Aldis Hodge says Ben Watkins’ TV adaptation of James Patterson’s iconic “Alex Cross” books series, “Cross,” is the show he’s been wanting to do his entire acting career, saying he feels comfortable coming to work on a series that authentically portrays the Black community and its diverse culture.
“I’m comfortable in my skin at work. Being able to present all these facets, not only of this individual as a detective, a father, a man,” Hodge told TheWrap. “We get to present the multifaceted beauty of Black culture in a way where we’re not standing on a pundit and saying, ‘This is us.’ It just is what it is, and you gotta accept it. You gotta rock with it. And I really love that we get to represent a true means of celebrating who and what we are in this very entertaining space.”
Hodge, who also serves as a producer for the show, takes the lead as Alex Cross, a compassionate and confident detective and forensic psychologist who works for the Washington, D.C. Metro P.D. In addition to Alex’s mission to crack down on the recent string of murders happening in the city, he also juggles being father to two young children, the grief from the tragic death of his wife as well as the Black community’s apprehensiveness over his decision to be a cop.
The show keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with thrilling storylines, lovable characters and nail-biting cliffhangers that compel you to hurry on to the next episode. When asked if there was any scene that took him off guard or helped improve his acting skills, Hodge said early conversations with Watkins, and his organic connection to the show was all the preparation he needed.
“I felt really excited,” Hodge said, adding that the “biggest challenge” came more so with producing the series rather than starring in it. “I’ve been doing this job 35 years, and this is the job I’ve been wanting, the opportunity I’ve been wanting for all of those 35 years. I was excited to challenge it head on.”
Hodge isn’t new to this acting game, he’s true to it, previously starring in hit series and films, including “One Night in Miami,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Brian Banks,” “Underground” and more. But the actor said “Cross” was one of the few projects he’s worked on where Black people controlled narrative behind and in front of the cameras.
“The man that I get to play embodies the way that I view Black people, Black culture and all capacities, without having to explain,” Hodge said. “I’ve been in situations before, on jobs in the past, where something is written for you by somebody who’s not Black, and their perspective is really skewed, and they’re not aware enough to look past their ego and listen to the truth. So you have to fight somebody about what is honest and true for you, versus, ‘Oh, let me go perform this lie, just for a check, let me go lie to myself and my community. And I’ve told people several times throughout the years, I’m not lying to you for nothing or nobody. There’s such a wave of relief where you don’t have to do that.”
Hodge continued: “It’s also just a damn good show. If I was not on this show, I’m watching it because the narrative, the twists and turns, the relationships, the things that you don’t expect. The things you can’t even anticipate — it’s amazing. This [show] completely deconstructs the mold of what I think when I’m thinking about a thriller or a crime drama or detective or a cop. I can’t even say it’s a cop show, this is something wholly different.”
Hodge shared that he feels the series has carved out its own lane within the crime-thriller genre while also mirroring how he’s defined himself as person and creative.
“We’re granted a wonderful opportunity to be an outlier in every sense of the word, and that, for me, feels akin to how I’ve had to get through my career,” Hodge concluded. “And it’s something that I feel is a great opportunity for me to not only live in but it’s also presenting an opportunity for education and growth, because when I leave here, I’m going to leave a far better performer and a far better producer.”
All episodes of “Cross” are now streaming on Prime Video.
