Christian Slater's Fanaticism Meets Dexter's World
Christian Slater's Love for Dexter
Slater confesses that he was a "huge fan" of Dexter during its original run. The chance to be a part of this beloved world was an exciting prospect for him. At 55 years old, he says, "Being a serious fan of the original show and getting a chance to be a part of this world was great. And to play great characters like this was a wonderful opportunity."His admiration for the show was so strong that when the opportunity arose to express his fandom to Dexter himself, he couldn't resist. Meeting Michael C. Hall at Comic-Con was a moment he cherished. "When I met Michael C. Hall at Comic-Con, I had to say, 'Thank you for being so great,'" Slater recalls.
The Cast and Their Impact
Slater makes sure to give credit to James Remar, who played Harry in the 2006 series. He calls Remar "an actor that I have always loved and respected." Regarding the original cast, he says, "All these actors were so great."He believes that Harry was a very interesting character in Dexter, and this prequel series offered an opportunity to explore him further. "I definitely felt like Harry was a very interesting character that you only got to see glimpses of [in Dexter]. So this was an opportunity to explore that character some more and see the challenges that he went through in his younger days, and the mistakes that he made and the traumas that he suffered. And I think all of those things kind of added up to a lot of the decisions and choices that he makes with his son later."
The Prequel Series and Its Team
Shadow and Bone alum Patrick Gibson plays the younger version of Dexter, while Molly Brown plays a young sassy Deb, a role originated by Jennifer Carpenter. The prequel series was helmed by Clyde Phillips, who was a showrunner on the original drama, and Hall was also involved as he narrated the show via Dexter's inner monologue. Phillips considers Hall's involvement crucial."It's important," Phillips told PEOPLE at the show's premiere in New York City on Wednesday, Dec. 11. "It's important to me creatively. It's important to me as his friend. And it's important because I know the impact it will have on the audience."
Recalling Hall's appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego in July, Phillips said that the fans' response to Hall's involvement really sealed the deal for him on the prequel. "We were sitting with Christian Slater, Molly Brown and Patrick Gibson and then Michael walked out with a box of doughnuts like from the OG show and the place went crazy."
Dexter: Original Sins premieres Friday, Dec. 13 on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Plan.