John Lithgow nabs a killer 'Dexter' role

John Lithgow

Credit: Matt Sayles/AP

Decorated veteran John Lithgow will play the main antagonist in the fourth season of Showtime's "Dexter."

[The article contains some spoilers for the upcoming "Dexter" season...]

The premium cable network announced on Wednesday (May 27) that Lithgow will play Walter Simmons, a mild-mannered suburbanite who moonlights as the Trinity Killer. One of America's most prolific serial killers, Trinity gets his name from his tendency to kill in threes and he's just relocated to Miami. Not only does the addition of a new killer in the community attract Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) interest and appreciation, but it also brings Keith Carradine's Agent Lundy back to town.

Showtime says that Lithgow will appear in all 12 of the show's fourth season episodes.

The new season of "Dexter" will premiere on Sunday, September 27 on Showtime.

Lithgow, most recently seen guest-starring as himself on NBC's "30 Rock," is no stranger to killer roles, most notably in Brian DePalma's 1992 thriller "Raising Cain."

In addition to Oscar nominations for "Terms of Endearment" and "The World According to Garp," Lithgow has won four Emmys, including three for "3rd Rock From the Sun," two Tonys and a Golden Globe, among other laurels.

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