Christian Slater and Patrick Gibson star in the long-awaited prequel “Dexter: Original Sin.” The series takes place 15 years before audiences were introduced to Dexter, from the award-winning original series starring Michael C. Hall.
The new series, which will air on Paramount+, follows young Dexter, played by Gibson, as he evolves from college student to serial killer vigilante. Slater plays Dexter’s father Harry, a homicide detective who teaches his son an ethical code for killing.
In the series premiere, Dexter comes clean with his father.
“Harry, he’s a cop. He’s seen a lot of people get away with things they shouldn’t have gotten away with, so he’s trying to channel Dexter’s bloodlust in that direction. When you think about it, imagine how many more serial killers there would be in Miami if it weren’t for Dexter,” Slater said.
“See he’s already justifying it,” Gibson replied, laughing.
The duo said they worked together ahead of time to fill the roles of father and son.
“I found out how he likes to work. He found out how I like to work and basically we like to have fun,” Slater said.
Both Gibson and Slater credit the series’ writing with helping them channel their characters.
“It’s really fun to play a character who’s limited by the expectations that society has of him on a day-to-day basis, and then when you do those kill scenes, he’s finally able to be himself,” Gibson said. “So there’s an ugly, liberating quality to it, which is a strange thing to say when you’re a serial killer.”
For Slater, he said the prequel offers an opportunity to learn more about his character Harry and his love for his son.
“In the original show it was a character that would be seen, someone who was in Dexter’s mind,” he said. “Now you actually get to learn more about his past, what kind of motivation drives him and the traumas he’s been through, and I think his unconditional love for Dexter.”
“Dexter: Original Sin” premieres Friday, Dec. 13 on Paramount+ with Showtime.