What Happened to ‘Buffy’ Star Amber Benson? Where the Tara Maclay Actress Is Today

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Amber Benson in 2003.

Without any shadow of a doubt, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is one of the most iconic shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The supernatural horror drama series, based on the 1992 movie of the same name, aired on The WB and then UPN from 1997 until 2003.

It introduced television audiences to brilliant characters like Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers, Alyson Hannigan’s Willow Rosenberg, David Boreanaz’s Angel, James Marsters’ Spike, the late Anthony Head’s Rupert Giles, and the late Nicholas Brendon’s Xander Harris.

While many of the show’s stars went on to become household names, some of them did their own thing or kept a lower profile. Amber Benson was one of the latter.

Appearing in 47 episodes from 1999 until 2002, Benson, 49, played Tara Maclay in the show. Tara was a gentle, powerful witch, known for her stutter, kindness, and romance with Willow Rosenberg. Her tragic death via a stray bullet in “Buffy’s” sixth season was one of the show’s most important (and sad) moments.

But what has Benson done since “Buffy” and where is she now? Let’s take a look.

Benson Is Still an Actress

Although Amber Benson’s acting career hasn’t been as prolific or as high profile as many of her “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” co-stars, she is still active and has added a significant number of credits to her name since departing the show.

Her subsequent television acting credits include episodes of shows like “Cold Case,” “The Inside,” “Supernatural,” “Private Practice,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Ringer,” “Husbands,” “Twisted Tales,” and “Red vs. Blue.”

She has also appeared in several movies, including 2003’s “Latter Days,” 2005’s “Intermedio” and “Race to the Bottom,” 2006’s “Lovers, Liars & Lunatics,” 2007’s “Kiss the Bride,” 2008’s “Strictly Sexual” and “One-Eyed Monster,” 2009’s “The Blue Tooth Virgin,” 2010’s “The Killing Jar,” 2018’s “House of Demons” and “Glossary of Broken Dreams,” and 2024’s “I Saw the TV Glow.”

Notably, she also voiced Tara Maclay in the 2003 video game “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds” and the 2023 audio series “Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.”

However, Benson’s talents go beyond acting and she has branched out into working on the other side of the camera.

Benson Is Also a Director, Writer & Producer

In addition to being an actress, Amber Benson is now also a director, writer, and producer.

Her directorial credits include the 2002 comedy-drama movie “Chance,” seven episodes of the 2003 animated horror miniseries “Ghosts of Albion: Legacy,” the aforementioned 2006 independent film “Lovers, Liars & Lunatics,” the 2010 comedy film “Drones” (which she co-directed with her former “Buffy” co-star Adam Busch), and nine episodes of the aforementioned audio series “Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.”

Benson’s writing credits include the aforementioned 2002 movie “Chance,” the aforementioned 2006 movie “Lovers, Liars & Lunatics,” the 2017 television movie “Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer,” the 2018 television movie “Terror in the Woods,” the 2019 television movie “A Murder in Mind,” the 2019 television movie “Death by Design,” the 2020 television movie “A Murder to Remember,” and the 2023 television movie “Finding Dad: A Family History Mystery.”

Production credits include the above-mentioned movie “Chance” and “Lovers, Liars & Lunatics,” the 2018 movie “House of Demons,” and several short films.

Physically, Benson has barely changed since her “Buffy” days and is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the show.

Benson is always active on social media and you can follow her on her Instagram account, where she currently has 55,500 followers. The talented star also has an online shop where you can purchase “Buffy” products signed by her.

It’s great to see Amber Benson doing so well. We wish her all the best with everything she does.

Amber Benson’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.