It was one of those rare situations where the outcome mattered far more than how the audition actually went.
January 9 marked the fourth anniversary of the divisive Dexter: New Blood finale, an ending that was originally meant to be the definitive conclusion to Dexter Morgan’s story. The revival series ran for a single ten-episode season and shifted the action away from Miami into an entirely new setting, which of course meant introducing a fresh lineup of characters alongside the familiar faces fans already knew.
Among those new additions were Julia Jones as Iron Lake police chief Angela Bishop and Johnny Sequoyah as her daughter, Audrey. Sequoyah’s performance left a strong impression on viewers, but according to the actress herself, landing the role actually felt impossible at the time. In fact, she recently revealed that her audition for Dexter: New Blood was so rough that she never expected to be cast.
Sequoyah shared the story during a recent appearance on Collider Ladies Night, where she was primarily promoting her new film Primate, in which she stars in the lead role. As expected, the conversation eventually turned to her time on Dexter: New Blood and what it was like stepping into such a beloved TV series.
Reflecting on joining the cast, Sequoyah explained that she actually felt a bit insulated from fan expectations since Audrey was not directly tied to Dexter himself. She wasn’t playing Dexter’s child or a legacy character, which definitely gave her some breathing room. Still, she described it as surreal to walk onto a set connected to a show with such a passionate and devoted fans.
She also recalled how memorable filming in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts turned out to be. According to Sequoyah, locals would show up with lawn chairs and coolers, setting up near the set to watch filming unfold, almost as if they were attending...live theater! This inevitably left a lasting impression on her.
Perhaps the most surprising revelation from the interview was her honesty about the audition itself. Sequoyah admitted that, at least by her own standards, the Dexter: New Blood audition was actually one of her worst. She described it as one of those days where personal emotions bleed into the work, making it hard to find the right balance. During the audition, the casting director even stopped her mid-scene, pointing out that she was playing the character far darker than intended.
According to the actress, at one point, the casting director paused the callback altogether, telling her flat-out that what she was doing wasn’t working. When Sequoyah later found out she had been cast, she was genuinely shocked. Looking back, she sees it as proof that auditions don’t always tell hte full story. She said that sometimes it is less about a perfect read and more about whether an actor is actually right for the role on a deeper level.
While she didn’t go into detail about working alongside Julia Jones or Jack Alcott, Sequoyah did take the opportunity to praise Michael C. Hall. She described him as completely embodying Dexter Morgan the moment he stepped on set, noting how effortlessly he slipped back into the character. Watching Hall work up close truly reinforced her understanding of why his performance has been so widely praised over the years.
Audrey ultimately became the only Dexter: New Blood character to receive a starring role, survive the finale...without being referenced at all during the first ten episodes of Dexter: Resurrection. Although her future in the franchise currently looks uncertain, Johnny Sequoyah’s contribution to the so-called Dexter-verse is a part of the show’s long history.