Julia Stiles Dishes on Dexter, Releasing “Repressed Emotions”

Stiles, who joined the hit Showtime series during its fifth season (spoilers coming), plays Lumen Ann Pierce, a rescued victim-turned-hero who assists Dexter Morgan in his dispatching of criminals that slip through the cracks of the justice system.

“It was great, I was thrilled to be a part of it. I came in in the fifth season, so it already was a well-oiled machine at that point,” Stiles said, joking adding that the show’s star, Michael C. Hall, is not a murderer in real life.

During her role as Lumen – one Stiles received an Emmy Nominiation for – Julia is given the opportunity to avenge herself on her would-be killer, an on-screen event that she later told the LA Times she was thrilled about because she knew it would make her tap into particular emotional areas that are normally repressed in civilized society.

“[Not the urge to kill]… But emotions like hate or anger or revenge,” she explained.

When asked about the “kill room,” a meticulously prepared place where Dexter “does the deed,” Stiles said:

“It’s pretty exhilarating, partially because of the history of the show. There’s a kind of sacredness to the way that they’re filmed. Everyone’s very much on alert because of the safety issues, but, yeah, that tradition … I felt privileged to be a part of it.”

Be sure to catch Julia Stiles in Dexter Season 5 which came out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, August 16.

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