The actor behind Harrison Morgan revealed he became the target of a small but vocal group of “fans” following the 2022 finale.
It is common knowledge by now, that being famous is a double-edged sword. There are plenty of examples of well-known stars who enjoy the benefits of fame, but also end up dealing with its darker side, in ways that can actually get pretty intense and annoying.
Over the years, there have been many cases where a role in a movie or TV show had a negative impact on the actor behind the character. That’s exactly what happened with a Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Resurrection star, more specifically Jack Alcott.
Back in 2021, Dexter’s son Harrison was reintroduced to audiences as a teenager in Dexter: New Blood. After months of casting, with dozens if not hundreds of actors considered, the team chose Alcott for the role.
And being in such a beloved and iconic franchise was a major step forward for his career. But what followed wasn’t something he could have expected. He actually ended up becoming the target of serious online hate, even including death threats.
In a recent interview with The Direct, Alcott opened up about the backlash he faced after the Dexter: New Blood finale and how it affected his daily life.
He explained that the hate didn’t just fade away quickly, in fact it lasted for about a year after the show ended. While most of the messages were more exaggerated like 'I'm going to Dexter you on a Dexter table,' a few of them crossed into a genuinely ‘concerning’ territory according to Alcott.
The actor actually admitted that, at first it got to him, but over time he said that started to see it differently, realizing that not everyone is going to like you, especially when you’re in the spotlight.
Jack Alcott also shared that, as an actor and storyteller, his main goal is to make the audience feel something. From that perspective, even extreme reactions meant he had done his job in a way. He revealed that eventually, he began to reframe some of that negativity as a sign that his performance had an impact, even if he still made it clear that he’d much rather have his character be liked than hated.
The backlash comes down to how Harrison Morgan was written during New Blood. A portion of fans found him frustrating, since he often clashed with his father, complained a lot, and just as things started improving between them, the finale actually took a devastating turn. Harrison ended up killing Dexter, at Dexter’s own request, which definitely didn’t sit well with everyone.
For some viewers, that was a tough pill to swallow, and for some reason it led to a wave of hate directed at the actor himself.
But the good news is that since then, things have changed in a very big way. Dexter’s death was undone, and with the first season of Dexter: Resurrection out there for months now, Harrison’s arc has taken a whole different direction. He’s now significantly more likable among audiences.
What this really proves is how some people struggle to separate a character from the actor playing them. It’s honestly hard to understand how anyone could send death threats over a fictional storyline, but it shows that a small part of the fanbase actually takes things way too far and loses perspective.
And when it comes to Dexter, Alcott isn’t the only one who’s dealt with this. Over the years, showrunner Clyde Phillips and executive producer Scott Reynolds have also been targeted online by angry fans. But, a reminder that this isn’t just a Dexter issue, as it’s part of a bigger problem across the entertainment industry.