Honestly, I think some of my family members of a certain generation were more skittish about me playing a gay character on Six Feet Under than watching me play a killer.

I don't think closeted homosexual morticians have the market cornered on self-loathing or sense of shame.

Dexter's a unique killer in that his father saw his dark impulses, shined a light on them, and told Dexter that he saw them, he accepted them, that Dexter is good and that he is worthy of love. And I think that's what enables him to focus his energies in this unique way.

I'm very focused on Dexter right now. I want to make it as good of a show as we can.

As time passes, I feel more and more a sense of acting being a fundamental part of who I am.

I mean, the competition is really created by the buzz around the Emmys. It's a totally subjective thing.

It's interesting to play a role where you don't really have to preoccupy yourself with any need to convince yourself that you're not acting.

I never really considered acting as a career until I moved to New York.

For me, it was more a dramatic shift to go from the stage to the screen.

I think we're really - we're doing a really great job doing our show, and other shows are doing a great job doing theirs, and we'll just see what people have to say.

So it's really nice after about a year and a half to get back on stage and flex those old muscles.