Aldis Hodge is bringing another iconic character to life and brings Isaiah Mustafa along for the ride Cross. Although he has been working since he was a child, Hodge found his first major success with a key role in the TNT series. To enjoywhich he would repeat repeatedly in his sequence Redemptionand achieving increasing success with everything from Straight from Compton to The Invisible Man and One night in Miami…. Hodge has also been steadily building his filmography behind the camera, serving as a producer on Cross as well as co-writing and producing the sci-fi thriller Parallel with his brother, Edwin Hodge.
Mustafa, on the other hand, took an interesting path in his career, starting out as a wide receiver in the NFL before turning his attention to acting in the late 2000s. He became a household name thanks to being the main star of surreal commercials and Old Spice hysterics starting in 2010, quickly following with supporting roles in everything from Horrible bosses to Chuck. More recently, he found success starring IT: Chapter Two as an adult Mike Hanlon, as well as Shadowhunters and the one led by Bill Skarsgård Boy kills the world.
Hodge leads the Cross cast as the titular detective and forensic psychologist, originally created by author James Patterson, who has an uncanny ability to get inside a killer’s head and find them. Mustafa stars in the series as book character John Sampson, Cross’s best friend since childhood and his work partner, with the two currently focused on hunting down a meticulous new serial killer known as the Fanboy Killer. Alongside Hodge and Mustafa, the show’s cast includes Juanita Jennings, Sharon Taylor, Melody Hurd, Ryan Eggold, Eloise Mumford, Alona Tal, Johnny Ray Gill, Jennifer Wigmore and Caleb Elijah.
Before the show’s premiere, Screen speech interviewed Aldis Hodge and Isaiah Mustafa to discuss Crossthe titular detective’s unique investigative style, how his and Sampson’s childhood relationship impacts their current partnership, and why the Fanboy Killer is the most difficult case the detective has ever faced, and the parallels between the two.
Cross’s style of investigation is about “Understanding the killer from a human perspective”
This, in turn, creates an interesting parallel between Cross and Fanboy
Screen Rant: I love the Cross series is very good. Each episode leaves me wanting more, and you have those big reveals at the end of each episode that are jaw-dropping. But the first question for you, Aldis, is that Cross has incredible attention to detail and looks from every angle. It’s a trait he seems to share with Fanboy. Can you talk about the similarities between the two and what they reveal about Cross’s investigative style?
Aldis Hodge: His style of investigation, being a forensic psychologist, is to first understand the mind of the killer, which I think he claims. Most people look at the evidence and start building from there. But I think Cross sees the evidence as an indicative signature of the killer and his motivations. He thinks about it from a very different perspective, which is what makes him special. This is what makes his mindset his superpower: he can live dangerously close to understanding the killer from a human perspective.
Because if you can’t understand the human being inside, then you can’t understand what moves him. For every season, what Ben Watkins, our creator, does brilliantly is he knows he needs to create someone who is so formidable that they can take on Cross. This can, to some extent, almost beat Cross. This may be a possibility we don’t know about, but therein lies a challenge for Cross to improve his game and keep pressing.
IsaÃas Mustafa: Yes. They need to find the right Joker for their Batman.
Alex and John’s brotherhood has a very emotional root
“…I think that’s where you see this brotherhood develop…”
Isaiah, my question to you is that John Sampson is one of the few people who can recognize that Cross is about to cross the line. Can you talk about their brotherhood and how that impacts their dynamic throughout the series?
Isaiah Mustafa: I think when you look at the brotherhood between Samson and Cross, you have to go back to their childhood because they were both fighting against something. Both are dealing with loss. They bonded through Nana Mama, and as they grew up together caring for each other and learning to recognize when the other person is going through difficult times in life, I think that’s where you see the sisterhood develop, and it went from there to the police academy to become detectives. Now, you have a true, loving relationship between these two brothers.
Fanboy is Cross’s toughest case for a unique reason
“That’s what I love…”
Aldis, would you say the Cross case involving Fanboy is the most difficult yet?
Aldis Hodge: I would say in general, I think so. That’s what I love so much about it, because it challenges Cross so much to the point where Cross has to question himself. There comes a point where he questions Cross. There comes a point where he really needs to sit down and think, “How am I doing things? How are things going? Am I really at the top of my game here?” That’s what I love about this strange cat and mouse relationship that’s going on, because this killer is so well embedded in the world he’s in.
He’s so well protected that Cross has to work to find a chink in the armor, and it’s not as easy as he thought it would be. As far as we meet them in the end, it’s first and foremost an unexpected relationship that happens between the two of them, but there’s an understanding between them that whether he likes it or not, “Ah, I see you. I’m with you. I respect, ok, now the game is on.” Now he has to go from Cross to Super Cross just to solve this.
IsaÃas Mustafa: Yes. Batman is not after thieves, he is after the Joker.
On Cross
Starring Aldis Hodge, Cross is a crime thriller series that follows ALEX CROSS, a decorated DC homicide detective and forensic psychologist who faces a sadistic serial killer who leaves a series of bodies scattered across the city. As Alex and his partner, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), track this killer, a mysterious threat from Cross’ past appears, aiming to destroy what he has done to keep his family, his career and his life together. Ryan Eggold, Alona Tal and Johnny Ray Gill also star; Ben Watkins serves as showrunner.
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Source: Screen Rant Plus