American actress Jennifer Leann Carpenter, famously known as Jennifer Carpenter, is one of the most acclaimed rising television stars with over a decade of working experience and nearly forty acting credits.

The 41-year-old actress is best known for her portrayal of Debra Morgan in the Showtime series Dexter. Her performance helped her earn a Saturn Award in 2009.

She has also received praise for her role as Rebecca Harris in the CBS series Limitless, and Erica Shepherd in the NBC drama The Enemy Within.

Carpenter's Early Career

The Juilliard alum landed in the film industry with a small guest appearance in 2002’s film People Are Dead. She continued playing minor roles in movies like Ash Tuesday, D.E.B.S., White Chicks, and Lethal Eviction in the following years.

On September 5, 2005, Carpenter appeared as Emily Rose, the protagonist, in the horror-thriller The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Her performance was praised by critics, and she went on to win several awards, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened Performance, Hollywood Life Breakthrough Award, and Breakout Performer at the Scream Awards.

After that, the actress never looked back as she has been regularly working in movies and TV shows.

‘Dexter’ Was Her Breakthrough Television Project

Carpenter took on the role of Debra Morgan in the Showtime crime drama television series Dexter, which premiered its first season on October 1, 2006.

In the series, her character Debra is the adoptive sister of the title character, played by actor Michael C. Hall.

The actress impressed several critics once again. The Australian journalist Jack Marx even described her character as "cool and clumsy" and "so perfect that many viewers appear to have mistaken the character's flaws for the actor's."

During a conversation with Paul Hirons in 2009, she talked about her character’s relationship with the series’ central character, Dexter. She said both the characters anchored each other and would be out of balance without the other.

“Dexter is her only tie to her family and without him that idea dies,” she said. “At first I think Debs sort of began as a disguise for Dexter, but now they’re sewn together.”

She also shared that the show earned her fans across the world, and she, at times, freaked out when people stared at her. She, however, prefers if her fans come to her and “say hi.”

“...otherwise I feel like I’m in high school and someone is just looking at me to see what I’m wearing,” she added.

A 'Dexter' Revival on Showtime

The series Dexter was concluded after its eighth season, which premiered back in September 2013. But the series is slated to premiere again for a 10-episode limited series revival on Showtime in late 2021.

In October 2020, the network announced the series’ revival with actor Hall onboard to reprise his role as the killer vigilante.

Carpenter also took to Instagram on May 26, 2021, to share a sneak peek of the series, writing, “I haven’t even watched this one yet—— I just shared it immediately!”

Actor John Lithgow, who will reprise his role as Arthur Mitchell, later confirmed during an interview with Deadline in July 2021 that Carpenter will also appear in the limited season.