How ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Stars Patrick Gibson and Molly Brown Are Putting Their Own Spin on Their Iconic Roles

Dexter: Original Sin stars Patrick Gibson and Molly Brown are introducing fans of the original serial killer drama to new aspects of Dexter and Debra Morgan.

Gibson, who plays everyone’s favorite vigilante killer in the Showtime prequel series, and Brown, who is taking on the role of Dexter’s adoptive sister, opened up to us in an exclusive interview ahead of the Dec. 13 premiere about using the original performances of Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter as a “jumping off point” for their own take on the characters.

“[Hall’s Dexter] was my jumping off point, [and I] definitely was watching as much as I could of what Michael did in the original,” Gibson explained. “I was a huge fan of his work on Dexter and outside of it.”

With Hall’s return as narrator for Dexter’s inner monologue, Gibson noted it was “kind of important for me to have that continuity between what he did in the original and what we did.” From there, he also made sure he was “bringing some of my own” to the role, “because I think that’s also what I loved about [Hall’s] performance … it was so idiosyncratic and very much brought his own personality into it.”

Brown was another fan of the original Dexter and considers Carpenter an “icon,” but she wanted to make sure her version of Deb wasn’t only an impression. “Mimicry is not art, and it would just be a shell of an imitation,” she told us. “So I think that we were really blessed by having the core of these characters still in the writing.”

Reading the scripts, Brown said “Deb flew off” the page, and while she could still hear Carpenter’s read of the lines, “I had to kind of leave that behind to hear myself say it too.”

The 15-year time gap between Dexter and Dexter: Original Sin adds to the complexity of becoming Dexter and Deb. “We are meeting a character that we know to be a seasoned and slick serial killer in a little more awkward phase of his life,” Gibson admitted. “He’s learning a lot more and making a lot more mistakes, and I think generally just messing up. As Molly put it, he’s just being a little freak.”

Brown agreed, “I think what excites me most about … the dynamic between Deb and Dexter and the original [show] — not only does he have the serial killing down, but he also knows how to at least fake being a good brother. In [Original Sin], boy, does he not.”

Dexter: Original Sin premieres Friday, Dec. 13 on Paramount+ with Showtime before debuting on-air via Showtime on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. ET.