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Stepping into the shoes of a beloved character is no easy feat, but James Martinez has done just that with his portrayal of a young Angel Batista in Dexter: Original Sin. As a longtime fan of the series, Martinez approached the role with both admiration and precision, carefully capturing Batista’s signature warmth, humor, and moral compass. In this exclusive interview, he shares how he prepared for the role, his conversations with David Zayas—the original Batista—and his personal ties to Miami, a city that plays a pivotal role in both the Dexter universe and his own life. Miami Living: Fans of the original Dexter series have praised your portrayal of a younger Angel Batista as being spot-on. How did you prepare for the role, and what do you think contributed to your ability to capture the character so seamlessly? James Martinez: First of all, thank you for having me, my wife is from Miami, and I love it there. I’m so relieved that the reception of the show and my portrayal of this beloved character has been so positive. My wife turned me on to Dexter when it first came out and I instantly became a big fan of the show and the characters. The key, I felt, to Batista, was to not only look and act like him, but to also capture his essence, his heart, his moral compass. I essentially looked for everything I had in common with Angel personally as well as physically and built it from there. Miami Living: You have a connection with David Zayas, who originally portrayed Angel Batista. How did you two first meet, and what’s your relationship like? James Martinez: David and I met in the NYC theater community. We had many mutual friends and would always cross paths at plays, theater events and even got to work together. I feel like reprising his iconic role has brought us even closer as friends. Miami Living: Did you have the opportunity to discuss the role with Zayas? If so, what kind of advice or insights did he share that helped shape your portrayal of young Angel Batista? James Martinez: When I got the news about booking the role of Angel Batista, I knew of a theatre fund raiser that was happening in Manhattan which David would be attending. I immediately bought a ticket. So many incredible artists were there, including David. When I saw him, I b-lined through the crowd to tell him the news and he immediately smiled and gave me one of those long Batista hugs. He was so happy for me. Just being around him was incredibly