TV Verdict

Most fans will forever remember her as the vamp who sired Angelus on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and later Angel, but today the 36 year old former US Champion ice skater and wife of The Crypt Keeper (John Kassir) is best known to television viewers as the partner to yet another dark and devious anti-hero on the Showtime series Dexter. Actress Julie Benz stopped by to chat with Chief Justice Michael Stailey about her role in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo and what we can expect from Season Two of her hit television series.

Q: I heard Sylvester Stallone is a fan of Dexter and sought you out for this role. Is that true?

JB: Yes. Yes, actually he loves the show and I got a phone call one day from my manager saying Stallone is casting his new movie and he’s a big fan of yours and would love for you to come in a take a meeting with him. And I was like… “Really??? Okay!”

Q: How was he as a director?

JB: You know, he’s really an amazing director. I think he’s a great filmmaker, and as a director he’s… very demanding, but he doesn’t demand anything out of you that you don’t see him delivering himself. And it made me realize what it takes to be a film icon. He’s so committed to every frame of every movie and his own performance. He’s really honest, which is great. I love a director that’s very honest, doesn’t sugar coat, and tell you exactly what he’s thinking. Because then you have a trust there.

Q: Filming in Chiang Mai, Thailand, near the borders of Burma and Laos, how did you find the country and its people?

JB: We stayed in Chiang Mai, but we shot about an hour and a half outside the city. Thailand is beautiful and the people are amazing. I was so impressed… most people in Thailand have two or three jobs, and all they do is work. But it’s not like here where you get stressed… it’s just what they do. They work. And they’re happy people. They’re a very sweet natured people. Very spiritual as well. Oh, and the food is amazing!

Q: Did you get a chance to explore the city?

JB: I did a little bit of exploring, but I was working so much, I was exhausted most of the time.

Q: How long was the shoot?

JB: Three months.

Q: Wow… and you were working in some pretty harsh conditions too.

JB: Yes, it was very tough. The environmental elements of the movie were very difficult. We were working in extreme heat and everybody lost a lot of weight. It was hard to keep weight on. And they warned us going in. But, of course, as a woman you don’t believe ‘em… “Yea, I’ll lose weight! That’s not a problem.” But then you become too skinny and it does become a problem (laughing). For me, it was the first time I could eat carbs and get away with it. You know, I was eating Pad Thai like three times a day and just loving it! It just doesn’t stick to you.

Q: Did anything strange or unusual occur during the shoot?

JB: One day we had an elephant crash through the set, and that was kind of bizarre (she laughs).

Q: …oh my god.

JB: Yeah, from one of the elephant camps nearby. It just came crashing through set and it was like… “We gotta hold filming until we wrangle the elephant and get him outta here.” And you’re like… “What?!”

Q: Did any of your Buffy or Angel training make preparation for this role any easier?

JB: Definitely. Unfortunately, on those shows I didn’t get to do any of my own stunts, just because a lot of the action scenes were shot on second unit. But on Rambo, Stallone said to me “It makes for a richer film if it’s your face hitting the dirt.” So I went into it thinking, okay I’m going to try anything once and if I get too scared Heidi, my stunt double, can step in and take over. There was only one stunt I got really scared doing, but I ran through a ball of fire, I had buildings exploding behind me… it was exhilarating and it was fun.

Q: You guys had that whole sequence with the attack on the village you’re missioning to…

JB: (Laughing) Yeah… and you don’t get to rehearse that, you know? It’s like… “Okay, you’re going to walk over here and the building is going to explode. Your hair could possibly catch on fire, so if that happens, don’t run. Just drop and we’ll come in and get you.” So the whole time you’re shooting the scene, all you’re thinking about is “my hair could catch on fire.”

Q: Geez… Working with a director who has done his own stunts from the beginning of his career, was there pressure to live up to that expectation?

JB: Oh, I think for me, being the only female in the movie, I put a lot of pressure on myself to outdo the guys… including Stallone. And it was so funny because they even came to me halfway through filming and said… “You know, in the beginning we were worried it was going to be difficult, but you really stepped up.” They called it “Man up.” And I was like… “Well yeah, just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t do any of this stuff.” Even though I was hiding behind a tree crying before every take. Every stunt I was asked to do, I would literally be hiding and crying, and my makeup artist would be like… “Are you okay?!” And I was like… “Shhh! Just don’t tell anybody I’m scared.” (Laughing) And then they yell “Action!” and the tears stop and I run through a ball of fire.

Q: When the movie was first released, people were shocked by how bloody it was. But really, that’s what goes on in that part of the world, especially in Burma (Myanmar). Stallone wasn’t making this stuff up.

JB: Yeah, Rambo is actually a watered down version of what’s going on in that part of the world. I don’t think you could make a movie to show what’s really going on over there. It’s extremely violent… and I think now, after the cyclones, you see how brutal that government is and how they treat their people. I mean, not even allowing them aid, not sounding the alarms to warn them a cyclone was coming through… it’s one of the most volatile places on Earth.

Q: You just wrapped two films during hiatus of Dexter — Saw V; and Punisher: War Zone — both for Lionsgate. Could you tell us a little about either or both?

JB: Yeah, sure. Saw V will be out October 24 and Punisher will be out December 4… and in both of them I get to playa little bit tougher characters than Sarah in Rambo. You’ll see me with a little more balls.

Q: When does work on Season Three begin for Dexter?

JB: We begin shooting in two weeks.

Q: Have you noticed a boost in awareness or increased buzz about the show following its run on CBS during the Writers’ Strike?

JB: Yes, definitely. I mean, there’s so many people that don’t have cable, given the economic crisis we’re in. That’s usually the first thing that goes. So it’s been great, because a lot of people who couldn’t afford it before now get a chance to watch it.

Q: Anything we can expect to see regarding character development in the new season?

JB: I know absolutely nothing! And I’m not just saying that. I really know absolutely nothing at this point. (She laughs) I wish I knew something. I’m just as excited as everybody else about the start of the new season. I’m a big fan of the show and all the characters, so I’m excited to see where we’re all headed.

More Information:

Rambo is available in multiple formats: DVD, Blu-ray, and the Complete Rambo Collector’s Set

Read DVD Verdict’s review of Dexter: Season One (dvdverdict.com)

Dexter: Season Two will be available August 19 (pre-order and save 25% at Amazon.com)