David Magidoff is one of the many new cast members in Dexter: New Blood, the ninth season of the hit Showtime series Dexter. Michael C. Hall is back as the titular serial killer nearly ten years after the original series went off the air with one of the most controversial series finales of all time. Now, Dexter is living in Iron Lake, New York, and trying to stave off his Dark Passenger. Magidoff plays Teddy in Dexter: New Blood, one of the members of Iron Lake's small police force.
Screen Rant talked to David Magidoff about the highly anticipated Dexter revival, what it was like coming into a show that has such a passionate fanbase, and his mustache.
Screen Rant: Were you a fan of Dexter before you signed on for the new season?
David Magidoff: I did not ever see a Dexter episode. Gotta be real with you. But I actually almost love that when that happens. Almost everything that I've ever done, I've never done [it] before the thing I got. It's usually like, "Oh, wow. It's like this really popular thing that you're now a part of like, so you clearly want to watch that stuff." Like when I did HQ Trivia. I never played HQ Trivia. And then I got quickly into HQ Trivia.
But at the same time, I started watching the episodes. And it's like, oh my gosh, yeah. Just to be a part of something that's so special and touches so many people's lives. And you quickly learn how many people. It's fun. It's special to be a part of something new, like The Morning Show where we're all doing this together. It's also really fun to be part of something both old and new.
So did you watch the whole show prior to coming on then? Or just watched bits and pieces of the eight seasons?
David Magidoff: Bits and pieces. Eight seasons is a lot. I try to watch the seminal episodes. Like the pilot, the John Lithgow season. The things that people say - you know, the finale, the things that you know are the tent poles. And so I was making sure like, "Yeah, let me get an idea."
There's a joy to sort of - my part and sort of us here in the New Blood world is like, it's a brand new place. Only [Michael C. Hall] really needs to know all that. I like not really knowing stuff, because it's so new and fresh. And we've never met him. And we don't know anything. And they're also trying to start a whole brand new series in a new tone and a new place and a new location. I like that I don't know. I didn't have to be Men in Black-ed.
What was it like coming into this new reboot environment where there were still people returning from the past, like Michael C. Hall and former Dexter showrunner Clyde Phillips?
David Magidoff: Yeah, well, first off, I would say it's a revival. I know. It's hard. We're not used to that word. Because really, what is that? So I'd say revival. And because, you know, it'd probably be a reboot if there was a different guy playing Dexter. But thankfully, it was Michael C. Hall, who's pretty much one of the most wonderful humans on Earth as I've learned in six months of being up there. And, yeah, it's so cool being with Clyde. And Scott Reynolds and Marco Siega, these guys who created and crafted the show, because they love to tell you the stories like Clyde was more than happy to just share how this started.
He would tell me how Dexter: New Blood came to be. It's funny to hear right from the proverbial horse's mouth. I would never call Clyde Phillips a horse but the proverbial horse's mouth, a beautiful mouth he has. And that's so great. You know I live for that. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this thing that touched so many lives, and it's so special for people and it's such a great antihero piece of storytelling in our beautiful television landscape." I get to hear it all from them.
But I think that I think they both love bringing a bit of the gang back together. At the same time, It really felt like a restart and a refresh. Michael wanted that as well. I think there was a big reason why this wasn't filmed in L.A. and it wasn't set in Miami. It was up in Massachusetts, in the snow, not in the heat. I think there really was an embracing and a wanting of the newness and not for trying to do what they used to do. I think they liked little easter eggs that you'll see of things that were but I really think there was this embracing of, "Hey, this is a different Dexter, he's in a different place in life. And how is he going to go about life now?"
You mentioned the finale of the original series earlier and so I wondered because that was a really controversial episode and a controversial ending, they're kind of rectifying that by bringing Deb back a little bit. Was that talked about onset at all? Or was everyone just like, "Let's not talk about what happened there?"
David Magidoff: No, I mean, you can hear Scott Reynolds, and because he was sort of there at the end, he'll be the first to say it wasn't the greatest. [They] thought [they] were doing the right thing. People make choices and they tried. I think because of the not-great ending and finale, it made this that much easier. I think people felt lighter.
There wasn't this feeling of like, oh, no, we have to be precious. It sounds like people wanted a different ending. And Clyde wasn't there at the end either. So he gets to start fresh. We're all brand new characters and this whole brand new world. So yeah, people wanted us to do this show. And to do it the right way. And to end it the right way. And I know you've only seen the first three episodes, but I do I think when you get to episode 10, you're going to be like, "This is how it should end. This is a great end to this limited series." And I think it'll make sense. And I probably even shouldn't say more than that, but I think it'd be a good episode 10.
So I want to talk about your character Teddy a little bit. With the show being set in a small town now, you've got a smaller group of characters. So many times you see these shows and movies set in small towns, and they're populated with these colorful supporting roles. Teddy is one of those. So how did you approach playing him? Can you tell me a little bit about Teddy?
David Magidoff: Well, as we know, he's two and a half weeks into this job. He takes it all very seriously. He cares. He's unintentionally goofy. He's got a lot of heart. And so that's what I think I relate the most with him. He genuinely is earnest. And so he wants to do well, he wants to impress, and he wants to sometimes take on things that he shouldn't. And he forgets that he's only been there for two and a half weeks.
And so he could ask Logan, who Alono [Miller] plays, and Chief Bishop, who Miss Julia Jones plays, probably for more - "Hey, can I do this?" versus like, "I'm just gonna do this. I'll just try that thing out." But I think you'll see as the show continues Teddy gets to face some fears. And I think that's really nice. And I think we can all kind of relate to Teddy. If you can't relate to Teddy a little bit, then I don't know. So there's something for everybody in the show. I think if you can't relate to the serial killer, then you can relate to Teddy Reid.
And then I wanted to ask you about the mustache. You're in The Morning Show without the mustache. And so it reminded me of seeing Henry Cavill with the mustache in Mission: Impossible 7 for the first time. You just looked so different. Was that a part of the character or were you like, I'm just going to do the mustache?
David Magidoff: Can I first just thank you for even comparing me in any regard to Henry Cavill. My mom is gonna hear about that.
I would say the story of the mustache is that I had it. I shot an Aflac commercial with Rob Riggle and Lil Rel [Howery], on the way out driving to Massachusetts. It just happened that way. We shot it in Vegas. I had the mustache, they wanted me to have the mustache in the commercial. It was great. So by the time I got to Massachusetts, I was like, well, I'll just keep it on. I don't know. I'll just show it to them. And so I'm literally sitting there in hair and makeup. And I'm like, "Do you want me to keep it?" and they're like, "We'll take a photo and send it to Clyde." And then Clyde was like, "I love it. Keep the mustache." So that's why Philips said yes to the mustache.
Dexter typically only goes after the bad guys, you know, people who do wrong. And so did you feel relatively safe in the sense that your character would probably be fine?
David Magidoff: I mean, the first question everybody asked me is, "Well, do you die? You know, do you get wrapped up in the thing?" And of course, I can't say. So yeah, I wish I could. let's talk after episode 10.
Can you tease anything about the rest of the season?
David Magidoff: There is a reason why it's in the snow because, you know, blood-red looks pretty good on snow, doesn't it? So we definitely as a production, take that to the tilt. And so I think that's a good thing. I think it'd be really disappointing if Dexter: New Blood didn't have a lot of blood. They literally put it in the title. But as far as what happens, I mean, I guess what I can say is kind of like you were saying it's a different tone, it's a different feel. At the same time, there are just expectations that come with bringing and doing the revival of the show, right. So we know that it'd be really sad if people didn't die. Like that'd be really weird.
We know people will die. But the way in which it happens and how it happens, and who it happens to, and why it happens I think is really cool. Because you're getting a different vibe with the Dexter Morgan character that Michael C. Hall plays so beautifully.
By the way, he's like, the nicest guy in the world and the funniest guy in the world. He plays it so well because he's such a good actor. And I'm inspired by him, but I think the Dexter Morgan character is a different person 10 years later. And so it's everything's being approached - the way death happens in his life is very different in this limited series than the way death was. I think that's really charming. I think that's really interesting. Did I do a really good job of essentially saying nothing really well? [laughs]
I was looking into your Fanaddicts podcast that you're doing and I saw that you're a self-professed comic book fanatic so I wanted to ask if you could choose, would you rather join the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe?
David Magidoff: Oh, Marvel Cinematic Universe is not even a thought.
So by the way, quick plug for Fanaddicts. We're gonna have the whole Dexter cast on. We're gonna do recaps if we can - every episode is going to drop the Monday right after the night [Dexter: New Blood] airs. So drop every Monday and we're going to do an episode recap. Then we're going to have on the whole cast. So Michael C. Hall will be episode one. And you get to learn about what he loves, which I can't tell you because you gotta wait for it. But it's really good. If I told you, you'd be like, "That's what he loves?" It's really so charming. It's so charming. And so the whole cast is on. So it's a fun way to go along the Dexter road.
But I say Marvel Cinematic Universe because DC hasn't really gotten it right. I just think they're trying and they're doing their best to figure out the humor and I love the Christopher Nolan Batman's. But I'm a Marvel [fan]. They definitely have moments that are kind of weird and funky like Loki. What was that? I just feel like they at least are locking in on characters really well and generally have a very good idea of humor. And I love that. So between the characters and humor, you can put a cape on me and next to Captain Marvel anytime.
Dexter: New Blood airs Sundays on Showtime at 9PM EST.
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