Q & A WITH DEXTER STAR MICHAEL C. HALL

 

1) Where do we find Deb and Dexter to be in Season 8?          

 

MICHAEL C. HALL – Deb and Dexter are estranged from one another at the beginning of the season.  Deb won’t talk to Dexter.  She’s avoiding him.  So Dexter tells himself that things are good, his problems have been solved.  On some level they have, but on another level, a lot of unresolved issues still come into play.  And the subterranean stuff is starting to bubble up as the eighth season begins.

 

2)  Do you think that Deb feels she shot the wrong person?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - She says as much to Dexter in the first episode.  Deb is really struggling.  She’s working as a private investigator and has left the police department.  She is using the new job to plot, going deep undercover.  Deb’s hanging out with a pretty shady character, doing drugs to convince him of her authenticity and to self‑medicate.  She is in the midst of an ongoing post‑traumatic stress episode.  And it’s a real mess.

 

3) How does Dexter deal with Debra’s tailspin? Does he understand how she feels?  Can he even understand that type of guilt?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - I think he certainly feels a sense of responsibility for what’s happened to Deb. He starts a relationship with Dr. Vogel, who encourages him to believe that he doesn’t really feel these things in an authentic way; Dexter just has the idea that he is feeling.  Dexter resists her analysis and wants to believe that his feelings for his sister are real. I think there is some ambiguity in terms of the nature of his feelings.  Are they self‑serving or selfless?  But there is no doubt that Dexter has an undeniable connection to Deb’s welfare.  Whether that’s because of how it reflects on him or is an indication of a selfless concern for her is up for debate.

 

4) Can you talk about who Dr. Vogel is, and why it was important to bring her into the story at this point?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - I think one aspect of Dexter’s character that’s never been explored is his relationship to any kind of maternal energy.  And Dr. Vogel presents herself to him as his spiritual mother, someone who— unbeknownst to Dexter—fashioned the code with Harry.  From a storytelling standpoint, I think it’s interesting to bring Dr. Vogel into Dexter’s orbit now because she tries to sell him on this notion that his “indulgence” in being a human being is off base, beside the point of who he authentically is as a psychopath.  And she makes a legitimate   argument.  I don’t think Dexter would be able to deny that it’s his appetite for humanity that’s really gotten -- not just him but other people in his world—into trouble.  It’s not simply the fact that he kills bad guys.

 

5)  You directed Episode 802.  Can you tell us why that particular episode?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - I didn’t want to do the season premiere; it was just too much to take on.  I also wanted to be able to prep the episode.  The production team was kind enough to schedule prep for both the second and then the first episode before we started shooting.  So the fact that it was the second episode of the season was, as much as anything, for logistical reasons.  But it’s an episode that deals extensively with the new relationship between Dr. Vogel and Dexter.  It was a lot of fun.  It was challenging.  At times, both playing the part and directing twisted my head in knots a little bit.  But, but for the most part, I really enjoyed it.

 

6)  Was there a particular scene that you really loved or was really challenging?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - There are three pretty significant lengthy scenes between Dexter and  Dr. Vogel (this new character who we have yet to meet) in a new space that we have never visited.  So those were challenging.  It was like doing a one‑act play when we shot that. I really cherished just being a director and directing scenes that I wasn’t in with my cast mates -- putting on that hat and working with them in that way.  That was probably the most pure fun of it.

 

7) When Dexter premiered seven years ago, did you have any idea that it would be this enormous?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - No.  I thought that we may well have been onto something and that the show would find an audience.  But I didn’t imagine that we’d be doing it this far down the road and that so many people would have gotten on the Dexter train.  It’s been a really long and pleasant surprise.

 

8)  Can you go back to shooting the pilot?  Tell us a little bit about the experience and the first time you read the script and when you knew it was for you.

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - I got the script after taking a vacation right on the heels of wrapping up Six Feet Under.  Initially, I was hesitant because I didn’t think I wanted to commit to another television series.  I knew that if it was successful, I’d be getting into a long commitment.  I read the book, took a couple of weeks to think about it and ultimately decided that it was a character unlike any I had ever seen and unlike any I was going to get a chance to play anywhere else.  So I jumped at it.  We shot the pilot in Miami over 13 days -- which sounds really luxurious in hindsight (considering that one episode takes 8 days to shoot now).  But we shot the entire pilot on location in Miami, which was really great.  And I think we all still draw on the experience of having been there, because that is the world of the show.  Although it was a tough sell on paper and in describing the show to other people, I felt like it could work if we managed to find the right tone.  When I would tell people I was playing a serial killer in a new series, they would just shake their heads and say, ‘Well, good luck with that.’  But it worked out.

 

9) As far as the evolution of Dexter, why is this year—this final season—the right time to end the show?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL - Well, I think we have spent a good amount of storytelling capital over the seven seasons.  I think the possibility of someone in Dexter’s world discovering who he is, has always been out there.  And now that Deb knows who he is, the world that Dexter has made for himself, the world in which he lives,  is inevitably going to be implicated and start to fold in on itself.  And it just feels more difficult to keep Dexter thriving or surviving within this context, beyond an eighth season.

 

10) What has been the best part of being part of this experience?

 

MICHAEL C. HALL-  Being charged with setting a tone -- a tone in terms of work ethic and a sustained commitment to the creation of the show -- has been the best part of this experience. As a cast and crew, I think everybody feels a real sense of ownership here and that’s something I am genuinely proud of. 

 

 

DEXTER

Season 8

Synopses

 

"A Beautiful Day

Episode 801

Written by Scott Buck, Directed by Keith Gordon

 

It’s been 6 months since LaGuerta’s murder – and Dexter is still managing life as a dad, brother, and serial killer. Debra now works as a PI for a private firm and Batista has replaced her as Lieutenant. Meanwhile, Miami Metro investigates the murder of a man who has had pieces of his brain removed.

 

"Every Silver Lining…”

Episode 802

Written by Manny Coto, Directed by Michael C. Hall.

 

Miami Metro continues their hunt for the Brain Surgeon, while Dr. Vogel enlists Dexter to do her bidding based on her own personal experience with her previous patients. Debra continues to track down her PI case and has to take matters into her own hands.

 

“What’s Eating Dexter Morgan?”

Episode 803

Written by Lauren Gussis, Directed by Ernest Dickerson.

 

Dexter continues his manhunt for the Brain Surgeon. Dr. Vogel tries to prove to Dexter that he’s perfect as a psychopath. Debra’s PTSD kicks in and she makes a desperate plea to confess to LaGuerta’s murder.

 

“Scar Tissue”

Episode 804

Written by Tim Schlattmann, Directed by Stefan Schwartz.

Dexter tracks down another potential serial killer from Dr. Vogel’s list. Quinn celebrates his passing of the Sergeant’s exam by defending Debra’s honor in a fight. Dr. Vogel begins treating Debra for her PTSD.

 

 

 

DEXTER SEASON 8 BIO’S:

MICHAEL C. HALL

Moving effortlessly from an uptight funeral director on “Six Feet Under,” to a serial killer on “Dexter,” to Beat Generation figure David Kammerer in KILL YOUR DARLINGS, Michael C. Hall continues to illuminate the humanity and intelligence in transformative, complex characters.

A formally trained stage actor, Hall made an indelible impression as younger brother David Fisher on HBO’s groundbreaking series “Six Feet Under.” During the series’ five year run, Hall received nominations for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and the AFI Male Television Actor of the Year Award. In addition, Hall and the “Six Feet Under” cast received 2003 and 2004 SAG Awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, for which they were also nominated in 2002, 2005 and 2006.

 

Based on Jeff Lindsay’s cult novel, “Dexter” explores the mind of a sociopathic killer who targets criminals who have essayed more conventional methods of punishment. For his performance as the title character, Hall (who serves as an executive producer on the series) won Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in 2010 and the 2007 Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama. He also received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations, five additional SAG Award nominations and four additional Golden Globe nominations. For seasons three through six, the “Dexter” acting ensemble garnered SAG Award nominations. 

 

Hall recently made his directorial debut with “Every Silver Lining,” the second episode of the new season.  The eighth and final season of "Dexter" premieres Sunday, June 30 on Showtime.    

 

Hall will continue to work with the network to develop and executive produce “American Dream Machine,” an series adaptation of Matthew Specktor’s acclaimed novel about a talent agent and his troubled sons – two generations of Hollywood royalty.  “Dexter” showrunner Scott Buck will supervise the pilot script, which Specktor is writing.

 

Last year, Hall starred opposite Maura Tierney in "Ruth & Erica" a series written and directed by Amy Lippman ("Party of Five") exclusively for WIGS, the #1 scripted channel for drama on YouTube.  He also appeared in the 2011 College Humor short “Porn Rental,” written by and co-starring Ben Schwartz.

 

A few weeks after the series finale of “Dexter” airs (Sunday, September 22), Hall will appear on the big screen as David Kammerer, the former professor obsessed with and later murdered by Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) in John Krokidas’s KILL YOUR DARLINGS.  Following a warm reception from both critics and audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, Sony Pictures Classics purchased the Beat Generation drama that also stars Daniel Radcliffe as Alan Ginsberg, Ben Foster as William Burroughs and Jack Huston as Jack Kerouac.

 

Next month, Hall begins shooting COLD IN JULY, a feature adaptation of the Joe Lansdale cult novel that will be directed by Jim Mickle, whose WE ARE WHAT WE ARE recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Hall plays protagonist Richard Dane, who shoots and kills an armed burglar in his living room. It’s a clear-cut case of self defense to everyone but the burglar’s father, who vows Old Testament-style eye-for-an-eye justice. The cops, the feds, and the Dixie mafia all play a part in the ensuing mayhem. The picture was introduced at Cannes by Paris-based Backup Media and Memento Films International, which are financing.

 

Hall's film credits also include GAMER, John Woo's PAYCHECK and the independent features BEREFT, PEEP WORLD and THE TROUBLE WITH BLISS.

 

A North Carolina native and graduate of New York University’s Master of Fine Arts program in acting, Hall has appeared in nearly a dozen major stage productions. He made his Broadway debut as the emcee in “Cabaret,” directed by Sam Mendes and also portrayed Billy Flynn in “Chicago.” Off-Broadway, Hall starred opposite Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett in “Macbeth,” directed by George C. Wolfe and “Cymbeline” with Liev Schreiber for the New York Shakespeare Festival, “Timon of Athens” and “Henry V” at the Public Theater, “The English Teachers” for Manhattan Class Company, the Manhattan Theater Club’s production of “Corpus Christi,” directed by Joe Mantello and opposite Brian Cox in “Skylight” at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

 

###

 

JENNIFER CARPENTER – “Debra Morgan”

A striking beauty with undeniable talent, Jennifer Carpenter is on the rise to become one of Hollywood's hottest stars. Carpenter can currently be seen in Showtime's highly successful, critically acclaimed series, DEXTER, which has received Emmy®, SAG, Golden Globe and People's Choice Award nominations, as Dexter's ambitious sister, “Debra Morgan.” Season eight premieres in June 2013.

 

On the big-screen, Carpenter is currently in production on THE OCCULT, directed by Christian E. Christansen. The horror-thriller takes place in the small village of New Bethlehem, a devout community kept under the tight reins of the town's vigilant Elders. When young girls start to go missing, older followers fear a long-told prophecy while the younger members suspect abusive elders are killing them off. She was also recently cast in Caliber Media Co’s horror Western BONE TOMAHAWK.

 

She was recently seen in Hietor Dhalia's thriller GONE, starring opposite Amanda Seyfried, Wes Bentley, and Sebastian Stan. The film follows a woman who is convinced the serial killer who kidnapped her sister two years ago has returned, and she sets out to once again face her abductor.

 

Carpenter recently completed production on the psychological thriller THE FACTORY as the female lead opposite John Cusack in the Warner Bros and Dark Castle Entertainment fim. Directed by Morgan O'Neil and produced by Joel Silver, David Gambino and Robert Zemeckis, the film centers on an obsessed cop (Cusack), whose teenage daughter goes missing while he and his partner Kelsey (Carpenter) are on the trail of a serial killer prowling the streets of Buffalo, NY.

 

Her most recent appearance on stage was starring on Broadway in Scott Ellis' GRUSOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, opposite Pablo Schreiber. The performance earned Carpenter positive reviews for her lead role as “Kayleen.” The play centers around two childhood friends who compare scars and the physical calamities that keep drawing them together.

 

Notable theatre performances include the Broadway production of THE CRUCIBLE opposite Laura Linney and Liam Neeson. Other theater credits include EVERETT BEEKIN (Off-Broadway), ORPHAN OF ZHAO (Lincoln Center), TRUDY BLUE, JULIE JOHNSON, JEKYLL & HYDE, SHERLOCK HOLMES (all for Actors Theater) and LUCY AND THE CONQUEST (O'Niell Playwrights Conf).

 

Carpenter's breakout role was in the sleeper hit film, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. She earned rave reviews for her chilling performance, receiving the 2006 MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened Performance along with a Hollywood Life Breakthrough Award. Carpenter also starred in the successful horror film remake QUARANTINE for Sony. The film was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for "Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller." She was also seen in Stuart Townsend's BATTLE IN SEATTLE for Thinkfilm which premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival.

 

Carpenters additional film credits include HUNGRY RABBIT JUMPS, DOG PROBLEM, LETHAL EVICTION, WHITE CHICKS, D.E.B.S., SOLOS, REVOLUTION and NICE GUYS SLEEP ALONE as well as QUEEN B for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

 

A native of Kentucky, Jennifer trained at Julliard. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

###

 

DESMOND HARRINGTON – “Joey Quinn”

 

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Desmond Harrington grew up in the Bronx, NY.  Desmond attended catholic schools for twelve years.  The pinnacle of his academic career occurred his senior year of high school, when a play that he had written was chosen by the theatre department to be performed.

 

After finishing high school, Desmond spent six weeks in college before realizing that he needed some time off from academia.  A student of cinema since his early childhood, Desmond spent his days watching films over and over until he could recite every line.  Desmond’s dream was to become an actor, and in order to finance his ambition, he found work in construction.  He began working as a landscaper and laborer for a construction company and worked as a bartender at night so he could pay for acting classes in Manhattan with John Strassberg.

 

His hard work paid off as 2009 has proven Desmond a star. First, he landed a recurring role on the popular CW show, Gossip Girl, alongside Blake Livey, Chase Crawford and Leighton Meester. Following, Desmond became a series regular on Showtime’s Dexter, where he plays the mysterious Detective Joseph Quinn. In between, Desmond also shot the dramatic film, Life is Hot in Cracktown, alongside Kerry Washington and directed by Buddy Giovinazzo.

 

On one of his first auditions, Desmond booked Joan Of Arc starring Mila Jovovich, John Malkovich and Dustin Hoffman and directed by Luc Besson. He then went on to star with James LeGros and Amber Valetta in Stacy Cochran’s Drop Back Ten, which was in competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

 

Audiences saw him co-star in Christine Lahti’s feature film directiorial debut, My First Mister, opposite Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski, which Paramount Classics premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001.  He was also seen co-starring in Riding In Cars with Boys opposite Drew Barrymore and Brittany Murphy for director Penny Marshall that Sony pictures released in 2001.  In 2002 Desmond completed a starring role in the Joel Silver produced horror movie, Ghost Ship, which was released by Warner Bros.

 

It has been a busy couple years for Desmond, as Love Object for Content Films premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, Wrong Turn, which he starred in opposite Jeremy Sisto and Eliza Dushku for director Rob Schmidt was released by FOX/New Regency and Three Way Split was released by Columbia Tri-Star. Desmond was also seen in Taken, the Emmy-winning Dreamworks mini-series produced by Steven Spielberg and as a series regular on LA Dragnet with Ed O’Neil on ABC.

 

###

 

C.S. LEE – “Vince Masuka”

 

Born in South Korea C.S. LEE received his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and his MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where he was awarded the Carol Dye Acting Award.  He landed in New York acting on the stage, working with artists including David Karl Lee, Mac Wellman, Sung Rno, Mia Katigbak, and David Hertskovits as well as regional theaters. T.V. Credits include UNFORGETTABLE, CHUCK, MONK, THE UNIT, LAW & ORDER, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, SPIN CITY, and THE SOPRANOS. Film credits include RANDOM HEARTS, THE STEPFORD WIVES, TENDERNESS, THE UNBORN, and the upcoming RED ROBIN, MENTRYVILLE, & INNOCENT BLOOD.

 

###

 

DAVID ZAYAS – “Angel Batista”

 

David Zayas can currently be seen starring as “Angel Batista” on Dexter, the hit Showtime drama and 2011 Golden Globes nominee for Best Television Series – Drama.  A former New York City police officer, Zayas began his acting career when he joined the Labyrinth Theater Company.  Since then, Zayas has starred in more than 30 plays, including Jesus Hopped The A Train, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings and Our Lady Of 121st St.  While performing in New York plays, he began to book roles on hit TV shows such as New York Undercover, Law & Order and NYPD Blue, all while working for the New York Police Department.  Zayas' success earned him a leading role on UPN's crime drama The Beat.  Soon after, Tom Fontana (writer of The Beat) created the character of “Enrique Morales,” the fierce leader of the Latino prisoners on HBO's Oz, especially for Zayas.

 

His feature film credits include Bringing Out the Dead, The Yards, Undefeated, Wit, Angel and The Interpreter.  He also recently starred in the feature film Michael Clayton opposite George Clooney, and The Savages with Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Zayas was also seen in Sixteen Blocks opposite Bruce Willis, and in the ABC mini-series The Path To 9/11.  Zayas has also starred on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics.

 

Zayas was most recently seen on the big screen, starring in the sci-fi thriller Skyline.  He also recently starred in The Expendables, portraying the villainous "General Garza" alongside Hollywood heavy hitters, including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mickey Rourke.   He will next be seen in 13, where he'll star alongside Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, and 50 Cent.

 

###

 

JAMES REMAR – “Harry Morgan”

 

Sexy, charismatic, handsome...these are words used to describe James Remar (as Richard Wright in Sex and the City)...Mysterious, intelligent, forceful...words also used to describe James Remar (What Lies Beneath-Robert Zemeckis-Dir.).  When audiences and critics use such diverse words to describe one man’s work you know they are talking about an actor who completely transforms himself into whatever character he is called upon to play.  Powerful screen presence has always been the hallmark of James' career, a career of amazing versatility and longevity in which he has had critical and box office hits throughout the course of his remarkable entertainment adventure.

 

James is currently working on the eighth and final season of Showtime’s critically acclaimed series Dexter. He plays the compassionate but tough ex-cop adoptive Father and moral compass to Dexter (Michael C. Hall). 

 

James will soon be seen on the supernatural fantasy thriller adaptation of Joe Hill’s HORNS; he will play alongside Daniel Radcliffe as Derrick Perrish, father to Ig Perrish (Radcliffe).

 

James was recently seen in Quentin Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED. Django (Fox) teams with a German bounty hunter (Waltz) to find his wife. James was cast as“Ace Speck” one Django’s slave masters and “Butch Putch”, the bodyguard to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character. Quentin loved what he was doing with the original role and wrote a dual role for him in the film.

 

James was recently cast in the new NBC pilot ‘The Hatfields and McCoys’ for producer Charlize Theron. He will play the sexy role of Joe Hatfield, the wealthy, finely dressed, powerful owner of the largest development firm in the city. He will also be seen on the limited series The Saint for Simon West opposite Eliza Dushku and Thomas Kretschmann.

 

Whether he is playing a streetwise gang kid (Ajax, The Warriors, 1979-Dir.-Walter Hill), or a billionaire playboy (Richard Wright, Sex and the City 2001-2003) James' impact on the character he is playing is so complete that these characters have become memorable icons of American movie history.

 

Remar's early training with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse and later with Stella Adler helped give him a tremendous dedication to authenticity in his work. This dedication led to James playing parts so truthfully that while the characters (Ganz, 48 Hours-Dir.-Walter Hill) are extremely vivid...James Remar himself remains something of a mystery.  Having played a gay Nazi hustler opposite Richard Gere in Bent on Broadway, a hard, yet sympathetic narcotics detective opposite Matt Dillon in Gus Van Sant's independent classic Drugstore Cowboy, all the way to the tough customs agent in Jon Singleton's smash hit 2Fast 2Furious it's hard to believe they are the same guy!

 

James' physical presence and dedication to a truthful performance has given him the pleasure of appearing in over 50 feature films, numerous television projects (both episodic and long form) and the New York stage. He has played historical figures, Gen. Omar Bradley opposite Tom Selleck (2004) in Ike: Countdown to D-Day and Dutch Schultz in The Cotton Club-Dir.-Francis Coppola (1983).  Whether fictional or historical James brings a wonderful watchability to whatever he does.

 

James’ work has been honored with an Academy Award as the star of the 1991 Best Live Action short subject Session Man, and a SAG award for best ensemble comedy cast Sex and the City 2001

 

James also appeared in the hit films, The Unborn, as the father to Odette Yustman’s character in the supernatural hit, directed by David S. Goyer and the Judd Apatow Production Pineapple Express with David Gordon Green (Snow Angels) directing and starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. 

 

James was seen in Matthew Vaughn’s X-MEN: FIRST CLASS for 20th Century Fox. James plays a U.S. General in the movie dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis.  James was also seen in SETUP opposite Bruce Willis and Ryan Phillipe.

 

James was recently honored at the 38th Annual Saturn Awards with the Life Career Award.

 

###

 

YVONNE STRAHOVSKI – “Hannah McKay”

 

Australian actress YVONNE STRAHOVSKI is best known for starring on NBC action-comedy Chuck as ‘Sarah Walker,’ the CIA’s top agent, from executive producers Josh Schwartz and McG.  Chuck concluded its fifth and final season with a two-hour series finale episode on January 27, 2012.

 

Most recently, STRAHOVSKI appeared in The Guilt Trip (Paramount) and was the premiere seasonal guest-star in season 7 of the award-winning serial-killer drama, Dexter (Showtime). As Hannah McKay, a strong, independent woman with a mysterious past, STRAHOVSKI received critical acclaim for the role, and helped lead the series to its highest-rated season to date.

 

In December 2012, STRAHOVSKI made her Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center production of Golden Boy. The Daily News raved: “Strahovski makes it impossible to take your eyes off her. In an impressive Broadway debut, she’s sexy, vulnerable and completely convincing as a tough cookie with a crumbled past.”

 

Up next, STRAHOVSKI will co-star opposite Aaron Eckhart in the sci-fi thriller, I, Frankenstein, a modern take on the classic Mary Shelley novel. The film will be released by Lionsgate/Lakeshore on September 12, 2013.

 

Past film credits include Killer Elite (Open Road) opposite Robert DeNiro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in 2011; I Love You Too and Love & Mortar.

 

In 2010, STRAHOVSKI was the voice and face of ‘Miranda’ in the best-selling action/fantasy video game Mass Effect 2, published by Electronic Arts. She also voiced the female lead in Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers.

 

Born and raised in Sydney, STRAHOVSKI studied theater at the renowned Theatre Nepean, the prestigious actor training institution within the School of the Contemporary Arts at the University of Western Sydney.  After graduating in 2003, Strahovski began a successful run on Australian television with roles on Channel 7’s Headland, in the made-for-television film Blackjack-Dead Memory and on the Channel 9 series, Sea Patrol.

 

STRAHOVSKI also has a passionate interest in the theater, where she did most of her early, intensive training. Prior to her move to Los Angeles in early 2007, she co-founded a Theatre Company in Sydney called Sauna productions where she acted in and co-produced the productions Kieslowski’s Neck and Finn City.

 

An animal lover, STRAHOVSKI dedicates her time on behalf of animal rescue. In 2011, she starred in PETA’s ‘Adopt, Don’t Buy’ ad campaign with her two rescue dogs, Chazzie and Wilbur.

 

STRAHOVSKI currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

###

 

SEAN PATRICK FLANERY – “Jacob Elway”

 

Sean Patrick Flanery was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the son of a real estate broker and a medical equipment salesman. The family soon moved to the idyllic city of Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston. It was in Texas where Flanery inadvertently discovered acting because of a crush on a girl. The crush was fleeting, but ignited Flanery’s passion for drama. The actor honed his skills in the theatre program at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and upon graduation, made the big leap west to Los Angeles, where he secured a job waiting tables. Shortly after, Flanery landed an agent and started his career in television and films.

 

Flanery has been a leading man on big and small screens for the past two decades, starting with his starring role in the George Lucas television series “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.” After that breakout hit, Flanery followed it up with a mesmerizing performance as the title character in the Disney film “Powder,” starring opposite Jeff Goldblum. Flanery’s big screen roles did not stop there, with leading performances in “The Suicide Kings,” “The Grass Harp,” “Simply Irresistible,” the cult classic “The Boondock Saints,” and “Saw 3D.” Currently, Flanery has the emotionally heavy film “Broken Horses,” directed by the world renowned Vidhu Vinod Chopra, up for theatrical release.

 

The actor has had the pleasure of playing many diverse characters for the television audience as well.  From 2002-2007 Flanery played the troubled politician, Greg Stinson, opposite Anthony Michael Hall in the USA Network’s “The Dead Zone.” Flanery also appeared in the Jerry Bruckheimer series “The Strip” and the miniseries “The Diamond Hunters.” Coming up, Flanery will take on a recurring role as a Private Investigator in the eighth season of Showtime’s Emmy winning drama series “Dexter.”

 

Flanery resides in Los Angeles with his family and beloved dog, Donut. The actor and fitness enthusiast also maintains a busy schedule outside of the industry. A master of martial arts, Flanery has a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as Karate. Flanery is the proud owner of two martial arts gyms; Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Dynamix MMA, where he frequently teaches classes which enable him to maintain his own physical fitness while training a new generation of martial arts experts.

 

###

 

AIMEE GARCIA – “Jamie Batista”

 

Aimee Garcia is an actress of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent born and raised in Chicago, IL. Her varied talents and extreme passion for the arts has contributed to her long list of credits. Aimee is currently staring opposite of Michael C. Hall in the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winning Showtime series “Dexter” as Jaime Batista, Dexter’s endearing baby sitter. Additionally, Garcia stars on the CBS drama, “Vegas” with Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis. Garcia is also currently in production for the highly anticipated sci-fi adaptation of the 1987 cult classic hit "ROBOCOP" opposite Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton.

 

She broke into the entertainment industry at the young age of 7 as a professional dancer in Paul Mejia’s “Cinderella” at the Auditorium Theater, and by age 12 she was dancing 20 shows a month as “Clara” in “The Nutcracker.” This led to her first commercial as a dancer and she started taking acting lessons at the Piven Theater Workshop, whose alumni include John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Lili Taylor, and Aidan Quinn.


The acting bug hit her early on. In high school, she won Chicago Tribune’s “Best Actress” award for her portrayal of “Maria,” in the immigrant saga “Journey of the Sparrows.” She also starred in “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” which was nominated for 7 “Joseph Jefferson Awards” (Chicago’s version of the “Tony Awards”). Her success in Chicago Theater gave her the opportunity to land a screen-test for the title role in Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo and Juliet,” opposite Leonardo DiCarprio. (The other finalists were Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Christina Ricci, and Claire Danes). Hollywood came calling again when Warner Brothers flew Aimee to Los Angeles to screen-test for the title role in the bio-pic “Selena.” Despite losing out to Jennifer Lopez, the national search for “Selena” had gotten so much buzz that Norman Lear put her under a 2-year contract with Paramount TV.


During this time, Aimee graduated as a triple major in Economics, Journalism and French from Northwestern University. There, she built her own Summer Theater curriculum, and combined her singing and dancing talents to nab the lead role of “Diana Morales” in “A Chorus Line” for Broadway choeographer Mitzi Hamilton.


After Northwestern, Aimee moved to Los Angeles and had her first official “Hollywood” break as a series regular in the WB’s “Greetings From Tucson.  ”The short-lived series established Aimee as a TV regular, and since then she’s done 10 TV pilots and 4 TV series.


Best known for her character as Andy Garcia's daughter and George Lopez’s niece, "Veronica Palmero," on "The George Lopez Show", she is currently the only Latina in her generation to be on syndicated television. In 2007, she was nominated for an "Alma" and "Imagen" Award for "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series."


Other previous projects include NBC’s medical drama “Trauma”, Millennium Films' "Private Valentine," opposite Jessica Simpson, "Family Guy" and "Gary Unmarried" with Jay Mohr, Adam Sandler's "Spanglish," Sony's "Lies & Alibis," starring John Leguizamo, "Dirty," opposite Cuba Gooding Jr., "Dragon Wars," the highest-grossing film in South Korea's history and the Lionsgate feature, “Go For It!” where she played the lead character, Carmen who lives to dance and struggles to overcome self-doubt. In addition, Aimee had guest appearances on ABC’s series “Off the Map” and NBC’s “Love Bites”.

 

Although Aimee is usually hard at work and has been known to put “Relax” on her Things-To-Do-List, Aimee enjoys traveling to faraway places (like Tibet, Israel, Brazil and Turkey), playing golf and poker with her friends, reading “National Geographic,” photographing clouds and eating New York pizza.


She also makes time to give back to the community through various philanthropic and charity endeavors, including the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and the National Kidney Foundation. But, what Aimee enjoys most is regularly visiting East L.A. schools to remind students about the importance of education.

 

Garcia currently resides in Los Angeles.

 

###

 

GEOFF PIERSON – “Tom Matthews”

 

Born and raised in Chicago, Geoff began acting professionally there before moving on to the Yale School of Drama and then to theatre productions both in New York and around the country.  Some of his favorite roles among the scores of plays he’s done include Angelo in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, Wang in Edward Bond’s The Bundle, Valmont in Les Liaisones Dangereuses, Teach in David Mamet’s American Buffalo, Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross, Bobby in Speed the Plow, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire and Botts in Exact Change.  In the 1980s he co-starred with George C. Scott on Broadway in Tricks of the Trade then worked extensively in daytime television, notably starring for three years as Frank Ryan in ABC’s Ryan’s Hope.  

 

In the 1990s he appeared at the Westport Country Playhouse in Far East, the Bay Street Theatre Festival in Men’s Lives and Alone at the Beach, and co-starred with Leslie Uggums in the world premiere of the Ethel Waters bio-play Stringbean before moving to Hollywood to star in two primetime television series, first as Jimmy Kelly in the ABC comedy hit Grace Under Fire, and then for five seasons as Jack Molloy in the WB’s riotous comedy Unhappily Ever After.  Subsequently he went on to star in yet another comedy series, That 80s Show, which ran for one season on the FOX Network.  In recent years, in addition to his performance as Brock in the stage play Secret Order and Horace in the Pasadena Playhouse production of The Little Foxes, he has made numerous guest-star appearances in several television comedies such as Rules of Engagement and such dramas as Life, The Mentalist, Medium, Criminal Minds, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Veronica Mars, Monk, Numb3rs, Castle, Revenge, In Plain Sight and many others. 

 

During seasons three and four of the FOX hit series 24 he portrayed the role of U. S. President John Keeler.   He was featured in the television movies Poseiden on NBC and the Hallmark Hall of Fame CBS movie Valley of Light.  He has co-starred in several independent feature films such as Already Dead, Venomous, and Sleeping Dogs Lie and World’s Greatest Dad, both Sundance Film Festival selections.   In other feature films he was seen as the Vice-President in the Warner Bros. film Get Smart and as Dexter Sr. in Something Borrowed.   He’s done two films directed by Clint Eastwood, first Changeling, in which he co-starred in the role of crusading attorney S.S. Hahn alongside Angelina Jolie and then as A.G. Mitchell Palmer in J. Edgar alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.  Scheduled for release later in 2013 he will be seen as Hilary Swank’s father in the film Your’re Not You.  He has appeared in every season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire as Senator Walter Edge and is currently continuing his role as Dep. Chief Thomas Matthews on the smash Showtime series DEXTER.

 

After several years dividing his time between New York and L.A., he now makes his home in Los Angeles. 

 

###

 

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING – “Dr. Evelyn Vogel”

 

Charlotte Rampling began her career in films in 1964 with Richard Lester in The Knack. In 1966 she appeared as Meredith in the film Georgy Girl and after this her acting career blossomed in both English, French and Italian cinema. Rampling has often performed controversial roles. In 1969, in Luchino Visconti's The Damned (La Caduta degli dei) and in Liliana Cavani’s 1974 film The Night Porter, playing alongside Dirk Bogarde.

 

She gained recognition from American audiences in a remake of Raymond Chandler's detective story Farewell, My Lovely (1975) and later with Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980) and particularly in The Verdict (1982), an acclaimed drama directed by Sidney Lumet that starred Paul Newman. Her long list of films also includes Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, Ian softly’s The Wings of the Dove, Michael Cacoyannis The Cherry Orchard, Julio Medem’s Caotica Ana, Domink Moll’s Lemming, Laurent Cantet's Heading South (Vers le Sud), Jonathan Nossiter's Signs and Nagisa Oshima's Max My Love.

 

Charlotte has collaborated extensively with the director Francois Ozon appearing in the Under the Sand (2001), Swimming Pool (2003) Angel (2006) and most recently Jeune et Jolie (Young and Pretty). 

 

Recent work includes Dexter, Restless, Night Train to Lisbon, I, Anna, Melancholia, The Eye of the Storm, Clean Skin, Streetdance 3D, Never Let Me Go, Babylon AD, Life During Wartime, Boogie Woogie & The Duchess.

 

 

 

Dexter Season 8 Credits

 

CAST CREDITS

 

Dexter Morgan................................................................................ MICHAEL C. HALL

Debra Morgan......................................................................JENNIFER CARPENTER

Joey Quinn..........................................................................DESMOND HARRINGTON

Vince Masuka.................................................................................................. C.S. LEE

Angel Batista.......................................................................................... DAVID ZAYAS

Harry Morgan...................................................................................... JAMES REMAR

Jamie Batista....................................................................................... AIMEE GARCIA

Tom Matthews.................................................................................. GEOFF PIERSON

 

SPECIAL GUEST STARS

 

Dr. Evelyn Vogel.................................................................... CHARLOTTE RAMPLING

Hannah McKay.........................................................................YVONNE STRAHOVSKI

 

GUEST STAR

 

Jacob Elway..........................................................................SEAN PATRICK FLANERY

 

PRODUCTION CREDITS

 

Executive Producers......................................................................... JOHN GOLDWYN

.......................................................................................................... SARA COLLETON

................................................................................................................. SCOTT BUCK

.............................................................................................................. MANNY COTO

.............................................................................................................. WENDY WEST

.................................................................................................... TIM SCHLATTMANN

......................................................................................................... MICHAEL C. HALL

............................................................................................................ JACE RICHDALE

Co-Executive Producer...................................................................... LAUREN GUSSIS

Produced by............................................................................. ROBERT LLOYD LEWIS

Supervising Producer...................................................................... SCOTT REYNOLDS

Producer............................................................................ ARIKA LISANNE MITTMAN

Co-Producer............................................................................................... GARY LAW

Director of Photography............................................................................... JEFF JUR

Production Designer......................................................................... JESSICA KENDER

Editors........................................................................................ LOUIS CIOFFI, A.C.E.,

...................................................................................................... AMY DUDDLESTON

...................................................................................................... KEITH HENDERSON

Music by................................................................................................ DANIEL LICHT

Main Title Theme.................................................................................... ROLFE KENT

Music Supervisor.............................................................................. GARY CALAMAR

Based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by ................................. JEFF LINDSAY

Developed for television by ......................................................... JAMES MANOS JR.

Consultant.......................................................................................... CLYDE PHILLIPS

Casting by............................................................................ SHAWN DAWSON, C.S.A

 

###

 

 

 

 

 

Featured
Release

See More