The actor made some changes to his appearance to resemble Hall's portrayal of Dexter.
On May 23, 2024, Showtime announced that Dexter would return to our screens with a prequel series set in 1991 Miami, featuring an entirely new cast. The announcement was accompanied by the release of three teasers, each introducing the actors portraying Dexter, Harry, and Deb.
One of the most notable casting choices for Dexter: Original Sin is Christian Slater, who will take on the role of Harry. Meanwhile, Molly Brown has been cast as teenage Deb. Slater’s selection wasn't based on his resemblance to James Remar, the original Harry Morgan, as the two actors bear no resemblance to each other.
Patrick Gibson, selected from hundreds of candidates, will portray the titular character, Dexter. While Gibson doesn’t bear a strong resemblance to Michael C. Hall—unlike how Christina Milian resembles Lauren Vélez—Showtime and the casting directors clearly saw something compelling in his audition. To bridge the differences—particularly in hair and eye color—adjustments were made to ensure Gibson embodies the familiar look of Dexter Morgan.
Let’s dive into the specific changes made to his appearance to better capture Dexter’s iconic look!
1. Hair Color
Let's start with the most obvious change. Patrick's natural hair color is light brown or dirty blonde. For his role as Dexter Morgan, he has to dye his hair to match Michael C. Hall’s darker brown shade.
2. Eyebrows
Michael C. Hall has thick, expressive eyebrows that contribute to Dexter Morgan’s intense look. In contrast, Patrick Gibson naturally has lighter, thinner eyebrows. To better match Hall’s appearance, Gibson dyes his eyebrows as well.
3. Eye Color
As you can see in the image on the top of the article, Patrick’s natural eye color is blue, but for the role of Dexter, he wears brown contact lenses to match Hall’s eye color.
4. Hair Part
Patrick’s hair is naturally parted on the left, as seen in various photos. However, for his role as Dexter, his hair is now styled with a right-side part to more closely resemble Michael C. Hall's look back when he portrayed Dexter.
5. Accent
Though not a physical trait, Patrick’s accent is another adjustment he had to make. As an Irish actor, his natural accent is distinct to American ears. Since Dexter Morgan, portrayed by Michael C. Hall, is American, Gibson had to adopt an American accent for the role. This is a common change for European actors playing characters based in the U.S.
All in all, it seems like they've done an exceptional job with Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan so far, don't you think? Just look at how similar they appear when both actors give that intense, angry Dexter look!