Last month we brought you excerpts from TV Guide’s interview with Michael C. Hall, the actor whose wonderfully nuanced portrayal of the title character has made Dexter a must-watch for millions. Herewith, Part II of the interview. Read on to find out whether Hall’s read the Jeff Lindsay novels on which the series is based, what he thinks of the Rita relationship, and why he calls himself a “tech-tard.”
Tell us about Dexter and his sister, Debra (played by Jennifer Carpenter). It seems like she’s the most steady person in his life.
From the beginning, he says, “If I had feelings for anyone, it would be for Deb.” … It’s a very potent relationship. She’s the person who’s closest to him in a way, and a person whom he’s sort of charged with championing, because probably something down in Harry’s list is to take care of Deb. And yet the more Dexter takes care of her and champions her and helps facilitate her move forward, the more there’s a risk there that she gains the tools to discover who he really is.
The struggle between Doakes and Dexter has been pretty incredible to watch.
The head butt. [Laughs] We have so much fun, Erik [King] and I, in playing those scenes. It’s just so fun to go to that total animal, instinctual, male place.
Dexter has also been uncovering all these secrets from his past, especially about Harry. The most recent revelation was that Harry actually killed himself.
The code has been his fundamental touchstone, and it’s been totally upended, and he’s discovering the underbelly of all of it. As a result, he questions his relationship to his father, to his past and to the code. But I think he does maintain an awareness that the code, no matter where it’s come from, has served him well. And so his relationship to it is in the midst of a transition, but I don’t think he’s quite ready to throw out the baby with the bath water, whatever revelations emerge or will continue to emerge about Harry. There’s a lot more to unfold on that front, too. The further we go, there’s a lot of resolution and a lot of forward momentum, but there’s all kinds of “What if… maybe….”
Dexter’s relationship with Rita seems to be on the mend. Is she a necessary balance for him?
She was sort of the perfect cover for Dexter initially, and I think in spite of the fact that she’s changing and Dexter’s changing and their relationship’s changing and is obviously rocky, she remains attractive for that reason. It is, ultimately, a kind of tragic relationship. I think Dexter, even though he’s very much dedicated to not being caught, also has a desire to reveal himself, and we saw that manifesting in NA. He was kind of like, “I can tell the truth about myself; it’s a real stress relief.” We see that appetite from time to time.
Did you read the Jeff Lindsay Dexter novels?
I read the first one, because I knew the first season at least loosely followed it. I read it when I was considering the job, to get a sense of where things might be headed. But when I heard that they weren’t really using subsequent books, I almost didn’t want to read anything else and just allow the show to take over completely. Flying without a safety net.
You’re about to start working on the movie Game. What’s it about?
It’s [being shot] in New Mexico, and stars Gerard Butler. It’s a near-future sci-fi cautionary tale about this video game that’s caught the public by storm, which allows gamers to manipulate real people in real time in a killing game. I play the guy who invented the game.
Do you play video games yourself?
No, I’m kind of a tech-tard. I do have an iPod, a laptop, a Mac. Look at this cell phone. [Takes out a battered old specimen]. I almost have it as a source of pride. It’s a stretch. I’m not much of a wizard.
What else are you doing on your hiatus, besides the movie?
The show is being released in Australia. I went over there to do a press tour and had a little bit of a vacation. It was fantastic. And then I went to North Carolina to sing at my cousin’s wedding. “The Prayer,” the song is called; I did a duet with my cousin’s sister. Most of what I sang was in Italian, and I wrote it out phonetically and used a music stand. But it went fine.
You’re a great singer, as we saw in Six Feet Under. Any chance of Dexter having a musical number?
No. I think we’ll just keep that in check. [Laughs] Hey, I wouldn’t rule anything out. But I don’t anticipate a dream sequence. He’s got a little dance in him, but not a lot of sing.