Bits Quote by Julie Benz
![“I had the prosthetics on, and I went to my trailer, I looked in the mirror, and I smiled. And I was, like, "This is the character - everything she does is with a smile and a bit of glee and joy." And that's how I created Darla [from Buffy The Vampire Slayer]. Prior to that, I was, like, "I have no…” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f5b/julie-benz-7666_bits_i-had-the-prosthetics-on-and-i-went-to-m_1907475.jpg)
“I had the prosthetics on, and I went to my trailer, I looked in the mirror, and I smiled. And I was, like, "This is the character - everything she does is with a smile and a bit of glee and joy." And that's how I created Darla [from Buffy The Vampire Slayer]. Prior to that, I was, like, "I have no idea how to play this 400-year-old vampire from hell!".”
About This Quote
Source TV series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5, 2000
The actress describes using a smile and joy to define a character, turning fear into playful performance.
In simple terms: Joyful attitude shapes character portrayal.
Key Takeaway
Adopt positivity to overcome role challenges.
Themes
acting
character development
positivity
confidence
creativity
Mood
playful
confident
inspirational
Type
inspirational
creative
motivational
When to use this quote
- auditions
- role preparation
- stage fright
Key Concepts
method acting
character embodiment
psychology of performance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humor help you act?
- What if the character isn’t joyful?
A Different Perspective
Joy may mask underlying insecurity.
![“Darla [from Buffy The Vampire Slayer] wasn't Darla in the beginning, by the way. Darla was just Vampire Girl #1. But I just started adding a little bit of glee and joy into everything she did and just relied on the fact that the prosthetic does the work. And then I didn't have to be scary. The…” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee9/julie-benz-7666_bits_darla-from-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-wasn_797502.jpg)
![“Darla [from Buffy The Vampire Slayer] was where I grew up. For me, Darla was like going to graduate school for acting. I learned so much with Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. They encouraged us to make creative choices with our characters.” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/536/julie-benz-7666_acting_darla-from-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-was_423148.jpg)
![“I'm a big Sarah Michelle Gellar [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] fan. Huge. I love her. She's gorgeous. I see her Maybelline ads, and I'm like, 'How can she be that pretty?'” quote by Kirsten Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/802/kirsten-storms-74423_ads_i-m-a-big-sarah-michelle-gellar-buffy-th_2827097.jpg)
![“[Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt] pushed me out of my comfort zone [in Buffy The Vampire Slayer ].” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/74e/julie-benz-7666_buffy-the-vampire-sl_joss-whedon-and-david-greenwalt-pushed-m_2929431.jpg)
![“I love doing sitcoms and I love performing in front of a live audience, so [Payne] was a really fun experience.” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/79e/julie-benz-7666_audience_i-love-doing-sitcoms-and-i-love-performi_10690.jpg)
![“I worked so hard on that role [of Debra in Dexter]. And I barely worked on Rita. But I read for casting - both parts - and they said, "That's great, we're going to bring you in for producers." So I read for some producers - both parts - and they said, "That's great, we're going to bring you in to…” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/02d/julie-benz-7666_casting_i-worked-so-hard-on-that-role-of-debra-i_133545.jpg)
![“That movie [Jawbreaker] was so much fun to shoot. We were all in our mid-20s at the time, playing high school students. Which was the point. It was the point of the film to hire older actors to play high school students. But we had a blast.” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d3/julie-benz-7666_actors_that-movie-jawbreaker-was-so-much-fun-to_154704.jpg)
![“I loved working on that show [Defiance]. I mean, that show was brutal. We worked long, brutal hours in really brutal weather.” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6bf/julie-benz-7666_brutal_i-loved-working-on-that-show-defiance-i_248089.jpg)
![“It was fun to play that surreal high school life [in Jawbreaker]. I was a huge fan of the movie Heathers. But I think at the time - you know, when the movie was released, it was a very limited release, and it didn't do very well at the box office. And I love the fact that it has found legs and…” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1bb/julie-benz-7666_audience_it-was-fun-to-play-that-surreal-high-sch_298061.jpg)
![“[ Angel series] really taught me that acting is not just about being emotionally challenged. It's about being physically challenged. And I enjoyed both aspects of that.” quote by Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/57a/julie-benz-7666_acting_angel-series-really-taught-me-that-actin_338024.jpg)
![“Brad [Dourif] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him a little bit. I just think maybe they have similar voices.” quote by David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfe/david-kirschner-22403_bits_brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-w_478.jpg)
