Interview with Julie Benz (Rita Bennett) of Dexter

Originally Published December 12 2006You might not know it from her character as Rita Bennett on Showtime39s hit new show Dexter but Julie Benz is absolutely hilarious and has an extremely contagious laugh Benz has done an exceptional job playing Rita Dexter39s girlfriend If you saw the scene in which Rita confronts her ex in jail a scene that was difficult for Benz as she said it was tough to be strong and to find that strength within Rita you know exactly what I39m talking about She was remarkable Benz has been so extraordinary in the role you39d never notice how nervous she was to star opposite Michael C Hall quotWhen we did the pilot I was very nervous I was beginning to work with my favorite actor I had to do a lot of relaxation to be on set with Michael I was such a huge fan of his and just couldn39t believe I was cast to play opposite him I was really waiting for someone to come up to me and say it39s all a jokequot Benz told me during our interviewIn fact Benz was such a fan her ringtone used to be the Six Feet Under theme song a show which Hall previously starred on quotWhen I got cast in the pilot I thought 39I have to change it because how embarrassing39 Now it39s Black Eyed Peas 39Don39t Phunk with My Heart39 I still have the Six Feet Under ring for Michael I did fess up with it I said 39Look I39m a dork listen to this39 He laughed and thought it was very funnyquotSo how did Benz first get cast in such a great part Benz said she had to quotfight tooth and nail for itquot as it took some work to really become Rita quotWhen I got down to the network test I went in and read with Michael and the note that came to me was that they thought I looked too pulled together to be the struggling mother of two and would I please come in the next day not looking so good I woke up the next morning and I didn39t shower I didn39t wear any makeup Nothing They kept saying my hair looked too perfect so I didn39t wash it and just wore it loosely pulled back And I wore clothes I39d wear on days when I don39t feel so good I went in and signed in and I was sitting in the waiting room The producer came out and said 39She signed in but where is she39quot Even the producer didn39t recognize the makeupless Benz In fact they even thought she had put on prosthetic makeup When Benz read in front of the network that day they had no idea she was the same person from the day before Benz has had some experience with auditions as she39s had quite the robust career playing a range of roles from a vampire named Darla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel to the catty Marcie Fox in the movie Jawbreaker to her current role as Rita in Dexter quotRita in a strange way is probably closest to who I really am in her vulnerability and definitely in the look of Rita I run around dressing like that I39m amazed at the reaction because I feel it39s the most honest work I39ve ever done Everyone just thinks it39s completely different For many years I got to play characters where I got to be completely different from who I am To really start playing these characters who are more quiet and aren39t as flashy and who are closer to who you are when your guard is down to me that39s more challengingquot Benz saidAs I said Benz played the vampire Darla which originated on Buffy the Vampire Slayer As a huge Buffy fan I39ve been an even bigger fan of Benz ever since she appeared in the first scene of the series So being able to speak with Benz was one of the few times I39ve been starstruck The character of Darla was killed off early in Buffy but Benz later reprised her role in the spinoff Angel Benz had no idea her character would return quotI thought once you poof you poof That39s it And every time I poofed I thought it was the end Boy was I wrongquot Benz said with quotpoofquot referring to what happened to a vampire when they were killed on Buffy As for her time on the two series she added quotIt was a wonderful experience It was a great place for me to go starting as an actor and not having worked as much and not knowing what I was doing and being creative and making choices Sometimes the choices worked and sometimes it didn39t It was a great place to grow as an actorquot And although Buffy and Angel helped Benz grow she doesn39t necessarily consider it her breakout role quotIt39s hard because I think there was definitely a lot of recognition from playing Darla but I do feel that I39m coming into my own now as an actor And I do feel playing Rita on Dexter it39s not so based on physicality I don39t have to be the hot girl I can be more rawquotBenz may not have to play the hot girl but Rita still snagged Dexter as her leading man quotI think in a strange way they really belong together I think there39s an understanding that they have for each other because of the violence in both their pasts There39s that bond however she doesn39t really know about his past I think there39s something that she senses And you know he definitely brings out the best in her And I think she brings out the best in himquotAs for season two Benz said she can39t even fantasize about what will happen because the writers are so much more creative For one thing she doesn39t want Rita to ever find out about Dexter39s past because of how tough it would be for Rita to handle But if she had to say one thing she wants to have happen in seasons to come quotPersonally me as a fan I want Rita and Dexter to live happily ever after I so want them to be togetherquotI completely agree with Benz and would love if Dexter and Rita could stay together forever If nothing else but for the fun Benz has on set in the role quotMichael39s very serious and very intense on set My process is completely different I literally joke around and I39m cracking jokes up until they yell action and then I39m focused I do think I wore him down and I do think he thinks I39m a nutcasequot Benz continued quotI think in episode 9 when we were all in the house Deb Rudy Dexter and Rita I think in that situation Michael had no defense at that point It was the three of us against him He started joining in on the funquotIt was in that episode that all four characters had a dance party to the song quotSlow Ridequot by Foghat which I think was one of the most fun scenes to watch quotI think Jennifer Deb and Christian Rudy had a great time I personally am not much of a dancer and I felt lost and I think Rita felt lost too I really just wanted to crawl under the couchquotSo perhaps Benz really is more like Rita than any other character she has played And that39s fine by me as Benz does a more than terrific job in the role Let39s cross our fingers and hope Rita and Dexter can live happily ever after so we can keep watching their chemistry for years to come

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Interview with Julie Benz (Rita Bennett) of Dexter

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