A major (but controversial) Oscar winner wanted to play a villain in Dexter. During the late 2000s, a number of shows about morally dubious people rose in popularity. Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and more started to prove that audiences were interested in the lives of pretty bad people. But one show really stirred up a lot of controversy: Dexter. The show invites audiences to root for a serial killer who is quite literally getting away with murder for eight seasons, but there’s a catch: He kills other killers. It was an interesting premise and one that led to a highly successful show that drew a ton of all-star talent.
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On top of featuring actors like Michael C. Hall in Dexter‘s core ensemble, the drama series drew a lot of big league actors in as guest stars, typically as villains. Jimmy Smits, Colin Hanks, and, of course, John Lithgow all graced the show with their talent. Having a new legendary actor playing a formidable foil for Dexter each season was one of the great draws of the Showtime series and helped keep it successful. As the show became showered in awards and high viewership, it likely made it a pretty attractive project for many other actors in Hollywood. While TV wasn’t what it was today where there’s a new show every week with some of the best casts you’ve ever seen, this was the beginning of that era. With that said, it’s no surprise that an Oscar winning actor wanted to join the cast of Dexter at one point.
Kevin Spacey Wanted to be a Villain in Dexter
Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey was apparently a big fan of Dexter during its initial run and even lobbied to be in the show as a “big bad.” During a 2013 episode of the Kevin Pollack Chat Show, Michael C. Hall revealed that Kevin Spacey approached him at a party to join the cast of Dexter. Of course, Spacey is known for playing some pretty bad guys such as John Doe in Seven, Lex Luthor in Superman Returns, and Frank Underwood in House of Cards, so it’s not a stretch to imagine him in Dexter as a villain. Of course, this never happened.
Hall noted this was before House of Cards, but Spacey was likely quite busy and the story of the show may have demanded other things. It’s unclear around what season this would’ve been in or if there’s even any role Spacey could really fit in. Perhaps Kevin Spacey could’ve worked for Edward James Olmos’ character in season six of Dexter, but it’s also possible Showtime never really considered it or got as far as drafting up a character for the award-winning actor.
Although Dexter has since been brought back in various forms such as a successful prequel series and is entering production on a new sequel series, it’s unlikely Spacey will ever go toe to toe with Dexter Morgan. Spacey has been a subject of controversy for years after sexual misconduct allegations from multiple sources starting back in 2017. Spacey was fired from House of Cards and his career stalled out in the years following. He has attempted to make a career comeback after being acquitted of charges and winning a civil lawsuit, but it hasn’t amounted to any big Hollywood projects.
Michael C. Hall is set to return as Dexter later this year in Dexter: Resurrection, a new series set after the original series and Dexter: New Blood which will bring the character back from the dead. Little is known about the project, but the show is currently filming in New York City and will bring back some beloved actors from the original show. A villain has not been formally announced, but Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage is rumored to be the antagonist in Dexter: Resurrection alongside Uma Thurman. As of right now, we’ll just have to wait and see, though.
