10 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Actors Who Went On To Star In Supernatural

Everyone knows Tara – Buffy The Vampire Slayer's timid college witch, Willow's (Alyson Hannigan) love interest, and one of the show's major mid-run permanent cast additions. What you might not know is that her surname is Maclay, she shared in one the first ever lesbian kisses to appear on pre-watershed primetime television, and she was played by Amber Benson. Tara is an important character on in the show between seasons four and seven, representing the transition from the group's teenage years through to the harsh realities of adulthood, the real world and humanity (spoiler alert: she dies in season six).

While Benson's role on Supernatural was nowhere near as significant, she was also not just a disposable monster. For two single episodes in seasons four and six, Benson was Lenore, a Twilight-esque vampire who has sworn off human blood. Her "vegetarianism" allows Sam and Dean to let her go with a clean conscience. However, the next time the hunters encounter her, she has relapsed, and the boy's angel bestie Castiel (Misha Collins) finishes her off for good.

Much like many of her Buffy alumni, Benson has primarily gone for single episode roles in other TV shows since the early 2000s, so you never know where she might show up next.