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Aldis Hodge brings realism to James Patterson’s TV cop

Harry November 14, 2024

Aldis Hodge he calls it “Cross Vision.”

At certain points in the new Amazon Prime series”To go past“Police detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross He gets so deep into a case that his brilliant mind goes into overdrive, giving the audience the inside scoop but leaving his fellow cops wondering if he’s okay because he’s out of the zone.

Hodge can say: He used to do something similar when he was working as a conceptual designer on a project. “People have brought it up. They’re saying, ‘Hey Al, we lost you. Like, where have you been?’ “You’re just staring into space,” says Hodge, who “applies my sensibility” to Cross’s on-screen problem-solving appearance. “Visually it’s spectacular.”

Hodge’s Cross is a man of action And intelligence in the crime thriller series based on the character James Patterson‘s mystery novels. The entire eight-episode first season premieres Thursday — with a second already in production — Titus Welliver’s “Bosch” joins John Krasinski’s “Bosch” as Cross becomes the latest in Amazon’s growing library of literary crime-solving heroes . “Jack Ryan” and Alan Ritchson “The communicator.“

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Among Hodge’s on-screen roles, from NFL star Jim Brown to superhero Hawkman, Alex Cross tops this list: “He’s all of the facets of what I believe he is as a black man, without any of the stereotypes,” Hodge says. “He is equal parts intellectual, raw, real, and honest about who and what he is without compromising who he is.” Cross is also the smartest man in any interrogation room: The premiere features him verbally eviscerating a racist murder suspect with a measured, cheerful air. “I thought, ‘This guy is so cool,'” Hodge says of reading that scene.

In the series’ first season, Cross, a popular cop in his Washington, D.C. community, investigates the death of a Black Lives Matter activist. The new case puts him at odds with the locals, who are wary of the police, but Cross quickly discovers that a serial killer is at work in the city. He is also still grieving over his wife’s unsolved murder a year ago, and realizes that he and his family are being followed by a mysterious person who seems to have a connection to his past.

Cross is really good at his job and even has his own unique trench coat; It’s a “very special” outfit choice for Hodge, 38, who designed it with her friend, fashion designer Waraire Boswell, who died in July. But “Cross” creator Ben Watkins had previously told the actor that he didn’t want Alex to be a superhero: “They are tough and invincible, but this hero is flawed,” the actor says. “There are challenges that he cannot overcome. And really one of the biggest challenges is himself as he navigates this area.”

Speaking of superheroes, here’s a fun fact: As many actors have played Spider-Man in live-action movies as there have been Alex Cross. Before Hodge, Morgan Freeman played the detective in “Kiss the Girls” (1997) and “Along Came a Spider” (2001), while Tyler Perry starred in the 2012 action thriller “Alex Cross.”

Patterson says all three have “fabulous and different takes” on the character, but Hodge “manages to get under the skin of Alex.” The books “detail the interaction and conflict between his roles as father, husband, grandson, etc., and this difficult life as a detective. Aldis handles this really well.”

The writer also appreciates the way the show deals with current police-related issues. “I don’t do realism in Alex Cross books. Just like someone looking at Picasso. You can’t say, ‘This isn’t very realistic.’ “It’s not being realistic,” says Patterson.

Hodge says the series explores how Alex “swims in both worlds” (the police and the African-American community) and “what that challenge looks like when you wear a badge.” “It doesn’t matter who you are: if you abuse the true definition of justice, Cross will bring you down.”

Both Hodge and Patterson place emphasis on Cross’s close relationship with his partner and best friend, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), which is rarely touched upon in the films. Theirs is a “sisterly love story,” Hodge says. “We very rarely see a relationship where two guys are fighting over each other and actually talking about mental health: ‘Look, man, you’re drowning right now. Let me pull you up so you don’t sink.’”

Maybe Cross can expand his circle of friends with all these new detective friends floating around. “It’s a rich genre, mysteries, and it also moves around the world well,” says Patterson, who is producing a show featuring Jane Smith, another of the book detectives.

This one goes to Max and will star Renee Zellweger, so there’s no synergistic team there. So if Alex were to cross over with any of his Amazon siblings, who would be the best fit?

“I think Bosch is somewhat close to that,” says Hodge. “He would have to act differently with Jack Reacher because of the way Reacher works. Then Jack Ryan would be nice, but that might put Cross out of his jurisdiction.

“It would probably be Reacher,” the actor thinks, smiling at the thought of these two smart and powerful men working together. “This is a Good question.”