Julia Stiles talks about Dexter

Showtime remains tight-lipped about what's going down in the upcoming season of "Dexter," but recently cast Julia Stiles ("10 Things I Hate About You") opened up -- if only a tad -- about her new role and what drew her to the series.

"I watch a lot of shows on HBO and Showtime," Stiles tells the New York Times, "but I was sort of reluctant about working on one -- until 'Dexter' came along, because I also really love the way that they've set up these guest actors. There's always a really interesting arc that a guest needs to do."

It doesn't hurt that she comes on the heels of the series' most-praised guest to date. John Lithgow took home a Golden Globe for his supporting turn as the trinity killer, and that same role recently earned him an Emmy nomination for guest actor.

So will Stiles follow in his serial killer footsteps or might she provide some post-Rita love interest for newly widowed Dexter? It's still up in the air. But what we do know is that the character's name is Lumen, and she's described as "psychologically and physically damaged." Her introduction to the cast presents Dexter with a dilemma -- which sounds like it has love interest written all over it.

For now, the TV newbie just seems excited by the idea of playing a character over the course of a season. "In a weird way it reminds me of the making of the 'Bourne' movies," she says. "The script is always changing, so you might shoot a scene and then all of a sudden you are handed pages, and you have to memorize your lines really quickly. It's like acting in a vacuum a little bit. There's a different kind of challenge, but part of me really likes it."

You can catch Julia on "Dexter" when season 5 premieres September 26.