The actor who plays Dexter’s adoptive father Harry Morgan is James Remar. Harry is a Miami police detective who adopts Dexter after finding him traumatized by his mother’s murder, then helps shape the rules Dexter follows as a vigilante serial killer.
Harry is central to Dexter’s backstory even though he dies before the television series begins. He appears through flashbacks and as a manifestation of Dexter’s conscience, often challenging Dexter’s choices and interpreting the “Code of Harry.” That unusual role lets Remar portray both Harry as a living father and Harry as an internal influence in Dexter’s mind.
James Remar had already built a substantial film and television career before joining Dexter, including roles in The Warriors, 48 Hrs., and Sex and the City. A common mix-up is confusing him with Keith Carradine, who plays FBI agent Frank Lundy, or John Lithgow, who plays season-four antagonist Arthur Mitchell, also known as the Trinity Killer. Harry Morgan is a fictional character distinct from the police detective in the unrelated television series Dragnet.