19 years ago, Krysten Ritter said no to this small Dexter role.
Following Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet’s surprising revelation that he nearly played Tony Tucci — one of the Ice Truck Killer’s victims in Dexter Season 1 — another actor from Dexter: Resurrection has come forward with her own connection to the original series.
Krysten Ritter, who portrays the mysterious and deadly Mia Lapierre (aka Lady Vengeance) in Dexter: Resurrection, recently shared during an interview with ScreenRant at San Diego Comic-Con that she actually auditioned for a role in the original Dexter nearly two decades ago — but turned it down.
Back when she was just 24 and taking her first steps in Hollywood, Ritter landed an audition for a small role in Dexter's first season. She even remembered who was behind the camera: actor-director Tony Goldwyn.
Ritter recalled that it was one of the earliest auditions of her career, and when she got the call, she was excited — especially because Dexter was a show she genuinely liked. But fate had other plans. On the very same day, she was offered a stronger role on Gilmore Girls Season 7 and had to make a tough decision. She chose Gilmore Girls, a move that she described as “awful and heartbreaking” at the time, simply because missing out on one of your first major bookings stings, especially for a show you admire.
However, Ritter reflected on that decision with clarity, optimism and thankfulness. She said it turned out to be one of those moments where everything works out exactly as it should. Had she accepted that small role in Dexter back in 2006, she likely wouldn’t have been cast in her much larger, tailor-made role in Dexter: Resurrection today.
So, what role did Ritter turn down?
Tony Goldwyn directed two episodes in Dexter Season 1: Episode 6, “Return to Sender” and Episode 8, “Shrink Wrap.” In Episode 8, Goldwyn also appeared on screen as Dr. Emmett Meridian — a manipulative psychiatrist who coerced his patients into taking their own lives.
Based on Ritter’s account and the timing, it’s highly likely that the role she auditioned for was one of Dr. Meridian’s victims. This character had minimal screen time — essentially a patient on the psychiatrist’s couch, seen via hidden camera footage that Dexter later discovers on Meridian’s computer.
Though the role would have been small, it was still a coveted appearance in a major new drama. But in retrospect, skipping that cameo turned out to be a blessing. Nearly 20 years later, Ritter now stars as a central figure in the Dexter universe — a role written with her in mind.
Her story is a perfect example of how luck, timing, and persistence can shape a career. While it’s rare for actors to appear in the same franchise in two completely different roles, Ritter’s journey shows that sometimes, the right opportunity just takes a little longer to come around, and when it does, it’s worth the wait.