Seeing Double? See Patrick Gibson’s Makeover Into Michael C. Hall’s Iconic Dexter for ‘Dexter: Original Sin’
The creative minds behind the Dexter canon have taken longtime fans on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. After a disappointing and nonsensical series finale to the original Showtime series, viewers turned to the 2021 reboot, New Blood, which mostly failed to take off. Now, Dexter loyalists have Dexter: Original Sin, which promises an origin-story prequel full of nods to the original.
Fans are right to be skeptical. However, early reviews and sound bites from the cast give us hope that Original Sin will satisfy the itch that Dexter left when it concluded in 2013. The series’ young Dexter, Patrick Gibson, pulled out all of the stops to look like Michael C. Hall. Now, we can’t unsee their uncanny resemblance despite being 24 years apart.
Patrick Gibson transforms into a young Dexter
Gibson had struggled to land roles in Hollywood after his early success in Netflix’s sci-fi mystery drama, The OA. When he began auditions for Dexter: Original Sin, he “worried about the idea of a prequel,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, he calls the script “sharp” and quickly committed to the origin story of such an iconic TV character.
The naturally fair Irish actor completed nearly 10 auditions before submitting a photoshopped photo of himself with red hair and brown eyes to convince the creators that he could look like Hall. Gibson nailed it and committed to dying his hair red and wearing brown contacts as they spent nearly six months filming the prequel. “I had [visible] eyebrows for the first time in my life,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “I had to learn how to act with them.”
‘Dexter’ stars Patrick Gibson and Michael C. Hall look remarkably similar
Now, the 29-year-old is keeping his red hair for Original Sin’s media tour. Gibson is walking the red carpet alongside Hall, who has subtly aged 11 years after Dexter’s series finale. Both actors have thin lips, angular jawlines, and remarkably similar nose and eyebrow shapes. With a commitment to hair dye and a mastery of applying contacts, the two truly look related. “I put that wig on and thought I looked bloody gorgeous, like, ‘I’ve arrived,'” he humorously explained.
Gibson explained that he also wore the infamous wig included in a flashback in the original Dexter series. Fans will never forget the wig’s stringy, straight locks, so Gibson committed to several Dexter: Original Sin scenes before his character gets a haircut. The Shadow and Bone actor is dedicated to honoring his beloved character, sharing that he hopes to “bring some of myself to this character while also honoring what he did.”
You can catch the series premiere of Dexter: Original Sin on Paramount+ with Showtime on December 13, 2024.
