Rita

As played by Julie Benz

Rita is Dexter's sweet, naïve and emotionally downtrodden girlfriend, a struggling single mom with two kids. To Dexter, Julie is a kindred, damaged spirit and the two form a sweet courtship that provides a strange sense of normalcy in his upside-down world.

Julie Benz is best known for her role as the evil vampire 'Darla' which she originated on The WB's Buffy The Vampire Slayer and continued on the hit series Angel. A WB favorite, she also had a recurring role on the cult series Roswell. Benz's other television roles include the lead in the dramatic thriller Circle Of Friends for Lifetime, starring with Marsha Mason in the Hallmark feature The Long Shot and starring in the Dream Works/Steven Spielberg miniseries, Taken, for the Sci Fi Channel. Benz joined a stellar cast, which included S. Epatha Merkerson and Jimmy Smits in the award-winning Lackawanna Blues produced by Halle Berry. Her episodic work includes: Navy:NCIS, Peacemakers, King Of Queens, Supernatural and CSI: Miami.

Benz's film work includes a starring role in the independent film Kill Your Darlings, a dark "road trip" comedy about suicide; she appeared with Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets; played 'Ursula' in George Of The Jungle 2, and starred with Rose McGowan in the Tri-Star feature Jawbreaker. Benz recently co-starred with Bill Bellamy and Shemar Moore in the Sony/ Screen Gem feature The Brothers. Benz can also be heard as the voice of 'Captain Miranda Keys' in the popular video game Halo 2.