*James Martinez and Alex Shimizu take on the iconic roles of Detective Angel Batista and Vince Masuka in Showtime’s “Dexter: Original Sin,” and we caught up with the duo to unpack this thrilling new crime drama.
The 10-episode prequel series, set in 1991 Miami, explores the early days of America’s favorite serial killer in training as a young Dexter (Patrick Gibson) learns to channel his dark urges under his father Harry’s (Christian Slater) guidance. In our exclusive interview with Martinez and Shimizu, they discussed their experiences bringing fresh energy to the show, stepping into the Dexter universe, and how their roles help shape the gritty and complex world of the Miami Metro Police Department.
Fans of the original “Dexter” series will remember Angel and Masuka as beloved characters, so we asked James and Alex what new aspects of their personalities and backstories viewers might discover in the prequel that weren’t explored in the original.
“It’s just getting to see him kind of get his feet wet as a detective,” said Martinez about Angel Batista.
“I kind of created my own backstory in my mind. I think maybe he just got out of uniform, started as a detective, and just finding his way with the squad and the bullpen, how to carry himself…figuring out his own personal life, his love life,” he continued.
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“I think in this version, since he’s so young, I think he’s doing a lot of listening. We don’t see him be so seasoned at this point in the story I think that’s going to be the fun part about even watching Masuka,” Martinez continued. “I mean, so young and really just getting better and better at their craft and better at what they do and really owning their skills. So that journey was really fun to explore in this version of Dexter.”
Meanwhile, Masuka in the original series is known for his brilliance and quirky humor. So what insights will longtime fans and newcomers gain into his development as a forensic expert?
“I think the biggest aspect is you see a different dynamic between Masuka and Dexter on the show. Because in the original, Dexter and Masuka are friends already,” Shimizu said.
“Masuka kind of finds ways to boss Dexter around a lot because Dexter is an intern on the show. So there’s a lot more growth to go through the series where we see how that friendship develops. And for me, that was very fun to play…we get to really explore sort of how Masuka’s humor came to be and all of that.”
Watch our full conversation with James and Alex in the clip below.
“Dexter: Original Sin” is now streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan before airing Sunday night on Showtime.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Watch Official Trailer for ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Coming to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
