Thirty-one years after his debut in the first of James Patterson's 32 bestselling books, actor Aldis Hodge brings crime-solving forensic psychologist Alex Cross to television in Prime Video's Cross. Hodge, along with creator and showrunner Ben Watkins, talks to emmy about bringing authenticity, context and nuance to the action crime thriller. The award-winning official publication of the Television Academy is on sale December 5.
With more than 300 million books sold and three film adaptations ("Kiss the Girls" in 1997, "Along Came a Spider" in 2001 and "Alex Cross" in 2012), finding the right actor to play Cross was vital. Watkins is bringing his version of the hero to life through Hodge.
After reading only 10 pages of the script, Hodge called his team. He was awed by the character but had some concerns: "Can we maintain this awesomeness? Can we retain the sense of authenticity? But first and foremost, is the show creator Black?"
Hodge's commitment to the series hinged on who created Cross and who'd be in charge. "I know some people might be a bit fatigued with the conversation of, 'Why does [the show creator] have to be Black?' but when you talk about writing authentic stories from a real place, you tap into knowledge, experience and information that cannot be fabricated," he says. "That's why it's important — [having someone] understand what 'normal' looks like, without having to explain who and what we are."
Paramount Studios first approached Watkins (Truth Be Told, Hand of God, Burn Notice) to adapt Patterson's books in the spring of 2020 amid the "Black Lives Matter" movement and he had similar concerns. "There was a vibrant discussion going on about how Hollywood contributes to what you'd call 'cop-aganda,'" said Watkins. "There was a lot of conversation about if people should even do cop shows. But I thought it should be the exact opposite. Why are you a storyteller if you don't point yourself toward controversial situations? That was part of the reason I decided to take on [Cross]."
Protests opened wider conversations about representation and inclusion. In the cover story "Cross Examined," Watkins shares that while he found Patterson's books to be a solid jumping-off point, he felt the movies often blunted the fullness of Cross's character. So, he explained to both the studio and Patterson, "If I'm doing this, Alex Cross will be Black. He will have swagger. He must have sex appeal. I am only telling stories that are specific and true. As a storyteller, the more specific and authentic I get, the better it is for the story. I feel a large responsibility toward any community I depict that we do it authentically."
Hodge believes that Cross illuminates the mixed emotions Black Americans in law enforcement can feel as they serve a system that hasn't always served them fairly. "That is a big conversation we're able to navigate with clarity in this show, without demonizing either side," he says. "I'm not trying to give you the answer. I'm just trying to give you the scenario. It's not easy for police officers. We have a lot of good people trying to do the job right. We speak to that through these characters. It gives me something to be proud of."
Even before the first episode aired, Cross was renewed for a second season. "This show rolls everything in there that an amazing series needs," Hodge says. "We have action, we have the psychological-thriller aspect, the family dynamic, love, vulnerability, sexiness. It checks all the boxes for me personally and professionally. I've been looking for this for a long time."
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
Acclaimed author Charles Yu has adapted his popular novel Interior Chinatown into a 10-episode limited series for Hulu. In "Light Switch" emmy speaks with Yu and director of photography Mike Berlucchi about how they brought the story to life for television and the visual choices they made to define the novel's distinct but intersecting universes.
As YouTube approaches its 20th anniversary, its content creators continue to attract audiences and revenue in the billions. This summer, it became the first platform to account for more than 10% of all television viewing. In "Good Reception" emmy explores what differentiates YouTube from its competitors and an intriguing trend that has begun to reframe the way both users and the media industry think about YouTube: a significant uptick in viewing on televisions.
In 2024 TV got its groove back. "The Year in TV" shares 10 definitive trends that have surfaced among the shows we loved this season.
Download the press release here. (emmy-magazine-2024-xx-v1.pdf)
For issue/coverage contacts:
Stephanie Goodell
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy