Julie Benz says she had a panic attack before she was told her character was to be killed off Dexter.
The actor starred as Rita Bennett in the hit series, but was axed after four seasons on the show.
Appearing on the Inside of You podcast, the 49-year-old was asked about her 'worst moment' in the business.
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Recalling the time she learned she would not longer be a part of the bloody thriller, she said: "Getting killed off Dexter was pretty bad, I had no idea that was coming."
Asked when she was told, Julie said: "About three days before.
"They called me in on my day off to do some ADR and then they called me to the producers' room, and I knew walking from the ADR stage to the producers' room.
"When you get called to the producers' room, you're being killed off a show, it's just, you just know that.
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Discussing her mental health, Julie explained: "Yeah, I suffer from panic attacks, and 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'.
"And this is what he said, he was, like, 'Alright, kid', because he knows I suffer from panic attack, 'Just get in and out as fast as you can, just say thank you and get out'.
"And then I called my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, and he's not in the business, and I said, 'Oh my God, I'm walking to the producers' office, I think I'm being killed off the show', and he's like, 'Maybe they're giving you a raise', which really broke my heart because I was, like, 'No, you don't get a raise that way'.
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"And then he said the same thing, 'Just get in and out as fast as you can and I'll meet you at home'.
"So I tried to get in and out as fast as I could, like, I walked in the room and I said, 'I know what this is about... thank you so much for a great four years, I've appreciated every moment.. '
"Before they'd said a word, I said, 'I'm smart enough to know what's going on, so thank you for a great four years, let's talk tomorrow'.
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"And I'm feeling the panic attack coming on. They wanted to have a conversation and so then I had to sit down."
Julie then explained that on top of the fact she was becoming increasingly upset and agitated by the whole event, she was also sweaty and felt very 'vulnerable'.
She explained: "So I was only in a sports bra and a pair of leggings, and I went to do ADR that way.
"So all I could think about was that movie where the guy gets broken up with while he's naked, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, that's all I could think about, like, 'I don't have a shirt on and I'm losing my job'. Like, I felt so vulnerable."
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When asked whether she cried, Julie, who admitted she went to therapy as a result, said: "I did, I didn't want to. I was [bawling], I was really upset.
"I loved it [the show]. Also it was such a great family, and then here you are being told, like, 'OK, well we're still going to get together as a family but you're on your own'."
Featured Image Credit: ShowtimeTopics: Entertainment, Dexter, US News, US Entertainment