The actor shares why he's grateful for the chance to play Dexter Morgan in New York.
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| Michael C. Hall at NYCC 2026. (Photo credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for ReedPop) |
When audiences first met Dexter Morgan 20 years ago, his story was set in Miami, a city with a unique identity that became a big part of the OG series. Although only the pilot was actually filmed in Miami, with the rest of the show filmed in Los Angeles, the city’s tropical atmosphere remained an important part of Dexter throughout all eight seasons.
Now, two decades later, Dexter is still back with new episodes and remains as relevant as ever. This time, however, our favorite antihero has left Miami (and then Oregon and Iron Lake) behind and built a new life in a very different city: New York.
As Dexter: Resurrection returns for its second season, Michael C. Hall recently explained why filming in New York City feels like living a dream for him personally.
Why Filming Dexter: Resurrection in New York Feels Like a Dream for Michael C. Hall
During the brief red-carpet interviews at PaleyFest NY on October 9, Collider asked Hall whether working in New York came with any particular challenges or exciting opportunities. His answer was warm and personal, revealing why he feels so fortunate to be playing Dexter Morgan in a city that means so much to him.
Hall said:
"Well, for me, I came of age in New York. I went to grad school in New York and started out as an actor here. And, you know, had dreams that I'd one day be able to make it happen for myself. So shooting the show here is really like living a dream. It feels like coming home. And New York has such a presence and such an energy. It's a character in this new version."
Hall has a long history with New York City. After moving there to study acting at New York University, he began building his career on the city's stages. For him, returning to New York to play Dexter isn't actually just a change of scenery. It's also a chance to revisit a place where he once dreamed of making it as an actor.
That makes his experience on Dexter: Resurrection seem special. After so many years of playing the same character, Hall now gets to bring Dexter to a city that holds a personal meaning for him. As he put it himself, shooting the show there feels like coming home.
New York City Is an Actual Character in Dexter: Resurrection
What's interesting is that Hall isn't the only one who has described New York City as a character in Dexter: Resurrection. Director Marcos Siega has also highlighted the city's importance to this new version of the story.
Filming in a city as recongizable as New York isn't something every production gets to do, which makes the opportunity all the more interesting. When the series takes Dexter out onto the streets, it can capture the city's energy, atmosphere, and, of course, identity.
And that's an important difference from the OG series.