Despite her twenty-year acting career, Jennifer Carpenter is most recognizable as Debra Morgan from the Showtime series Dexter. The show allowed Carpenter to display her wide range of flexibility from a hard-nosed police officer to a sarcastic and loving sister, all of which carried over to subsequent projects. While the role has been her most acclaimed to date, Carpenter has had success in both film and television since Dexter ended in 2013.

Before receiving the part that would land her a Saturn Award, Jennifer Carpenter starred in both Carpenter's dark performance as Emily Rose may have well-prepared her for the dismal content of Dexter, while the comedic lightheartedness of the Wayans Bros' White Chicks could have laid the groundwork for the nuance within Debra Morgan's character.

What Jennifer Carpenter Worked On After Dexter

The Debra Morgan Actress Has An Extensive Career

Jennifer Carpenter has had an active career outside of Dexter, with several roles both on the big and small screens. She played a central role alongside Vince Vaughn in S. Craig Zahler's Brawl in Cell Block 99; she went on to star in Zahler's follow-up film with Vaughn and Mel Gibson titled Dragged Across Concrete.

After doing voice-over work in a few direct-to-video animated films for the Batman and Scooby-Doo franchises, Carpenter was cast in the television series spin-off of Bradley Cooper's Limitless. Carpenter's most recent TV endeavor was returning to the role of Debra Morgan in the Showtime revival miniseries Dexter: New Blood.

What Jennifer Carpenter Is Doing After Dexter: New Blood

The Dexter Star Is Due To Appear In 1923 Season 2

Her return to Deb in Dexter: New Blood widely celebrated among fans of the original show, but Jennifer Carpenter has still been keeping herself busy since. While she's not been incredibly active during the last year or so (from 2023-2024), she did have a number of roles following her return to the Dexter franchise in New Blood. She has continued her voice work by reprising her role as Sonya Blade in the animated Mortal Kombat movies, most recently with 2021's Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms.

Her most noteworthy role since New Blood is yet to come, however, as the Dexter star was confirmed in June 2024 to be starring in 1923 season 2. Her role in the Yellowstone spin-off is currently unknown, though the news that she'd be ing the cast alongside the likes of Harrison Ford definitely garnered no shortage of interest.

Outside of 1923, Jennifer Carpenter has also been working on the thriller series Ballistic, in which she stars alongside Jonathan Ohye and Lihi Kornowski. As a film and television actor, Jennifer Carpenter has demonstrated a solid track record. No halt is in sight for her appearance in profitable projects. In front of the camera, Carpenter continues to be a versatile force, regardless of whether her future projects reach the same level of acclaim as Dexter.

Will Jennifer Carpenter Be In Dexter: Original Sin?

Few Of The Original Cast Return

The Dexter prequel Dexter: Original Sin arrives in December 2024, and many fans are wondering who from the cast of Dexter could return. Unfortuantely, the only original Dexter cast member viewers can expect is the voice of Michael C. Hall as the narrator. While Debra Morgan is in Dexter: Original Sin, it is a much younger version of the character played by Molly Brown (just as Dexter himself is played by Patrick Gibson).

Dexter: Original Sin takes place many years before Dexter, and focuses on the titular serial killer as a teenager. Every role has been recast, even for characters who were adults in Dexter's many flashbacks. Harry Morgan, for example, will be a key character in Dexter: Original Sin, but James Remar isn't returning to the franchise. Instead, Christian Slater will be playing the role of Dexter and Debra's adopted father.

Given that it's a prequel set during Dexter and Debra's adolescence, there's little wiggle room for Jennifer Carpenter to appear in Dexter: Original Sin. However, it's not impossible. There are two ways that the show could potentially bring Carpenter back to the Dexter universe if it was needed. The first is flash-forwards to Dexter's adult life, bringing back Jennifer Carpenter in a similar way to Mayim Bialik's cameo in Young Sheldon. The other way would be for Carpenter to narrate an episode of young Debra's inner thoughts just like Michael C. Hall will narrate Dexter's. Unfortunately, however, there's no news that suggests either will happen.