Aldis Hodge on not watching Alex Cross movies when Ramsey returns

SPOILER WARNING: This story contains spoilers from Season 1 of “Cross,” now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Taking on a beloved character that has been played multiple times by other actors is no easy task. So for Aldis Hodge, both star and executive producer of Amazon Prime Video’s “Cross” series, his method was simple: Don’t watch the other adaptations.

Although he was familiar with the character of Detective Alex Cross and the universe created by James Patterson in 1993, Hodge found no reason to watch the films. (In 1997, Morgan Freeman played the role in “Kiss the Girls” and returned in 2001 for the sequel, “Along Came a Spider.” Tyler Perry took over in “Alex Cross” in 2012.)

Below, Hodge explains his process of tapping into the emotional character, his thoughts on the dual storylines that spread throughout the season, what’s set up for Season 2, and more.

James Patterson created Alex Cross in 1993. The character’s story spans several books and has been adapted into a film starring Tyler Perry and Morgan Freeman. What was your introduction to this world?

I knew the character, but I didn’t read the books until after I got the part. I haven’t watched the movies. I remember bits and pieces of Mr. Freeman’s work when I was little, but I wasn’t allowed to watch them at the time. My reference points came from conversations with showrunner Ben Watkins and James Patterson, talking to the two about intention and vision. I was happy that I could have a clean slate and build that organically. I hadn’t read anything through the entire first season, even going into the second season, because I still wanted to keep that clean slate. Any questions I might have would go straight to Ben and James. Then, when I felt like I had done my job, I started reading the books. They’re pretty good!

Yes, they are! So you still haven’t seen any movies?

No. What I like when it comes to my work is that I always have a barrier so that I can do my work. So as I move forward, season after season after season, there is nothing to get in the way or hinder my own process. I like to keep it my own, organic, without outside influence. So it’s more about making sure that I can protect the character that I’m playing, creating and stepping into.

This Alex Cross is more political than in the books. He is a Black Lives Matter hero and clearly faces a lot of challenges while on the force. Was that always part of the character?

I respectfully challenge to say that he is not politically, but culturally competent. He is aware of what is going on and does not avoid it, which makes him authentically unique. If problems arise, he tackles them. He won’t ignore it. He won’t beat around the bush. And that’s why we love watching this character, because he’s the guy who’s going to say what we all want to say, hope to say, want to say or be inspired to say. That’s the biggest joy when it comes to playing this kind of character, because he can be honest. And when it comes to the topic and why we were even talking about these things, it’s because it’s actually relevant and real to us in our real lives. Watkins said, “Look, if we lie on the page, we lie to the public, and they will know it.” We can’t have a story that centers on a black detective, who knows everything that’s happened over the years, knows everything that’s going on right now, and doesn’t address what’s real. It makes no attempt to be politically or socially trendy. It is what is there naturally. That is the structure of these characters’ experiences, because it is the structure of our real, lived experience.

Season 1 follows two very different cases: the question of who killed Cross’ wife Maria (Chaunteé Schuler Irving)and the Fanboy Killer, played by Ryan Eggold. Was this always the plan from the start? to have two parallel stories, instead of one?

That came from the beginning, and that’s something you should talk to Ben about. But for me, that’s something I noticed early on and questioned. I was like, I wonder how they’re going to balance this, because you get a lot in eight episodes. It’s packed with story. They do it so seamlessly that you never get lost, never get off track and never get confused. Every question asked, we get an answer to, and the things we don’t get an answer to are intentional. It’s almost like playing a game with the audience – with, not on. The audience is invested in the mystery of it. You have these two storylines, with clues bouncing back and forth. It felt like I was knee deep in mystery with everyone else. I think the intention was to have a completely layered story.

Let’s talk about your character and Ryan Eggold’s relationship, specifically at the Ed Ramsey birthday dinner in episode 5. It almost became a dance between the two of you. Can you talk about creating that dynamic?

With that episode, we just had to go in and have so much fun. We just kind of played take, after take, after take of us and we would improve a little bit. He pushed, I pushed back. He really brought his A-game. For this first season in particular, he set the tone for the type of villain you’re going to see. We needed someone to execute, and he did that at the top level. You get a full-fledged villain story, where you understand and learn who this villain is who sets the tone. So every season you’re going to expect that, and he pulled it off in an amazing way.

I love that we get to see a bit of disagreement when it comes to Cross and losing his cool. We expect him to always be cool. He’s always the smartest guy in the room, but he’s also human. He is in a situation where he has no control over the environment or environment. Finally we see what that looks like. It’s one of those moments that leaves you on the edge of your seat. The house burns down. Where do we go from here? It is the true epitome of thriller entertainment.

Ramsey is eventually taken down and his worst nightmare of not becoming a famous serial killer comes true. But he’s still alive. Does this mean we can see him further down the line?

You know that very well, I can’t tell you that. Am I open to the idea of ​​seeing Ramsey again? Absolute. I cannot confirm or deny what we discussed.

You’ve completed season 2. Can you tell us where that starts? Is there a time jump?

You know I can’t tell you that either!

Fine! Ultimately, in the books, Alex marries again. He’s clearly far from ready for that, but is he ready to open his heart again at the end of season 1?

I think by the end of season 1 he’ll be ready to start the healing process. Before he can even try to open his heart to someone else, he must first open his heart to himself. I feel like he is finally in a place where he can recognize or acknowledge the importance of the need to heal.

The true love story is definitely Cross and his best friend Sampson.

That’s basically what Ben Watkins is saying: this is a love story, but not a romantic love story. It’s a bromance and at the heart of it is Cross and Sampson, which I love. We see these two men operating in a way of a real brotherhood, a real family, a real support system that I haven’t seen on TV in a long time. I think the last thing I saw that was close was the first “Bad Boys.” This is where we can show the true strength of a man – through his vulnerability, through his responsibility and through his responsibility. There is so much power in the representation of that that we can show to the world because it is the way we operate. in real life. It’s how we actually work on set. We hold each other.

Cross really goes on a journey in the first episode – he is challenged both physically and emotionally. What was the most difficult part for you as an actor?

The hardest part, to be honest, was working in Canada, shooting outside in the freezing winter. Dear God, Toronto, calm down. I live in New York and traveled back to New York every weekend to see my family. It felt like New York was spring because I was used to this terribly frigid, ungodly cold in Canada. I don’t know why people choose to live there in the winter. They are built differently. My mind can’t process it. I am a tropical people. I felt like it was personal. I felt a personal disrespect from Toronto towards me, to be honest, every time I woke up and walked outside. I want to fight the sky.

This is what I really feel. These are not jokes or exaggerations. I was literally outside waving in the air, like, chill, bro, we get it. You’re cold, we get it.

This interview has been edited and condensed.