julie.benz
It’s surprising to know that Julie Benz’s first time in the spotlight was not as an actress but as an ice skater. She began skating at age 3 and ranked 13th in the 1988 U.S. Championships in junior ice dancing with her partner David Schilling. Ice skating ran in the family: her mother was an ice skater and her older siblings, Jeffrey and Jennifer, were the 1987 U.S. Junior Champions in ice dancing and competed internationally (her father was a surgeon). When Julie was 16, an injury forced her to change professions and many are glad she did!
Julie turned to acting and got involved in local theater. She studied acting at New York University and upon graduation, she moved to LA to pursue her career. Julie landed bit parts in various movies and television series, including guest spots on Married With Children, Sliders, Diagnosis Murder, Hang Time, and in the Aaron Spelling pilot, Cross Town Traffic.
In 1997, Julie, as well as her fellow Angel co-star Charisma Carpenter, auditioned for the title role of Buffy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both lost the role to Sarah Michelle Gellar. This was the second role Julie lost to Sarah; the first was the role of Kendall Hart on the daytime soap opera, All My Children. However, Julie did get a call back to play the vampire known as Darla, which has become her most famous role. In fact, Darla has the distinction of being the first vampire to appear on-screen in the pilot episode of Buffy. She did such a good job with that character that her role was expanded a few more episodes until she was killed off in the first season. Julie left her mark on the Buffy and Angel mythos and was invited back for essential flashback scenes on both shows. She stunned everyone at the end of the first season of Angel as her character returned from the dead.
Julie played a recurring role on Roswell as Kathleen Topolski. She also had a small, if not memorable, role in the 1997 movie, As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt (who both won Oscars for their performances). Some other films she appeared in include: The Brothers, A Fate Totally Worse Than Death, and Jawbreakers.
Behind the camera, two of Julie’s greatest passions are shopping and cooking. As part of her official Web-site, she answers questions concerning fashion, makeup, and etiquette. For more information, check out the official Julie Benz official website.
Julie was born on May 1, 1972 in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been married to actor Jon Kassir, more widely known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper of Creep Show fame, since 1998. The couple lives in Los Angeles with their two dogs, Elvis and Gracie.
