Making a killing

At first glance, a darkly humorous Grand Guignol thriller about a charming serial killer doesn't sound like an appetizing weekly TV series. But Showtime's "Dexter" is a delicious, addictive must-see especially for the lead performance of Michael C. Hall -- best known as the uptight gay mortician David Fisher on HBO's "Six Feet Under."

Hall, 36, is captivating as Dexter Morgan, a brilliant blood spatter expert with the Miami Police Department, who also operates as a serial killer of slicing and dicing criminals who escaped incarceration.

In the first season, "Dexter," based on the Jeff Lindsay's novel, "Darkly Dreaming Dexter," was drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the Ice Truck Killer, a deviously brilliant murderer slaughtering Miami's hookers.

Hall's already received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for "Dexter," and he's considered a front-runner for an Emmy nomination in July.

The North Carolina native, who has appeared on Broadway in the musicals "Cabaret" and "Chicago," recently talked about "Dexter," while on a break from filming the first episode of the second season.

You have been blessed with the opportunity of playing two great characters -- David Fisher on "Six Feet Under" and now Dexter Morgan.

I know. I know.

And I also noticed you can't get away from dead bodies.

Well, the parallels-need I even say anything! Both characters and the world of both are surrounded by death -- death coming from a different angle and a very different context.

You went back to theater after the end of "Six Feet Under." But were you looking to return to TV or just content on exercising your theatrical chops?

My thought was I would go back to New York and sort of operate from there, act on stage and see how things unfolded. I didn't anticipate going right back to a television series. I didn't anticipate the character. I didn't anticipate any of it. It sort of presented itself. I realized it was a big commitment and certainly appreciated that coming off of 'Six Feet Under,' but I couldn't pass it up.

Had you read Jeff Lindsay's book before?

When I was contacted about it initially, I was sent the pilot episode and the book. I read them both.

How is the book different from the series?

The book -- the skeleton of the first season is very much in sync with the book. There is some different meat on the bones ...