‘Dexter’ is Back on NUVOtv: We Talked to David Zayas and Lauren Vélez

“Dexter” was one of the most successful TV shows in history. After eight seasons on Showtime, America’s favorite serial killer arrives for the first time to basic cable. NUVOtv (a new network targeting mainly Latinos) will air two back-to-back uncut episodes every Monday night at 9pm/8c after its premiere on Monday, Jan. 13.

I had the pleasure of speaking with two of the actors responsible for the beloved series, Lauren Vélez (Maria LaGuerta) and David Zayas (Angel Batista). Both talents shared memories, opinions and more with Desde Hollywood.

Nestor Bentancor: For the past five years everybody has been talking about “the Golden Age of television.” Dexter started like eight years ago. How was it for you guys seeing that, realizing that you are one of the first shows that really took television to another level?

Lauren Vélez: You know, I think it’s interesting. We hear that now. I hear that now, but when you’re doing it pretty much you want to do justice to the material and the work and the characters that you’ve created. So I think hearing all that now is really wonderful for us because that’s not something you go in thinking about. It’s just, “How can I do the best job I can with what I’ve been given, and how do I make ultimately something I can be proud of and that other people can be proud of?”

That it has turned into that is really awesome for both of us. I know I can say that for David as well. And that it’s going to be on NUVO is even more awesome because I’m really excited about getting more of the Latino audience access to see the work and see the show and enjoy all the characters—not just ours, but the other actors that we had on the show as well—and just really enjoy the series.

David Zayas: Here’s the thing with that. You’re right. I feel in watching—being a television watcher for a long time—the past ten years has been kind of a golden age of television to have some of the best shows on television in the past ten years. The fact that Dexter is even mentioned in that list is a really proud thing for me and wonderful to be part of a show that could be considered involved in that golden age.

I think that television now, and maybe for the past ten years, has been wonderful. There has been a lot of great material, a lot of great stories. So thank you for pointing that out, and yeah, I’m very proud that Dexter could be mentioned in a list of wonderful shows that is going on right now, that has been going on for the past few years.

Nestor Bentancor: Obviously you miss the people that you worked with, but what were the things in your routine, for regular shooting days, that you missed right away after your character or the show ended?

Lauren Vélez: I’m thinking the routine of getting to work and going to hair and make-up. It’s very early in the morning—typically 5:30, 6:00 in the morning—and then going into the rehearsal process. That’s what I miss the most, when everyone’s starting to get the day’s show, the day’s work together. It’s just people working together to create something, to create magic. That’s probably what I miss the most.

Zayas: Yeah, I do. I miss everybody working hand-in-hand, not only with our wonderful actors, but all the directors and the writers and the crew. Everybody really cared every time they were on a set. Everybody cared about the show, and everybody put in—everybody was really, really intent on making the show successful, and I miss that. I miss that a lot.

Nestor: Talking about the things that you probably are going to miss, Comic-Con was a big event, was a big chance for you to connect with the public. What is the thing that you remember the most, maybe a funny story or something that happened at Comic-Con?

Zayas: Well the weirdest thing for me the first time I was on Comic-Con is seeing a bunch of people dressed up like my character. That was kind of jolting to me and kind of weird. But you know, it was interesting, and it was definitely complementary. But I had never been at Comic-Con before, and seeing people dressed like characters of our show took me aback a little bit. I had to get used to that.

Vélez: Well, I went to Comic-Con for the first time last year; I’d only heard of it. Like David said, it’s very surreal. But I think the thing that struck me the most is the commitment of the fans, not only to dressing like their favorite characters, but when they came to the panel discussions of the show they were—the questions were so specific and so well thought out and really intelligent, and all of them had to do with the moral ambiguity of the show and how it affected their morality. They were just really wonderful insightful questions, and I was sort of floored at how committed the audience was to the show.

Nestor: Last question for you, David. Many killers tried to defeat Dexter without succeeding. If you could give an advice to an enemy, what is the weak point of Dexter? Where would you go to defeat him?

Zayas: You know, I’ll answer that question as a viewer because I cannot answer it as a character. But as a viewer of Dexter, probably his weakness would be his family. His family has always been a weakness because to me that’s what always confused him. When something happened that involved his family that was always what raised his blood pressure up, and to me that would be it.

“Golden Globe® winner Michael C. Hall stars in the hit Showtime Original Series as Dexter Morgan, America’s favorite serial killer. As a Miami forensics expert, he spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them. The series features a stellar cast of Latino actors including recent Alma-award winner Lauren Velez, David Zayas, Aimee Garcia, Christian Camargo, Edward James Olmos and Jimmy Smits, to name just a few. In support of the series’ January premiere on NUVOtv, the network has launched a dedicated area on its website at mynuvotv.com/dexter.”