10 Actors Who FREAKED OUT When Their TV Character Died

10. Julie Benz Had A Panic Attack - Dexter

Few TV deaths can claim to be as shocking as that of Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) wife Rita (Julie Benz) at the end of Dexter's fourth season. Out of nowhere, Rita was murdered by the Trinity Killer (a bone-chilling John Lithgow) as a final "parting gift" to Dexter.

On an episode of Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, Benz called Rita's death the worst thing that's ever happened to her as an actress, and that as soon as she sensed the news was coming, she launched into a panic attack:

"I found out three days before... I started having a panic attack, and I called my manager at the time, and I said, 'Oh my God, I think they're killing me off.'"

Benz added that when she met with the show's producers to have the news officially broken to her, she tried to rush through the meeting to keep herself in check, only for them to desire a longer conversation to properly process her exit, causing her to end up "bawling."

And worse still, Benz had just come from the gym, and so was wearing a sports bra and leggings - and sweaty, of course - while being told she was getting the chop. She added:

"All I could think about is that movie where the guy is getting broken up with while he's naked. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I don't have a shirt on, and I'm losing my job. I felt so vulnerable... I was really upset. It was such a great family, and here you are being told, 'OK, we're still going to be getting together as a family, but you are on your own.' It was really hard."