Dexter star Julie Benz is no stranger to a little on-screen blood. From her vampire character Darla on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, to her current role as blood spatter analyst/serial killer Dexter’s girlfriend Rita on the acclaimed Showtime series, some might think she’s reached her blood quotient and screen time with bad boys. Not so. Next week, she adds a little “First Blood” to her repertoire, co-starring with Sylvester Stallone in Rambo.

Jam! Showbiz recently chatted with Benz, who had this to share about landing the role of Rita on Dexter:

“When I first auditioned for the part, they actually thought I looked too pulled-together to play Rita,” Benz recalled. “So they had me come in with no makeup on and frumpy clothes. That’s how I looked getting the part, so that’s what you see on-screen. You see the real me.”

Benz’s Rita may be on the dowdy side, but this hasn’t stopped her Hollywood peers from taking notice. Apparently, Stallone is a fan of Dexter, and that’s how Benz landed the role of Sarah in Rambo, which hits theatres next week. And that’s not the end of Benz and the bad boys for 2008; this fall, you’ll see her as Angela in the film Punisher: Warzone. Besides being the side kick to these butt-kicking boys, what other roles would you like to see Benz play?