Inside actor Michael C Hall's life off screen from cancer battle to Dexter co-star ex-wife

Dexter Resurrection has landed on Paramount+, poised to continue the saga of Dexter Morgan, but what should we know about star Michael C Hall?

Four years have passed since Dexter New Blood revived the franchise following Dexter's conclusion in 2013, and now the sequel series Resurrection has made its debut.

Serial killer Dexter Morgan (portrayed by Michael C Hall) awakens in hospital from a 10-week coma in the opening episode after being shot by his son Harrison in New Blood's climax.

However, upon encountering Detective Angel Batista (David Zayas), Dexter flees and escapes to New York to lay low.

With Dexter's world returning to our screens, here's what you need to know about Michael C Hall's life beyond his legendary character.

Early tragedy

Hall was raised in Carolina with his mental health counsellor mother and his IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) employee father.

Tragically, the actor's father succumbed to prostate cancer when Hall was merely 11-years-old.

Speaking to New York Times, he revealed: "I think I've been preoccupied since I was 11, and my father died, with the idea of the age 39: 'Would I live that long? What would that be like?'"

Six Feet Under

Hall launched his career on stage, appearing in off-Broadway shows before securing his breakthrough role as the Emcee in Broadway's Cabaret revival, directed by Sam Mendes.

His role as David Fisher in the 2001 drama Six Feet Under, centred on a family-run funeral home, was a pivotal moment in his career.

David's storyline notably grappled with his struggle to accept his homosexuality and his relationship with Keith Charles (Matthew St Patrick).

Discussing this aspect of his character with HBO, Hall remarked: "He was a fundamental fabric of the story that was being told.

"His relationship to his homosexuality was not incidental, but fundamental to who he was, what he struggled with and his inherent conflict.

"When I got the part, I felt a sense of obligation to garner that character's truth -- maybe I was more intensely charged with a sense of responsibility to get it right because I knew that David was special in that way."

Marriages

In 2002, the actor, now aged 54, wed actress Amy Spanger, renowned for her roles in Royal Pains, Bored to Death and Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical.

However, their marriage ended in divorce by 2006. The following year, he began a relationship with Jennifer Carpenter, who portrayed Dexter's sister Debra Morgan in the original series.

The couple eloped on New Year's Eve in 2008, but, regrettably, they filed for divorce nearly two years later.

It is believed that they have stayed friends post-separation.

Hall has since found love with Morgan Macgregor, whom he married in 2016 when she was 29 and he was 45.

Hailing from Canada, Morgan is a writer and book critic, having previously worked at the Los Angeles Review of Books under her belt.

Cancer

While immersed in the production of Dexter's fourth season, Michael C. Hall, then aged 38, was confronted with a Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in early 2010.

Hall remained quiet about his condition and commenced chemotherapy after the season's filming concluded.

Hall's decision to reveal his battle came when he donned a knitted cap at the 2010 Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards.

He shared his reasoning: "I thought, 'Well, I can treat this successfully and if my hair falls out [which it did] I'll wear a wig during the fifth season - and I won't even have to share with anyone that this is happening.'".

"But I thought it would be conspicuous if I showed up (at the awards) without eyebrows, and so I made an announcement.

"I'm glad I did because I really underestimated how much that would be a source of inspiration or strength to other people.

"Just to see someone who you know and spend time watching, who goes through the treatment process successfully, is of value."

In a heartening turn of events, Hall announced his remission later in the year.

Forgotten roles

While Hall's performances in Six Feet Under and Dexter are etched in public memory, he also graced another high-profile series.

In 2017, Hall stepped into the shoes of President John F. Kennedy in the second season of Netflix's acclaimed series The Crown, with Jodie Balfour of Bomb Girls fame portraying First Lady Jackie Kennedy.

Hall and Balfour made an appearance in the episode 'Dear Mrs Kennedy' after receiving an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed by Claire Foy.

This isn't the only Netflix series where Hall has featured; he also had a role in the 2018 Harlan Coben mini-series 'Safe'.

Set within a gated community, widower Tom seems to be regaining control of his life after his wife's death, but chaos ensues when his eldest daughter disappears.

Hall shares the screen with other recognisable actors such as Amanda Abbington, Marc Warren, Laila Rouass and Emmett J Scanlan.

Dexter Resurrection premieres on Friday, July 11, on Paramount+.