24 years ago, on June 3, 2001, the first episode of Six Feet Under aired, taking viewers into the world of the Fishers, a quirky Los Angeles family who examined questions of life, love and death while operating a funeral home. Michael C. Hall took home an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of fastidious, anxious middle child David Fisher, who over the course of five seasons transformed from a closeted people-pleaser to an emotionally complicated father and husband, in a performance that is often considered the first realistic gay male lead character on television.

Though today, he is best known for his work on Dexter and its spinoffs — the newest of which, Dexter: Resurrection, premieres July 13 on Showtime (July 11 on Paramount+) — Hall’s first major role still holds a place in the hearts of fans. He spoke with ReMIND about how Dexter and David overlap, and what David Bowie thought was the major theme of Hall’s career.