Where The Actors Are Now

Tonight’s the night… that /Film catches up with the cast of “Dexter.” The hit Showtime thriller has been off the air for over a decade as of writing, and still it remains one of, if not the most popular series the network ever produced. Its enduring popularity and cultural relevance was always apparent, but it has become entirely indisputable by way of multiple successful spin-off series and sequels (in partnership with Paramount+) released in the past five years alone.

The most recent of these is “Dexter: Resurrection,” a direct sequel to the miniseries “Dexter: New Blood” that has miraculously rediscovered the show’s arresting balance of moral drama and absurd, dark comedy. In addition to cementing the franchise’s revival (with star Michael C. Hall and original showrunner Clyde Phillips leading the way), “Resurrection” surprisingly reacquainted us with several characters from the first series, including a few who had been strapped to Dexter’s table long ago. That grim stalk down memory lane inspired us to revisit the cast of “Dexter” ourselves to see what the cops and killers of Miami have been up to since the series finale.

Season to season, the quality of “Dexter” varied dramatically, often, if not always, off the strengths (or weaknesses) of its seasonal big bad. As such, Christian Camargo deserves credit for contributing heavily to the series’ auspicious start, playing the singularly haunting Brian Moser. Camargo returned to the series as a special guest star in seasons 2 and 6.

In 2007, the actor took on a more infamous, historical villain when he played John Wilkes Booth in “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” He subsequently had supporting roles in “The Hurt Locker,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” (Parts 1 and 2), and the Jason Momoa western “The Last Manhunt.” The pair had previously worked together on several seasons of the Apple TV sci-fi series “See.” 

In 2025, Camargo once more reprised his role as Brian Moser in an episode of the sequel series “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

Lila West — also known as Lila Tournay — was one of the most deviously manipulative characters on “Dexter.” The titular character’s toxically codependent and murderously enabling girlfriend was played by English actor Jaime Murray throughout season 2.

In addition to playing a supporting role in the main cast of the Syfy western series “Defiance” (alongside another “Dexter” alum we’ll discuss further down), Murray was cast as one of the best new TV villains of 2018 in Netflix’s “Castlevania” animated series. From the series’ 2nd season in 2018 through to its 4th and final season in 2021, she voiced the vampire queen Lady Carmilla. Murray also notably recurred on the ABC Disney-adjacent fantasy series “Once Upon a Time” as Fiona, the Black Fairy, and on Fox’s “Batman”-less “Gotham” as Nyssa Al Ghul (above right).

Miguel Prado represented a deceptively sharp career pivot for Jimmy Smits. The actor went directly from playing altruistic politicians on “The West Wing” and in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy to earning an Emmy nomination for his chilling portrayal of a district attorney so vicious he develops a literal lust for blood. Like Christian Camargo, Smits reprised his role in the 1st season of “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

Smits has appeared prominently in countless popular films and television shows since the end of his “Dexter” arc, even returning to the “Star Wars” universe as Bail Organa multiple times (though he was notably recast in the 2nd season of “Andor”). On TV, he played Nero Padilla in “Sons of Anarchy” from 2012 to 2014. He was most recently part of the main cast of the short-lived CBS police procedural “East New York,” which incidentally also cast “Dexter” alums C. S. Lee and Luna Lauren Vélez as recurring guest stars.

On season 5 of “Dexter,” Jonny Lee Miller played psychopathic self-help guru Jordan Chase so despicably that it felt impossible to imagine him as anyone other than a villain. It’s a testament to his talent that Miller shortly thereafter became one of the best Sherlock Holmes actors of all time.

From 2012 to its natural conclusion in 2019, Miller played a modern reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective on the CBS procedural “Elementary.” The series ran almost parallel to the BBC’s own modern adaptation “Sherlock,” which launched the career of Benedict Cumberbatch. Ironically, Miller and Cumberbatch would go on to star opposite each other in a filmed stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” in 2011, with both men alternately playing both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. In the 2020s, Miller has had memorable roles in season 5 of “The Crown” (as British politician John Major) and in the Guy Ritchie war drama “The Covenant” (above right).

Edward James Olmos had a unique role on “Dexter” during its disappointing 6th season, playing a murderous hallucination of college professor James Gellar. Having made a name for himself through beloved genre projects and serious dramas alike, Olmos continues to enjoy a varied acting career.

After recurring on Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (and being cut out of “The Predator”), Olmos reprised his role as Gaff in “Blade Runner 2049.” He voiced the gruff guitarist Chicharrón in Pixar’s “Coco.” His primary project from the past decade has been the “Sons of Anarchy” spin-off series “Mayans M.C.,” playing former corrupt Mexican police officer Felipe Reyes (above right). He was part of the show’s main cast until its finale in 2023.

Despite his father’s noted aversion to playing bad guys, Colin Hanks made quite an impact as the deranged religious fanatic and serial killer Travis Marshall. The Doomsday Killer terrorized Miami with elaborate and grotesque murder-tableaus, believing himself to be carrying out righteous work with the help of his “professor” (the hallucination played by Edward James Olmos).

Hanks’ true breakout role came in 2014, when he was cast as soft-spoken police officer Gus Grimly in the 1st season of FX’s “Fargo” anthology series. His work earned him an Emmy nomination. He was subsequently cast to star in the sitcom “Life in Pieces,” which ran from 2015 to 2019 on CBS.

More recently, Hanks has appeared in a wide range of projects, including the rebooted “Jumanji” series, “Impeachment: American Crime Story,” the Paramount+ biographical “Godfather” series “The Offer” (above right) and the 2025 historical thriller “Nuremberg.” The same year, Hanks teamed up with Ryan Reynolds for a documentary about the late actor John Candy.

Ray Stevenson helped revive “Dexter” after its deadly 6th season, playing the psychologically complex crime boss Isaak Sirko. Prior to joining the series’ cast, the actor had made his Marvel Studios debut in “Thor” as the Asgardian hero Volstagg — he reprised the role in the 2013 and 2017 sequels “Thor: The Dark World” and “Thor: Ragnarok.”

Swords and sci-fi dominated the last years of Stevenson’s career. On film, he played Firefly in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and the morally corrupt politician Marcus Eaton in the “Divergent” series. On television, he played the legendary pirate Blackbeard on the Starz historical drama “Black Sails,” as well as the real Viking explorer Ohthere of Hålogaland on the History Channel’s “Vikings.” In 2022, he played the villainous Scott Buxton in the groundbreaking historical epic “RRR.”

Stevenson died in 2023 at the age of 58. His final project was the “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” in which he played the disillusioned Jedi Baylan Skoll (above right).

After the murders of Lila and Rita (and some awkward romantic dynamics with his step-sister Deb), Dexter found something akin to love in the arms of Hannah McKay, a serial poisoner played by “Chuck” actor Yvonne Strahovski. She starred in the series’ final two seasons (and though she didn’t appear on-screen in “Dexter: New Blood,” the sequel series wrapped up her storyline once and for all).

Strahovski has had several major television roles since the series’ finale, including in “24: Live Another Day,” “The Astronaut Wives Club,” and the Peacock horror series “Teacup.” She also appeared in the films “The Predator,” “I, Frankenstein,” and “The Tomorrow War.” Until its end in 2025, Strahovski had a major role on the critically acclaimed Hulu dystopian drama “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She earned two Emmy nominations for her performance as Serena Joy Waterford (above right), the complicated wife of series antagonist Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes).

Darri Ingólfsson had an unnecessarily difficult task when he joined the cast of “Dexter” in season 8. Playing the aspiring apex serial killer Oliver Saxon, the Icelandic actor was forced to navigate a convoluted and dramatically thin storyline that left his character frustratingly uninspiring, despite Ingólfsson’s terrifying performance.

Unsurprisingly, his next role was as accused murderer Malcolm Miller on the psychological courtroom thriller “Sequestered.” In addition to guest-starring on popular shows like “The Orville,” “The Rookie,” “Station 19,” and “NCIS,” Ingólfsson has recurred on “The Originals,” “Mrs. Davis,” and “National Treasure: Edge of History” (above right).

Academy Award-winning musician and beloved actor Keith Carradine was a perfect addition to “Dexter” for its 2nd season, playing Frank Lundy, the razor-sharp FBI agent hunting down the Bay Harbor Butcher. Carradine returned to the series as a recurring guest star for season 4.

After minor roles on “Dollhouse,” “Damages,” and “The Big Bang Theory” (as Wyatt, the father of Kaley Cuoco’s Penny), the actor joined Colin Hanks in the 1st season of “Fargo” as retired police officer Lou Solverson. Lou remains one of the best characters in the series overall, having returned in the 2nd season (albeit much younger, and played by Patrick Wilson). Around the same time he appeared on “Fargo,” Carradine joined the cast of the CBS political drama “Madam Secretary” during its 2nd season as President Conrad Dalton. More recently, he’s appeared in the Oscar-winning “The Power of the Dog” and later seasons of “Fear the Walking Dead” (above right).

Given how memorable (and, apparently, memable) it was, it’s no surprise that Sergeant James Doakes remains the defining role of Erik King’s career. The actor was part of the series’ main cast from the beginning, but he was written off at the end of the 2nd season in spectacular fashion after a thrilling storyline that saw him become Dexter’s most dangerous adversary yet. He returned for the season 7 episode “Surprise, Motherf**ker!”

After guest-starring on “Growing Up Fisher” and “South of Hell,” King landed a string of recurring roles on the Cinemax crime thriller “Banshee,” the ABC soap “Mistresses,” and the TBS sitcom “The Detour.” In 2018, he had a minor role in Brady Corbet’s “Vox Lux.” In addition to recurring roles on “The Oath” and “The Good Fight,” King recently reprised his role as James Doakes in an episode of “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

Introduced as the unlikely girlfriend of Dexter Morgan in the series’ 1st season, Julie Benz’s Rita Bennett quickly became the show’s emotional anchor. When she suddenly exited the series at the end of season 4, it was a pivotal moment for both the plot and tone of “Dexter.”

Benz immediately joined the cast of “No Ordinary Family,” a superhero crime drama that also starred Michael Chiklis. Two years after it was cancelled, she was cast — alongside Jaime Murray — on Syfy’s “Defiance,” which ran until 2015. In 2017, she was part of the main cast of the short-lived television adaptation of “Training Day” on CBS.

Over the past decade, the actor has recurred on several popular series, including “Hawaii Five-0,” “Love, Victor,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” and “9-1-1: Lone Star” (above right). She’s slated to appear in the upcoming horror comedy “Horrified,” written and directed by Michael Zara (“Letters to Satan Claus”).

After playing the grossly reprehensible — yet strangely lovable — forensic specialist Vince Masuka, actor C. S. Lee managed to break away from this kind of character almost completely. Just two years after the finale, he recurred on the 2nd season of “True Detective” as State Attorney General Richard Geldof. He was subsequently cast in several hit series in a recurring capacity, including “Power,” “Chicago Med,” “For All Mankind,” and the aforementioned “East New York.”

Lee has also landed two memorable supporting roles in high-profile franchises. In 2024, he joined the cast of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” bringing to life the classic “Karate Kid” character Master Kim Sun-Yang (the storied godfather of the titular, brutal dojo). That same year, he appeared in the streamer’s live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” as Avatar Roku, a spiritual mentor who plays a significant role in the animated series. In 2025, he guest-starred on an episode of “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

Desmond Harrington was a relatively late addition to the core cast of “Dexter.” He joined in season 3 as Joey Quinn, a homicide detective who was essentially a replacement for Erik King’s James Doakes (he even had a brief arc where he suspected Dexter of being a killer) and stayed with Miami Metro through the series finale. During his time on the series, Harrington also recurred intermittently on “Gossip Girl” as Jack Bass.

In 2015, the actor landed a recurring role on the “Limitless” sequel series (which also starred Jennifer Carpenter) and a main role on the ABC historical drama “The Astronaut Wives Club” (which also starred Yvonne Strahovski). After the latter series was cancelled, he went on to recur on the television adaptation of “Shooter,” “Sneaky Pete,” “Elementary” (switching roles with Jonny Lee Miller by playing serial killer Michael Rowan in season 6) and “Manhunt.” Harrington guest-starred on two episodes of “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

As Maria LaGuerta, Luna Lauren Vélez had one of the most striking character arcs on “Dexter.” Having been introduced as a self-serving politician easily blinded by Dexter’s good looks, she was ultimately written off the series after becoming one of the only characters to discover his true nature.

“Dexter” fans might’ve experienced a little bit of thwhiplash when they first heard Vélez’s voice in the groundbreaking animated superhero film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” In the 2018 film and its sequels, she voiced Rio Morales, the mother of Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales (above right). Vélez has also appeared in the films “The First Purge,” 2019’s “Shaft,” and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”

On television, she’s recurred on “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Power Book II: Ghost,” and “East New York.” In 2024, she joined the cast of the drama “America Rust” for its 2nd and final season.

Apart from the Butcher himself, David Zayas’ Angel Batista has strangely become the most important enduring character in the “Dexter” franchise. After spending all eight seasons of the series with the main ensemble, he was the only Miami Metro police officer brought back as a recurring special guest star in “Dexter: New Blood.” When the franchise was revived in earnest with the ongoing series “Dexter: Resurrection,” Zayas returned as a main cast member for the 1st season (above right).

In between the many deaths of Dexter Morgan, Zayas kept busy. He recurred on “The Blacklist” (as Manny Soto), “Gotham” (Sal Maroni), “Bloodline,” “Blue Bloods,” “FBI,” and was one of the many semi-surprise cameos on the 3rd season of “The Bear.”

Throughout the series, Dexter’s warped conscience was embodied by the vividly hallucinated spirit of his father Harry, played by James Remar. Though he did not continue to haunt his son in “Dexter: New Blood,” he returned in full force as part of the main cast of “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right).

Outside of the “Dexter” franchise, Remar’s most notable recent role was in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning historical epic “Oppenheimer.” As Secretary of War Harry Stimson, the actor actually inspired and delivered one of the most stomach-turning moments in the entire film. Remar has also had roles in the films “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” “The Blackcoat’s Daughter,” “Megalopolis,” and “Transformers One.”

On television, his post-“Dexter” career has been just as vibrant. Notable roles include Southern Water Tribe Chief Tonraq on “The Legend of Korra,” superhero costume-smith Peter Gambi in “Black Lightning,” and General Francis Shaw on HBO’s “IT: Welcome to Derry.”

Debra Morgan was either one of the best or worst-written characters on the series, depending on the season. What remained consistent throughout was Jennifer Carpenter’s remarkably rangey performance, the actor effortlessly navigating demanding comedic and dramatic material in almost every episode. Thankfully, both Deb and Carpenter got a more satisfying final outing in “Dexter: New Blood,” in which the actor stars opposite Michael C. Hall as the new embodiment of his conscience (above right).

As mentioned earlier, Carpenter starred opposite Jake McDorman as an FBI agent in the TV series “Limitless” (spun-off from the 2011 Bradley Cooper film of the same name). The series was cancelled after one season, as was “The Enemy Within,” the NBC series she starred in shortly afterward.

Carpenter has lent her voice to the film “Batman: Gotham by Gaslight” (as Selina Kyle), the “Mortal Kombat Legends” duology (Sonya Blade), and the video game “The Evil Within.” In 2025, she was cast as U.S. Marshal Mamie Fossett in the 2nd and final season of the “Yellowstone” spin-off series “1923.”

Cast just years after his Emmy-nominated leading role on “Six Feet Under,” Michael C. Hall racked up six more nominations (and scores more bodies) as the star and future executive producer of “Dexter.” It quickly became the defining project of Hall’s career, and continues to grow as such through the sequel series “Dexter: New Blood” and “Dexter: Resurrection” (above right), both of which return Hall to the forefront of the series for the foreseeable future. In 2024, Hall produced and provided narration for the prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin,” which was cancelled after one season.

Before he brought “Dexter” back to life, Hall took on a broad swath of smaller but interesting roles. These included the strange DC animated film “Justice League: Gods and Monsters” (in which he voiced vampiric Batman Kirk Langstrom), “The Crown” (President John F. Kennedy), “Game Night,” “Documentary Now!” (dusting off his bowling shoes for “Any Given Saturday Afternoon”), and the Harlan Coben Netflix miniseries “Safe.”

“Dexter: Resurrection” (which Hall also produces) has become the franchise’s best-reviewed project since the early seasons of the series. Production is currently underway on a 2nd season.