Dexter cast guide: Meet the cast and characters of the crime drama series

Showtime's Emmy-winning series Dexter is now streaming on Netflix. The series aired its eight seasons between 2006 and 2013, with a follow-up series, Dexter: New Blood, premiering in 2021.

This series was adapted by James Manos Jr. from a novel written by Jeff Lindsay. The first season was based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and the remaining seven seasons featured the characters created by Lindsay but continued the story independently from the remaining novels.

Let's take a look at the main cast of Dexter.

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

• Age: 53 (Feb. 1, 1971)
• Height: 5'10
• Spouse: Morgan Macgregor

Who is Dexter Morgan? Dexter Morgan is a forensic blood spatter analyst who works for the Miami-Metro Police Department. He also leads a shocking separate life following "The Code," a code of ethics taught to him by his adoptive father Harry. He uses the code to justify his life as a vigilante serial killer who chooses his victims from those who evade the justice system.

Where have you seen Michael C. Hall before? Next to his role as Dexter, Hall is best known as David Fisher, the middle child, on HBO's award-winning Six Feet Under. The series, set in L.A., chronicles the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home. Six Feet Under has received critical acclaim for acting and writing and is regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. He has also starred in John Woo's sci-fi film Paycheck (2003) and the comedy Game Night with Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. Hall reprised his role as Dexter in the continuation series Dexter: New Blood.

Next up for Michael C. Hall: He will provide the voice of Leonard Swett, criminal lawyer and advisor of President Abraham Lincoln, in Sean Conant's The Gettysburg Address documentary. Hall will star with Grace Caroline Currey, Vera Farmiga, Tim Blake Nelson, and Simon Rex in a Heaven's Gate biopic, The Leader.

Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan

• Age: 44 (Dec. 7, 1979)
• Height: 5'9
• Spouse: Seth Avett
• Instagram: @thejennwithin

Who is Debra Morgan? The foster sister of Dexter was always jealous of the time her father spent with her brother, not realizing he was teaching the young man to follow "The Code." After her parents died, she took a job at the Miami-Metro Police Department, where her father worked before his death. Determined to become a detective, she worked the ranks from being a patrol officer to vice and then was promoted by a friend of her fathers to Homicide. She is a tough, foul mouthed woman who becomes a very intelligent and capable detective.

Where have you seen Jennifer Carpenter before? She is well known for her role as Rebecca Harris in the CBS series Limitless, which aired for one 22-part season. Carpenter also starred in two films that have since become cult classics, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and White Chicks. In 2019, she starred in an NBC drama, The Enemy Within. Many may not know that she served as the voice for Sonya Blade in the direct-to-video series of films Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and the sequel Battle of the Realms. She reprised her role as Debra Morgan in Dexter: New Blood.

Next up for Jennifer Carpenter: In 2022, Carpenter was announced for a new sci-fi film, Control Group, which will be directed by Liz Manashil.

David Zayas as Angel Batista

• Age: 61 (Aug. 15, 1962)
• Height: 5'10
• Spouse: Liza Colón-Zayas
• Instagram: @zz_nyc

Who is Angel Batista? A detective who works in the homicide division of the Miami Metro Police Department with Dexter. The pair often work closely on murder investigations, as Angel relies on Dexter's extensive knowledge of serial killers. Angel's story began while he was a Sergeant but he was later promoted to Lieutenant.

Where have you seed David Zayas before? He portrayed Enrique Morales in Oz, an HBO prison drama, during seasons 4 - 6. Zayas has played several roles in the original Law & Order series and Law & Order Criminal Intent. He has also appeared in Bloodline, Shut Eye, and Blue Bloods. His more recent roles include The Blacklist, Diarra from Detroit and Dexter: New Blood, reprising his role as Angel Batista.

Julie Benz as Rita Bennett

• Age: 52 (May 1, 1972)
• Height: 5'4
• Spouse: Rich Orosco
• Instagram: @juliebenzmft

Who is Rita Bennett? She is the girlfriend and eventual wife of Dexter, who has two children, Astor and Cody, from her previous marriage, and a son, Harrison, with her new husband. She is a devoted mother who had been severely traumatized by the physical and sexual abuse she received from her first husband, Paul. As a result, her story begins showing a very fragile and damaged person.

Where have you seen Julie Benz before? She is known for her role as Darla during seasons 1, 2, and 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and seasons 1-5 of the spinoff Angel. In 2010, she starred opposite Michael Chiklis in the ABC action comedy No Ordinary Family and, in 2013, with Grant Bowler in Defiance, which aired on Syfy. Some of her movie roles include Supremacy, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Saw V, Rambo, and As Good As It Gets. Her more recent roles include 9-1-1: Lone Star, Love, Victor, and On Becoming God in Central Florida.

Next up for Julie Benz: IMDB has her listed in an indie drama, The Midway Point, but a release date has yet to be set.

Lauren Vélez as Maria LaGuerta

• Age: 59 (Nov. 2, 1964)
• Height: 5'5
• Instagram: @lunalaurenvelez

Who is Maria LaGuerta? She becomes captain of the Miami-Metro Homicide unit after being promoted from lieutenant. Under her leadership, she is involved in almost every investigation in the series with her right hand men, James Doakes and Angel Batista handling the dirty work. She is an ambitious woman who maneuvers the political workings within the department and who puts her work before anything else.

Where have you seen Lauren Vélez before? Recently, Vélez starred as Detective Angela Burgos in the Showtime series American Rust, which also stars Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney, and as Breanna Diaz in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. She is also known for her roles as Nina Moreno in the Fox police drama New York Undercover and Dr. Gloria Nathan on HBO's prison drama Oz. She first portrayed Rio Morales in the 2018 movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a role she reprised in Across the Spider-Verse.

Next up for Lauren Vélez: She will once again appear as Rio Morales in the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse animated movie.

James Remar as Harry Morgan

• Age: 70 (Dec. 31, 1953)
• Height: 5'9
• Spouse: Atsuko Remar

Who is Harry Morgan? He is the father of Debra and his adopted son, Dexter Morgan. Harry has been dead for several years when the story opens but his teaching of "The Code" has greatly influence Dexter's life. This is the code that Dexter believes gives him permission to carry out his vigilante justice. He is featured in many flashbacks, fleshing out Dexter's story and later as his inner monologue.

Where have you seen James Remar? He has had many memorable roles throughout his long-running career but is probably best known for his role as Ajax in the cult classic The Warriors (1979). In 1982, he starred as convicted criminal Albert Ganz in 48hrs. with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. He would go on to star in The Cotton Club, Miracle on 34th Street, and as Richard Wright in Sex in the City. Recent roles include Henry Stimson in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Francis Ford Coppola's sci-fi movie Megalopolis, and a crime comedy, Drugstore June.

Next up for James Remar: He will star in an undisclosed role in the upcoming horror series Welcome to Derry, which serves as a prequel to It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), the two-part adaptation of Stephen King's novel It. The series is expected to release on Max in 2025.

C. S. Lee as Vince Masuka

• Age: 52 (Dec. 30, 1971)
• Height: 5'5
• Spouse: Lara Cho
• Instagram: @csleeofficial

Who is Vince Masuka? He is the lead forensic science investigator for the Miami Metro Police Department. Known for making inappropriate jokes and propositioning every woman within earshot, Masuka aids Dexter in crime scene investigations. He is a brilliant man, and the one person Dexter believes could unearth his secret life.

Where have you seen C. S. Lee before? He has starred in the HBO series The Sopranos, East New York, Chicago Med, and Sneaky Pete. His recent roles include the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind with Joel Kinnaman, the Netflix original series The Brother's Sun, and the comedy series Bookie.

Next up for C. S. Lee: He will portray Master Kim Sun-Young in the sixth season of Netflix's Cobra Kai series.

All eight seasons of Dexter are streaming now on Netflix.