MONDO EXTRAS

Benz: Um, I can watch some really, really old stuff of mine, but...you know, just to say, "God, what was I thinking having bangs?" or "I look so young, there!" As far as the newer stuff, I will watch my work, because I learn from watching, you know, like, "That choice worked there, but that one didn't work as much." I'm fascinated with directing and how they edit a show and I like to watch to see what perspective they're actually putting forward. When you shoot a scene, they shoot from all different angles and all that, but when it's all edited together, each scene is from somebody's perspective, so it's interesting to see whose perspective they pick, and I'm fascinated by that as well. So, I'll watch to see how they do that on our show. It is hard to get past the vanity of it all and really watch the performance. I do have to put some time between filming and watching it, because it can be a lot like watching a family movie, where I'm like, "That day, when we shot this scene, this happened," so it's more about what happened in my life than it is what's happening in the story, so I have to put a good six months to a year to forget about that day when we shot that scene. But I do use it as a learning tool. And with Dexter, especially, I don't get to see a lot of crime stuff, because I'm never there on those days, so I love to watch the show for that aspect of it, like, to see how the other actors work and how they play out the storyline and everything. I am a fan of the show, you know.

Mr. S: Well, Rita sort of exists in her own little insular world on the show, at least right now. Now, I understand you used to be quite a figure skater, and were ranked pretty high in the nation, I think thirteenth?

Benz: Yes.

Mr. S: But you suffered a stress fracture when you were fourteen. Was that around the time you started getting into acting, or was it later on?

Benz: It was around the same time. I had the injury, and I had to be off for a year, and my mom didn't want me sitting around the house moping, so she dragged me to auditions, kicking and screaming, to a local community theater. I didn't want to do it, but she made me audition, and I got the part, and I have to say it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, to gain that interest for acting. I mean, I had it before, but I was too afraid of failure.