Christian Slater kept his cool when he finally met Dexter in real life – but there was something he just had to say.
Slater tells PEOPLE he was a “huge fan.” Dexter when it aired, so he stepped into the role of the younger version of the father of the titular murderer Harry Morgan in the new prequel series, Dexter: Original Sinsit was “pretty exciting.”
“I mean, being — seriously — a huge fan of the original series and getting the chance to be a part of this world was great,” says Slater, 55. “And to play great characters like this, it was a wonderful opportunity.”
Dexter: Original SinPatrick Gibson Says His Michael C. Hall Lookalike ‘Definitely Came Off’ On Set (Exclusive)
Given his love for the show, when the opportunity arose to tell Dexter himself how much of a fan he was, Slater couldn’t pass it up. “When I met Michael C. Hall at Comic-Con, I had to say, ‘Thank you for being so awesome,'” Slater says.
Christian Slater as Harry Morgan and Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan in ‘Dexter: Original Sin’.
Patrick Wymore/Paramount+ with Showtime
He made sure to give credit to James Remar, who also played Harry in the 2006 series, calling him “an actor I’ve always loved and respected” as he says of the original cast: “All these actors were so great.”
“I definitely felt that Harry was a very interesting character that you only get to see briefly [in Dexter]. So this was an opportunity to explore that character a little bit more and see the challenges he went through in his younger days, the mistakes he made and the traumas he endured,” says Slater. “And I think all of those kind things contributed to a lot of the decisions. and the choices he later makes with his son.”
Shadow and bone alum Patrick Gibson plays the younger version of Dexter, while Molly Brown plays the sassy young Deb, a role created by Jennifer Carpenter.
Sarah Michelle Gellar thinks she’s nailed her role in the Dexter Prequel as a ‘big fan’ of the original (exclusive)
The prequel series was helmed by Clyde Phillips, who was showrunner on the original drama, and Hall was also involved as he narrated the series through Dexter’s inner monologue. Phillips said it’s a “crucial” piece of the puzzle.
“It’s important,” Phillips told PEOPLE at the series’ New York premiere 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.”
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Reno Wilson, Christina Milian, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Clyde Phillips, Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown, Alex Shimizu and James Martinez attend Showtime’s New York premiere of “Dexter: Original Sin” at SVA Theatre.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Recalling Hall’s appearance at San Diego Comic-Con in July, Phillips said the fan reaction to Hall’s involvement really sealed the deal with him on the prequel. “We were sitting with Christian Slater, Molly Brown and Patrick Gibson and then Michael came out with a box of donuts like from the OG show and the place went crazy.”
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Dexter: Original Sins premiering Friday, December 13 on Paramount+ with the SHOWTIME schedule.
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Source: HIS Education