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Amber Benson is an actress and writer who portrayed Tara Maclay in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series and wrote Buffyverse comics from Dark Horse Comics.

Career[]

Benson's first film role was in Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill at the age of 14. In 1995, she starred in the romantic comedy Bye Bye Love, which also starred Eliza Dushku and eventually starred alongside her in Buffy.

Benson was cast as shy Wiccan Tara Maclay in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2000. According to Buffy producer Marti Noxon, Joss Whedon was initially reluctant to cast Benson in the role of Tara due to her not being the right physical type. Noxon convinced him to let her read again where he realized she would be perfect for the role.[1] Benson left the show in 2002 after appearing regularly for three seasons. She provided singing vocals on the musical episode "Once More, with Feeling."

Whilst appearing on Buffy, Benson co-wrote the movie The Theory of the Leisure Class which was released in 2001. She also wrote, produced, directed and starred in digital video Chance which also starred her Buffy co-star, James Marsters. In 2002, she sang on two tracks on Buffy co-star Anthony Stewart Head's solo music project Music for Elevators.

In 2006, Benson released her second feature-film Lovers, Liars & Lunatics through her own production company, Benson Entertainment. It was shot on film and was mostly budgeted by the sale of limited edition Buffyverse "Tara" action figures. In the same year, she appeared as "vegetarian" vampire Lenore in Supernatural.

In December 2006, Benson and Christopher Golden released the short novel The Seven Whistlers, distributed through Subterranean Press in a limited number of signed copies. In September 2007, Benson signed a three-book deal with Ginjer Buchanan of Penguin Books. Death's Daughter was released by Ace Books on February 2009; Cat's Claw on February 2010; and Serpent's Storm in February 2011. On February 2012, the fourth book in the series was released, How to Be Death.

Benson co-directed 2010 comedy Drones with Buffy co-star Adam Busch.

In 2012, Benson played a young Judith Collins in the Dark Shadows audio drama Dress Me in Dark Dreams. She guest starred in the second season of the Jane Espenson scripted romantic comedy web series Husbands. In June 2013, it was announced that Benson has been attached to star in the web TV series adaptation of The Morganville Vampires as Amelie, the founder of Morganville. Benson has narrated the audiobook Lock In by John Scalzi. In October 2014, she published her fantasy book The Witches of Echo Park.

Benson attended Entertainment Weekly Cast Reunions: Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2017. She returned as an alternative reality version of Tara in the Audible audio series Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, which she co-wrote and co-directed.

Buffyverse credits[]

Actress[]

Benson appeared in 47 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the role of the witch Tara Maclay.

Additionally, she voiced Tara and her vampire counterpart in the Chaos Bleeds video game and an alternative version of Tara in eight episodes of the audio series Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.

Writer[]

Benson has written four comic stories set in the Buffyverse.

She provided as well the foreword for reference book The Making of a Slayer and co-wrote Slayers: A Buffyverse Story with Golden.

Director[]

In addition to acting and writing, Benson directed the audio series Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.

Gallery[]

Behind the scenes for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

External links[]

References[]

  1. Joss Whedon. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD; audio commentaries for the episode "Hush" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox, June 10, 2003.
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