Poor Julie Benz. Not only did she get (*spoiler alert*) dramatically killed off Dexter, she had to go back to film the beginning of season five as a dead body in the bathtub. At least she got a new show right away. On No Ordinary Family, she plays a working mom whose family all get super powers. She must have had the super power of wardrobe changing because she had an all new sexy red carpet gown after her afternoon press conference for the Television Critics Association.
CraveOnline: This is not what you were wearing earlier.
Julie Benz: No, I changed.
CraveOnline: How fabulous. Do you enjoy that aspect of changing for every appearance?
Julie Benz: Yeah, the fashion element of what I do and it’s so much fun. It’s like being a grown-up Barbie doll. I love fashion, I love clothes, I love high heels. I love beautiful jewelry. I have a great stylist who puts it all together and it’s just fun to dress up.
CraveOnline: I feel like every time I see you, you’re really enjoying it.
Julie Benz: I mean, I’ve been an actor 25 years. I feel very lucky to be able to have a job that doesn’t feel like work. I can spend 15-16 hours on set and it doesn’t feel like I’ve worked at all. To me, we’re all blessed in different areas in our life. Some people are blessed with wonderful children and some people are blessed with great careers. For me, I’ve been blessed with this amazing career. I was just a little girl from
CraveOnline: You seem to enjoy working the camera too, on the red carpet. You can really play it up.
Julie Benz: Oh yeah, I hope. That’s always fun. It’s the fantasy element, pretending I’m a supermodel.
CraveOnline: Were you looking for a series to get into right away?
Julie Benz: Yes, of course. I love to work. I was not looking to be unemployed. I don’t like being unemployed. I think I’ve proven it. Two years ago during hiatus I did five movies. I don’t sit still very well. I was looking to play a strong female character. I was looking for something that had greater mass appeal and I was looking to star opposite another costar that is as tremendous of a talent as Michael C. Hall. I got all three of those things in No Ordinary Family.
CraveOnline: Genre has been good to you in the past too. Do you feel comfortable in this world?
Julie Benz: I definitely do. Definitely. I have a very devoted fan base in genre films and television. They’re the most dedicated fans you can have in this world and they’ll follow you to hell and back. They’ll follow you when you’re up and they’ll follow you when you’re down. That’s what you want. They’re just as passionate about the projects as we are making them. Comic-Con is always such a great experience for me because you get the immediate feedback from the fans. To be able to hear their take on what it is you’re doing and their passion in watching it and really getting into it, justifies what we do.
CraveOnline: Just look at the outcry over Rita’s death.
Julie Benz: I know, it totally justified killing her.
CraveOnline: That’s one way to look at it.
Julie Benz: Yes.
CraveOnline: On No Ordinary Family you have super speed. Is your character able to be in two places at once?
Julie Benz: Two places within seconds of each other. It really helps facilitate her life. She has been a workaholic and a type A personality. She has not spent much time at home and she feels like she’s failing at home. All of a sudden with super speed, she’s able to be at home and be more present in the kids’ lives and her husband’s life. She doesn’t feel like a failure anymore.
CraveOnline: Is that what we all wish, that we had more time?
Julie Benz: I think every woman in
CraveOnline: Have you fought any bad guys yet?
Julie Benz: Stephanie is focused on family and figuring out what’s happening to them. This is not a crime fighting family. We’re not like joining together to fight crime together so no, she hasn’t.
CraveOnline: Has she become an extreme helicopter mom, because she can literally be around her kids more?
Julie Benz: Yes, and she’s building a relationship with them because she has been kind of checked out of their lives. It’s a real family drama. When you spend 80 hours a week at work, how much time do you really have for your family and how well do you really know your kids? Finally she gets to have that time to get to know them as teenagers. She hasn’t been able to have that chance.
CraveOnline: Does that go exactly as she expected and perfectly according to plan?
Julie Benz: Nothing goes perfect. Nothing’s perfect on television.
CraveOnline: What surprises her about being around more?
Julie Benz: I think she’s surprised by Daphne’s maturity level. I think she really wants to help J.J. with school. She feels that just helping him will help facilitate him getting out of remedial classes. She doesn’t know he has a super power. She’s there making breakfast and making lunches. I just think that means so much to her because she hasn’t been able to do that.
CraveOnline: What is her job?
Julie Benz: She’s a scientist, research scientist.
CraveOnline: How does this power affect her job?
Julie Benz: As a research scientist, she’s able to research what’s happening to them as a family. She’s able to use her career, everything she’s been doing for her job, to help research what’s going on with her family, with the powers.
CraveOnline: What was it like going back to Dexter to film scenes as a body in a bathtub?
Julie Benz: Oh, it’s just a job. It’s gotta be done and it was great to go back and reunite with everybody and see everyone. It’s something that needed to be done to help them move the story forward. It was wet and sticky. You know, the first time shooting the ending was very painful for me because I was blindsided by it. I had no clue they were planning on killing Rita. So actually going back this time it was easier. It’s just easier, it was more fun.
