JUNE 21, 2007 – Amber Benson is a young entrepreneur; actress, writer, director and producer. She’s been acting professionally over fifteen years, but is best known for her acclaimed role of Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After leaving the show, she began working on a different medium: animation film Ghosts of Albion for BBC with co-creator and friend Christopher Golden. They both share other writing credits with the successful comics of BTVS: Willow & Tara and last year’s release of the short novel The Seven Whistlers. She also released two of her first independent films Chance and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics through her production company, Benson Entertainment. Check out her upcoming projects: Kiss the Bride, Strictly Sexual, and The Bluetooth Virgin! She definitely has a bright career ahead of her!
Johnny: What upcoming projects are you currently working on?
Amber Benson: I have just completed work on a couple of independent films: Kiss the Bride, The Bluetooth Virgin and Strictly Sexual.
Johnny: Your career skyrocketed playing Tara Maclay on Buffy. What attracted you to the role of Tara, and did you know it was going to build up a huge fan base?
Amber Benson: I thought Tara was an interesting charcter from the very beginning, but I had no idea that she was going to be anything except a two episode friend for Willow. Little did I know that she would become such an iconic character.
Johnny: You continued the Buffyverse as a writer for the comic books featuring Willow and Tara with author Christopher Golden. How did that come about? What was the idea behind this?
Amber Benson: I was introduced to Chris by the young woman who ran both of our websites, Little Willow. He asked if I would be interested in collaborating on a Willow and Tara comic for Darkhorse. We both loved the characters so much, we wanted to continue their story a little bit.
Johnny: I proudly own the novel “Ghost of Albion: Witchery,” signed by you and Mr. Golden! Seeing that you guys have worked together, was this another chance to write a completely new universe/story?
Amber Benson: We were approached by the BBC to create a kinda Jane Austin meets Buffy animated show for their Cult Site, but we felt like that would be kinda derivitive. Instead, we pitched them the siblings from The Ghosts of Albion, and they loved it. So, that’s how we ended up diving head first into a completely new universe.
Johnny: You’ve written, directed and produced “Chance” and “Lovers, Liars and Lunatics.” What have been your experiences working on these projects? Any new learning experiences?
Amber Benson: I really learned from both projects that Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and that you have to implicitly trust the people you’ve chosen to be around you.
Johnny: What inspires you to write two completely stories such as “Chance” & “Lovers…”?
Amber Benson: I don’t know where the ideas come from. I like to think in Jungian terms, that there’s a collective unconscious out there that we all just tap into to find our stories. Usually, I just sit down and they come pouring out of me. I’m never quite sure what they are going to be until they happen.
Johnny: How did Benson Entertainment come about? Is this where you’ll express your creative process? What can we expect from the company in the future?
Amber Benson: It’s really just the moniker for my production company. Lately, I’ve been moving away from doing my own stuff, so I don’t have anything else on the slate in the near future. We are winding Benson Entertainment down, but we appreciate all the wonderful love and support we’ve received during the past few years. I truly have the coolest fans in the whole world.
Johnny: If you were given the chance to play a Hollywood legend, who would you portray, and why?
Amber Benson: I love Jean D’Arc. I’m a little old for it now, and it’s been done so often that I don’t think it’s in my cards to play her.
Johnny: What advice would you give to aspiring writers/filmmakers in the industry?
Amber Benson: Perserverence is key. And as Bette Davis once said… you gotta have a really thick skin.