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Every serial killer has to start somewhere. Dexter: Original Sin is set fifteen years before the events of the classic SHOWTIME series, Dexter, and follows America's favorite psychopath as he makes his first kills and learns how to hide in plain sight among the Miami Police Department. Patrick Gibson takes over as the title character, though original actor Michael C. Hall returns to narrate the series, as well as a cameo role in the pilot episode, setting up his appearance in the upcoming Dexter: Resurrection.
Dexter: Original Sin features a mix of new and returning characters, though the entire cast is comprised of fresh faces. The roles of fan-favorite MPD members Angel Batista and Vince Masuka are played by James Martinez and Alex Shimizu, taking over for David Zayas and C.S. Lee, respectively.
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S creenRant interviewed James Martinez and Alex Shimizu about their roles in Dexter: Original Sin. They talk about playing younger versions of familiar characters, and getting to play around in the prequel's sandbox of 1991 Miami. They talk about salsa dancing, Batista's iconic wardrobe, and Shimizu's joy at getting to play a "Slacker Asian."
Alex Shimizu On Playing A Young Vince Masuka In Dexter: Original Sin
"He is a good guy at heart despite all his crazy antics and everything"
ScreenRant: First question for Alex. We get to see a version of Masuka who's somehow even more immature than the one we grew up watching.
Alex Shimizu: Impossible, right? Yeah.
Tell me a little bit about getting to play this familiar-but-different version of the character. And if you can, find a way to do it without saying, "we want to honor what's come before while doing our own thing."
Alex Shimizu: That's funny.
James Martinez: Yes. How'd you know? (Laughs)
Alex Shimizu: Yeah. That's the exact ansawer...
It's not my first time around.
Alex Shimizu: No, it was fun because I wasn't that familiar with the show when I first auditioned for it. So, for the weekend, I binged the series. I have like 300 clips of C.S. Lee's Masuka on my phone. So it was a lot about just finding the essence of the character while at the same time kind of throwing it away and adding my own little spin to it. So it was a really fun process, going through all that.
And to play a character who, like you said, is so wild and out there while at the same time is a bit... You know, he is a good guy at heart despite all his crazy antics and everything. It was very different for me. I normally never play parts like this, especially parts that are so... He's kind of a "Slacker Asian," I would say, which is very rare to have in TV and media. So it was a lot of fun.
Dexter: Original Sin's James Martinez On His Version of Angel Batista
"Angel is one of those guys who's just, he is who he is. And what you see is what you get."
James, kind of the same question. How do you handle the revelation that Angel's been wearing the same hat and shirt for 30 years?
James Martinez: Hey, I have friends that just don't know how to grow up and switch their look from the 90s.
Alex Shimizu: It works, though!
James Martinez: They're still wearing the same damn thing in the 2000s. It's like, same goatee, same facial hair. You know, I know those guys. But I think Angel is one of those guys who's just, he is who he is. And what you see is what you get. You know, his style is... And it works! I mean, the way he carries himself, you know, he hits the club, he goes out dancing. The ladies love what he wears and they love his moves. So he's just like, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
It's very much an all-purpose outfit. You can wear it to the club, to work, to funerals, all of it.
James Martinez: Oh yeah, he makes an entrance, for sure.
Given the show's setting of 1991, were you excited at the prospect of the period piece or were you kind of like, "If they'd set it a few years earlier, we could be wearing like Sonny Crockett and Miami Vice outfits?"
James Martinez: (Laughs) No, no, none of that. I think this was just far back enough where the fashion, you know, hey, the 90s or even the 80s are coming back now. So I would really take some of these outfits home if I could. But no, it was nice and, you know, the music, just the culture in the 90s in Miami is always fun to watch and it looks great on screen.
And to watch the younger versions of these guys? He may be wearing the same thing, but he is a different person, as far as Angel goes. It's all about the journey and not the destination in this show. We all know what ends up happening, but how they get there is the fun part to watch. And there's flashbacks within the prequel. I mean, we go as far back as early 70s, you know, in the early stages of Harry Morgan's career, which is something the fans never got to see.
Dexter: Original Sin's Cast On The Miami Of It All
"It's nice to know there's people in the writer's room who actually know the culture. The Cuban culture especially"
Can you tell me about Miami? Tell me about this beautiful city and getting to shoot on location, at least partially.
James Martinez: Partially, yeah.
Alex Shimizu: We got to shoot a little bit in Miami. That was super fun. I got lucky because the first week it was nice and sunny and then it got a little rainy as it went on. But I guess the best part was, I randomly ran into one of the writers, Nick Zayas, who's a really super cool guy. We met, we saw each other at a diner, and we just started talking. And then he actually, he took me out that night to go salsa dancing. We hit the club in Miami and that was, it was such a great intro to the Dexter universe and to really get a sense and feel for the culture of Miami. So it was a great start to the show.
James Martinez: Yeah, and it's nice to know that there's people in the writer's room that actually know the culture, you know, the Cuban culture especially, that's so prominent in the city. It's very present and it looks authentic. Even though we shot portions of it in L.A. as well. But when we showed up to set, I mean, there'd be days where we'd be done shooting and we forgot we were in LA. because it looked so much like Miami.
James, there's a fantastic scene where you teach Dexter how to salsa dance. Are you an experienced salsa dancer yourself?
James Martinez: Yes, I am. I am. I'm from a Colombian background and salsa is very, very prominent there, as well. So it's kind of a Cuban, Puerto Rican flavor. And I definitely had my moves ready for when we shot the scene to show Dex. Even Patrick was asking me to show him some moves off set. So we were warming up. But I was nervous because teaching someone how to dance salsa can be very frustrating. And it was. And it's supposed to be. (Laughs) And I loved the way that particular scene came out. And it's kind of the beginnings of Angel and Dexter's relationship. So it's fun to see that kind of develop.
More About Dexter Original Sin Season 1
Set in 1991 Miami, DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN follows Dexter (Patrick Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Christian Slater), he adopts a Code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcement’s radar. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.
Check out our other Dexter: Original Sin interviews here:
The first episode of Dexter: Original Sin is now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime, with new episodes releasing every Friday.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Dexter: Original Sin explores the origins of Dexter Morgan as he transitions from student to serial killer in 1991 Miami. Guided by his father, Dexter channels his dark urges through a moral code while starting a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.
Release Date December 15, 2024
Network Paramount+ with Showtime
Character(s) Harry Morgan , Dexter Morgan , Debra Morgan , Maria LaGuerta , Vince Masuka , Bobby Watt , Angel Batista , Aaron Spencer , The Inner Voice of Dexter (voice) , CSI Chief Tanya Martin
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English (US) ·