As is often the case, what happened behind the scenes was very different from what viewers saw onscreen.
January 9 officially marked one year since Dexter: Resurrection began filming its first season in New York City. While some of you might have expected Season 2 to start production around the same time this year, that won’t actually be the case. Cameras for the upcoming season are now set to roll on April 13, as the writers are currently about halfway through the scripting process.
That puts us roughly three months away from the cast and crew reuniting to continue the story, and create new memories along the way. As is often the case on long, intense productions, and especially on a nearly 20-year old series like Dexter, those shared experiences usually leave a lasting impression. Spending months together on set naturally creates strong bonds, even more so when the project actually carries the weight and history of a franchise with such a devoted fanbase and a cast that includes Hollywood heavyweights.
One of the more interesting friendships to emerge behind the scenes involves two actors whose characters are...anything but friendly on screen. Kadia Saraf, who plays Detective Claudette Wallace, and Jack Alcott, who portrays Harrison Morgan, share a particularly tense dynamic in the series. Early episodes of Season 1 focused heavily on hteir characters, with Harrison becoming a prime suspect in the murder of Ryan Foster at the hotel where he worked, and Wallace leading the investigation.
Off camera, however, the reality could not be more different. During a recent interview with Love It Film, Saraf spoke warmly about working with the cast and took a moment to highlight her rapport with Alcott. “Jack and I, the dynamic between us, he’s scared of me in real life,” she joked.
She went on to describe their playful relationship behind the scenes, saying they would arm wrestle before nearly every scene, as you can see in the image on the top of the article. Although she admitted Alcott usually won, Saraf laughed it off, adding that she was “working until next season.” She also shared that their off-screen energy was actually lighthearted and silly, likening Alcott to a long-lost brother. Despite that...goofiness, she emphasized how quickly everything shifted once the cameras started rolling.
According to Saraf, the transition into character came naturally. The moment “action” was called, the cast locked in, 100% present and feeding off one another’s performances. She explained that active listening and mutual focus actually made even the most uncomfortable scenes work, noting that while she sometimes felt bad watching Alcott’s visibly nervous reactions during their confrontations, that discomfort ultimately served the story.
She later doubled down on the joke, teasing that Alcott might truly be scared of her, even if he’d never admit it, and laughed that whatever the case, it clearly worked for their scenes together.
Stories like this one only prove how strong the chemistry was among the Dexter: Resurrection cast, despite many of them only working together for a relatively short time. As Season 2 gets closer to production, it will be especially interesting to see how the relationship bewteen Harrison Morgan and Claudette Wallace evolves, and whether the truth about Harrison’s actions in Season 1 finally comes to light.