She has a recurring role in the CBS show A Gifted Man. At age 15, Benz was told by an acting coach that she would never succeed as an actress. Her first movie role was a small speaking part in “The Black Cat” segment of the Dario Argento/George A. Romero horror movie Two Evil Eyes (1990). A year later, she was cast in the TV show Hi Honey, I’m Home (1991), which was canceled after two seasons. After graduating from high school, Benz entered New York University to study acting. Two weeks after her move, she obtained a bit part in a 1994 episode of Married. She made two movies, the dark comedy Jawbreaker and Dirt Merchant, before landing a lead role in another TV show called Payne. She reprised her role as Darla in 2000 for the Buffy spin-off series Angel appearing in every season for at least one episode.

After graduation from NYU, she moved to Los Angeles. She had an uncredited role in Black Sheep and appearances in Diagnosis: Murder, Sliders and The Single Guy. She starred in the short spoof film Eating Las Vegas and the unaired TV pilot Veronica’s Video, had a small uncredited role in the TV movie A Walton Easter and a small role in Inventing the Abbotts. She reprised her role as Darla in 2000 for the Buffy spin-off series Angel appearing in every season for at least one episode.