] They married on May 5, 2012.[29]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Betty | |
1995 | The Barefoot Executive | Sexy Woman | TV movie |
1996 | Black Sheep | Dancing Blonde Woman | |
Hearts Adrift | Christy | TV movie | |
1997 | A Walton Easter | Jeannie | TV movie |
Inventing the Abbotts | Co-ed | ||
Darkdrive | Julie Falcon | ||
As Good as It Gets | Receptionist | ||
Eating Las Vegas | Sheila | Short | |
1999 | Jawbreaker | Marcie Fox | |
Dirt Merchant | Angie | ||
2000 | Satan's School for Girls | Alison Kingsley | TV movie |
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th | Barbara | Video | |
Bad Girls from Valley High | Danielle | ||
2001 | The Brothers | Jesse Caldwell | |
2003 | George of the Jungle 2 | Ursula Stanhope | Video |
The Midget Stays in the Picture | A-List actress | Short | |
2004 | The Long Shot | Annie Garrett | TV movie |
2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Laura | TV movie |
Bad Girls from Valley High | Danielle | ||
Locusts: The 8th Plague | Vicky | TV movie | |
8mm 2 | Lynn | Video | |
2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Katherine | |
Circle of Friends | Maggie | TV movie | |
2008 | Rambo | Sarah Miller
|
|
Saw V | Brit | ||
Punisher: War Zone | Angela Donatelli | ||
2009 | Kidnapping Caitlynn | Caitlynn | Short |
Held Hostage | Michelle Estey | TV movie | |
Uncorked | Johnny Prentiss | TV movie | |
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day | Eunice Bloom | ||
2010 | Bedrooms | Anna | |
2011 | Answers to Nothing | Frankie | |
Ricochet | Elise Laird | TV movie | |
2013 | Taken: The Search for Sophie Parker | Stevie Parker | TV movie |
2014 | Sole Custody | Zoe | TV movie |
Supremacy | Kristen | ||
2015 | Circle | Wife | |
Life on the Line | Carline | ||
Charming Christmas | Meredith Rossman | TV movie | |
2016 | Havenhurst | Jackie | |
2017 | Christmas Homecoming | Amanda | TV movie |
2019 | Foster Boy | Pamela Dupree | |
2020 | Nocturne | Cassie Lowe | |
Perfidy | Rachel | Short | |
2021 | Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer | Celeste Beard | TV movie |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | All My Children | Linda Connor | Episode: "Episode #1.5707" |
1991–92 | Hi Honey, I'm Home! | Babs Nielson | Main Cast |
1994 | Married... with Children | Sascha | Episode: "Field of Screams" |
1995 | Hang Time | Linda Cantrell | Episode: "Earl Makes the Grade" |
High Tide | Joanna Craig | Episode: "Sea No Evil" | |
Step by Step | Tawny | Episode: "The Wall" | |
1996 | Boy Meets World | Bianca | Episode: "City Slackers" |
Diagnosis: Murder | Julie Miller | Episode: "Murder on Thin Ice" | |
Sliders | Jenny Michener | Episode: "The Electric Twister Acid Test" | |
The Single Guy | Cranberries Girl | Episode: "Love Train" | |
1997 | The Big Easy | Roxanne | Episode: "BeGirled" |
Fame L.A. | Vanessa | Episode: "The Beat Goes On" | |
1997–02 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Darla | Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 & 5 |
1998 | Conrad Bloom | Julie | Episode: "The Rebound Guy" |
Ask Harriet | Joplin Russell | Recurring Cast | |
1999 | The King of Queens | Julie Patterson | Episode: "Train Wreck" |
Payne | Breeze O'Rourke | Main Cast | |
1999–00 | Roswell | Kathleen Topolsky | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
2000–04 | Angel | Darla | Recurring Cast: Season 1-3, Guest: Season 4-5 |
2002 | She Spies | Elaine | Episode: "Spies vs. Spy" |
Taken | Kate Keyes | Recurring Cast | |
2003 | Peacemakers | Miranda Blanchard | Episode: "The Witness" |
Coupling | Amanda | Episode: "Nipple Effect" | |
2004 | NCIS | Denise Johnson | Episode: "A Weak Link" |
Oliver Beene | Cigarette Girl | Episode: "Idol Chatter" | |
2006 | Supernatural | Layla Rourke | Episode: "Faith" |
CSI: Miami | Hayley Gordon | Episode: "Deviant" | |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Heidi Wolff | Episode: "Time of Your Death" | |
2006–10 | Dexter | Rita Bennett | Main Cast: Season 1-4, Guest: Season 5 |
2007 | Law & Order | Dawn Sterling | Episode: "Church" |
2010 | Desperate Housewives | Robin Gallagher
|
Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
2010–11 | No Ordinary Family | Stephanie Powell | Main Cast |
2011 | Royal Pains | Elyse | Episode: "An Apple a Day" |
2011–12 | A Gifted Man | Christina Holt | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
2013–15 | Defiance | Amanda Rosewater | Main Cast |
2015–17 | Hawaii Five-0 | Inspector Abby Dunn | Recurring Cast: Season 6-7 |
2017 | Training Day | Holly Butler | Recurring Cast |
2019 | Dark/Web | I Am Rideshare (voice) | Episode: "Chapter One" |
Light as a Feather | Skye Karras | Episode: "...Guilty as Sin" | |
V. C. Andrews | Kitty Dennison | Episode: "Heaven" | |
On Becoming a God in Central Florida | Carole Wilkes | Recurring Cast | |
2021 | Love, Victor | Shelby | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
2022 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | Sadie Becker | Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
Video Games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Hot Shots Golf Fore! | Phoebe and Amy (voice) | |
Halo 2 | Miranda Keyes (voice) |
Awards and nominations
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 |
References
- ^ "Today in History: May 1". April 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "Hi Honey, Julie Benz is Back Home!". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 3, 1991. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ "Julie Benz: Biography". TV Guide. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Owen, Rob (September 27, 2010). "Murrysville native Benz enjoys lighter, comedic role in 'Family'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ^ Debnam, Betty (April 2, 2004). "Meet Julie Benz". The Bryan Times. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ a b c Owen, Rob (February 20, 1999). "Gaining recognition". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 26, 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Rizzo, Carita (January 3, 2011). "Before They Were Stars". TV Guide: 24.
- ^ Fritz, Steve (May 29, 2008). "Julie Benz One Tough Lady; Three Tough Jobs". Newsarama. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ a b Pace, Terry (April 16, 2004). "Benz gets to play new kind of character". TimesDaily. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Mitovitch, Matt Webb (December 15, 2006), "Dexter's No. 1 Gal — Julie Benz — Previews a Killer Finale", TV Guide, archived from the original on December 17, 2006
- Bloody-disgusting.com. October 18, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ [1] Archived April 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Huffington Post. October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ "Julie Benz | Your source for Julie @". Julie-benz.info. March 26, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ Bierly, Mandi (March 26, 2009). "Hallmark Channel to produce 35 original movies with stars like Andrew McCarthy, Lori Loughlin, and Julie Benz. Pinch. Me". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
- ^ "Benz Happy for 'Dexter' Castmates Marriage — Netscape Celebrity". Channels.isp.netscape.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ DiNunno, Gina (January 3, 2010). "Dexter's Julie Benz to Pay a Visit to Wisteria Lane". TV Guide. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-78076-424-5. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (May 25, 2010). "Julie Benz Returning to Dexter". TV Guide. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Eng, Joyce (March 2, 2010). "Julie Benz Joins ABC's New Super Family". TV Guide. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ Ram, Archana (September 28, 2010). "No Ordinary Family Premieres Tonight. Will You Be Watching?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 4, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (May 12, 2010). "Breaking: ABC picks up 'No Ordinary Family' starring Michael Chikilis". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 16, 2011). "CBS Picks Up Susannah Grant Medical Drama To Series, Neal Baer To Run It". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 28, 2011). "John Corbett And Julie Benz To Star In TNT Film; Benz Changes Status On 'Gifted Man' –". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Julie Benz To Star in New Syfy Series Defiance". SFX. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ E Entertainment. "Supremacy becomes more Supreme". PRLog. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ "Angel – Interviews – Julie Benz and John Kassir". BBC Online.
- E! Online. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ Corneau, Allison (May 5, 2012). "Dexter's Julie Benz Gets Married!". Us Weekly. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
External links
- Julie Benz at IMDb
- Julie Benz on Facebook
- Julie Benz at AllMovie
- Julie Benz at Rotten Tomatoes