Patrick Dempsey is no longer McDreamy, now, he's more like McHorror. The actor starred in Eli Roth’s critically acclaimed slasher film Thanksgiving last year, proving that he's made for this genre. While some people probably thought that this step back into the scream-filled world could have been a one-and-done for him, Dempsey has officially booked his next horror role, and he can thank Thanksgiving for such a great transition.
Variety reported that Dempsey has landed the role of Aaron Spencer, the Miami Metro Homicide captain in Dexter: Original Sin. According to UPROXX, the Dexter prequel series takes place 15 years prior to the events of the original series and follows a young Dexter Morgan who “transitions from student to avenging serial killer.” Despite Dexter trying to not get on the law enforcement’s radar as he finds and kills people, he starts a forensics internship at the police department.
Dempsey’s role on Dexter: Original Sin is actually not too far off from his role in Thanksgiving. In the horror flick, he played Sheriff Eric Newlon. Unfortunately, while Newlon seemed to be the good guy, he was later revealed to be the one responsible for terrorizing the town and murdering people around the Thanksgiving holiday. Since he will more than likely only be playing the good guy in Original Sin, at least for now, he definitely knows a thing or two about dealing with an unsuspecting serial killer.
Thanksgiving and Dexter: Original Sin are not the only horror projects in Patrick Dempsey’s filmography.
Scream fanatics surely remember that the Grey’s Anatomy alum played Detective Mike Kincaid in Scream 3, where he survived the wrath of Ghostface. There were rumors going around suggesting he may be appearing in the upcoming Scream 7, but as of now, that hasn’t been confirmed. With Neve Campbell's return, Dempsey definitely needs to make a comeback to the franchise.
Basically, what we've learned from Thanksgiving and Scream is that if Dempsey plays an officer in a horror project, you know can bet that it’s going to be good, regardless if he’s the good guy or bad guy.
Dempsey joins an Original Sin cast that is portraying both familiar characters from Dexter as well as completely new ones. Patrick Gibson will be playing the fledgling serial killer, taking over for Michael C. Hall, while Christian Slater will play Dexter’s dad, Harry Morgan, and Molly Brown will play his sister, Debra. Also, the cast includes James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, Christina Milian, and Reno Wilson.
It seems like Patrick Dempsey will be in good company on Dexter: Original Sin, and he'll probably be using some pointers he learned on Thanksgiving for the prequel, but maybe minus the killing. It will be exciting to see him continue his horror genre takeover, especially since it’s on a series centered on an already-known and beloved character. As of now, the series does not have a premiere date on the 2024 TV schedule, but hopefully, more details will be released soon.
