LOS ANGELES — If it weren’t for all of the scary music playing and zombies stomping around, Julie Benz would look like she was headed to a fancy brunch. With her girl-next-door looks, she doesn’t come across like the kind of actress who has played one of the best female villains in television history or who is about to get tortured as part of the “Saw” films.
Those who keep up with the creepy TV and film worlds know her work.
Benz was honored in early October with an Eyegore Award for her performances in the horror genre. Fellow honorees included directors Roger Corman (“Frankenstein Unbound”) and Tobe Hooper (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) plus actors Bill Moseley (“Army of Darkness”) and Gunnar Hanson (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”).
Benz earned the honor for her blood-curdling vampire performance as Darla in the “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” series. And she is in the new feature film, “Saw V.” What’s more, Benz co-stars in the Showtime series “Dexter.” On the show, she’s in love with a man (Michael C. Hall) who is a serial killer.
Asked what leads her to such chilling roles, Benz smiles and says, “I don’t see the dark side to me. I think what it is, is the juxtaposition of taking someone like me and putting them into this world. Also, as an actor, to be honest, working in the horror genre is more challenging.”
That challenge for the 36-year-old Pittsburgh native is to make the fantasy seem real. In the case of Darla, that meant playing a vampire with real bite. Although she rarely got the better of Buffy or Angel, it wasn’t from a lack of trying.
She feels even more of a responsibility with “Saw V.” Benz knows this is a franchise with a loyal following. The last thing she wants to do is let the fans down.
“When I got the phone call about being part of it, I said yes before I even read the script,” Benz says. She knew of the film’s following around the world.
“The ‘Saw’ moves are psychologically terrifying. They are not just slasher films. It psychologically terrified me on set.”
Although “Dexter” falls more into the crime-drama category, Benz says that in many ways the series fits the dimensions of a horror film. Her character Rita Bennett is the damsel in distress, a mother of two who has been emotionally crippled. Rita has become attached to a monstrous man with no feelings, except a passion for murder, but who looks normal to those around him.
“I think Dexter is the ultimate horror figure. We have all seen it happen in real life with all the serial killers. No one really knows they are serial killers,” Benz says.
