Julie Benz is one of those actresses that is pretty good in everything that she does, but only has a following because of her work in the worlds of Joss Whedon. I rarely hear anyone talk about her guest appearance on Roswell or her part in the miniseries Taken, but anyone who watched Buffy or Angel quickly remembers her as Darla, the vampire who turned Angel into a vamp and eventually bore him a son.
Despite her limited recognition, Benz is a pretty solidly working actress. She’s a strong part of the cast of Dexter, appeared in the latest Rambo flick, and will be a part of the upcoming fiasco Punisher: War Zone. None of those are as likely to gain Benz the kind of recognition she has for playing Darla, but she may have just added one more flick to her resume that could garner Darla just as dedicated a fanbase as her Whedon work: the next Saw picture.
Variety reports that Benz has joined the cast of SawV, although in what capacity is uncertain. Benz can play malevolent well enough that she could easily be the next incarnation of the killer, as a devotee or copycat of Jigsaw. On the other hand, she could just as easily be a victim of the killer’s mechanics, however that would work since Jigsaw himself is dead. Here’s hoping whatever the role is, that it’s memorable enough to give Benz more of the credit she deserves as an actress.
