A Conversation with Julie Benz

Actress Julie Benz has been expressing an inherent creativity since early childhood. Growing up with a figure skater mother, she began skating at age three. Though gifted on the ice, a bad stress fracture at 14 years old forced her to take time off, which is when she turned to the stage. After high school, Julie entered New York University to study acting. Upon graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, landing several small roles in big-name movies and TV shows. Being cast as Darla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer made Julie a household name, jump-starting a sustained and remarkable career. A number of guest-starring roles in popular television shows (including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Supernatural) and both lead and supporting roles in various made-for-TV movies followed. Being cast as a lead and starring in No Ordinary Family and Defiance further cemented her stardom, yet it is the role of Rita on Dexter that pivotally changed Julie’s life. Today, Julie is relishing the progress of women in the film industry, savoring time spent at home, and reflecting on the state of our world.

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ER How have you personally evolved with your career?

JB In the early years of my career, I was insecure and lacked confidence. I was always trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be. I didn’t think that being “just me” was interesting enough. All that changed once I was cast as Rita in Dexter. For the first time, I realized that I was enough—that I didn’t need hair and makeup, I didn’t need to put spin on the ball, that being me was enough…and powerful. I learned that there are things I bring naturally to a role and that I don’t need to push those areas, and there are other areas that yes, I do need to push a little more. This lesson also applies to my own life—in my thirties, I stopped trying to please others and started living life on my own terms.

ER How do you overcome professional struggles?

JB I’ve been an actor for over 30 years and the one lesson I’ve learned is that work comes and goes. The most important thing through it all is staying healthy, mentally and physically. I wake up and work out every morning, more for my mental health than anything else. There’s something exhilarating about starting the day with physical movement—for me, its dance. I can lose myself in a dance class. It quiets my mind and acts like a reset button. Not to say I don’t struggle, but I find I can handle my struggles better when I start my day with a good sweat.

ER What is Hollywood getting right, right now?

JB The role of women in storytelling! There are so many more amazing roles out there for actresses right now, especially older actresses and especially in television. That’s why we are seeing more and more A-list female movie stars producing and starring in television series. And the roles are meaty. Women are no longer cast as the “mother/wife/victim” role, but as more dynamic participants to the story structure. We still have a long way to go for equality in the industry, but I’m excited about what’s happening right now.

ER Tell us about the last thing that moved you deeply.

JB My father-in-law has been battling cancer for the last couple months. Watching my husband help care for his dad moves me incredibly. He is extremely patient, deeply loving, and a tremendous support. He does it all with grace and quietude. His dad is his best friend and witnessing the love between father and son is so profoundly moving, especially when we live in a world where so many people have a fractured relationship with their parents.

ER What kind of work currently captures your interest?

JB I’ve always been attracted to complex characters. I call them onion characters—peeling back the many layers like an onion to reveal the core. These types of characters are the most interesting to me. In On Becoming a God in Central Florida (on Showtime), I play Carole Wilkes. From the outside, Carole is the perfect FAM wife with the perfect FAM family. But as the show progresses, the layers of the onion are peeled away and you realize that’s not the case. I’m also attracted to projects that create change and raise awareness. Foster Boy is a film I’m in about corruption in the for-profit foster care system. It’s based on true events and presents a compelling case for reform in our foster care system. The movie is playing the festival circuit right now and has been referred to as a type of art activism.

“For the first time, I realized that I was enough—that I didn’t need hair and makeup, I didn’t need to put spin on the ball, that being me was enough…and powerful.”

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ER In what ways does your conduct reflect your convictions?

JB I try to lead with kindness and empathy in everything I do. We live in a society where it is very easy to fall into “I want” and “I need” and we forget about others—especially in times of fear. We see it right now with everyone hoarding toilet paper. Trust me, the week leading up to quarantine, I was overwrought with anxiety and fear—worried about having enough food and supplies for my family, wanting to buy multiples of everything “just in case.” In order to ease my fear, I emptied out my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator; I pulled out everything so I could see what I already had, and realized I had enough supplies for us to live on for a couple weeks—that any trip to the store would be hoarding and taking supplies away from others who might really need them. We don’t have a toilet paper shortage, but an empathy shortage.

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ER Share something about yourself that might surprise people.

JB I’m a homebody. I love being home. I love cooking and cleaning and doing laundry. I find comfort in chores around the house. Cooking has been a secret passion of mine for years. I love trying new recipes and experimenting with different flavors. And I can whip up a dinner party on short notice. So many people have told me I need to do a cooking show or write a cookbook, but I worry it would ruin my love for being in the kitchen. It’s a creative outlet for me between acting jobs—a way I express my creativity.

ER What do you do when you need to rejuvenate your spirit?

JB Get outside…go for a long walk. I love walking and listening to podcasts. I find walking, being in nature, being outside, a quick and easy way to rejuvenate my spirit. It’s become even more important now during this world crisis we are in. Remember that song by Missing Persons, “Walking in LA”? It goes “Walkin’ in LA, nobody walks in LA…” That’s true! Nobody ever walked in LA! Now, everyone is walking! I see more people out walking than ever before. I love waving (from a social distance) to neighbors that I’ve never seen before. That simple human interaction has brought me so much joy during this stressful time.

Features Contributor Elisabeth Ross

Photographer Josh Williams

Stylist Jenny Dayco

Hair & Makeup Melissa Bedi

Assistant Kelly Musgrove

Josh Williams

Photographer

Josh grew up right outside of New Orleans and has taken his love for its culture anywhere he goes. He started his dream in photography in Sarasota, Florida at Ringling College of Art and Design. Directly after, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began building his photography career. After 10 years in Los Angeles, Josh has relocated back to the New Orleans area, but continues to travel, finding the beauty in everything he photographs.