“Cross” star Aldis Hodge told Buzzfeed that he was “shocked” when it was recently revealed that author James Patterson had turned down a seven-figure offer to turn his book character, Detective Alex Cross, into a white man when he was originally shopping the first book. Hodge now plays the character in Prime Video’s series adaptation of Patterson’s book series.
“I was shocked, impressed and proud,” Hodge said of Patterson’s revelation. “Every time I step into these shoes, it feels like a privilege and a responsibility to be given this task. I just want to convey that in the right way.”
Hodge also credited his “Cross” showrunner Ben Watkins for “celebrating all the assets and facets of the Black community” on the show “in different ways that we haven’t really seen, or rarely get to experience. [with].”
“He made that the basis of the show,” the actor added. “I am proud to be part of a team that believes in the same values as I do, especially when it comes to representing culture. Following in his shoes is just another opportunity to challenge stereotypes, represent the truth of who we are, and help continue to open doors of opportunity. That’s what it means to me.”
“Cross” dropped all eight episodes of its first season on November 14. Amazon Prime Video reported earlier this month that 40 million viewers watched “Cross” during its first 20 days of availability, making it the third biggest season premiere of 2024 behind “Fallout” Season 1 and “The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power” Season 2.
Patterson was in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in November when he revealed that a seven-figure offer wouldn’t convince him to turn Alex Cross into a white man. As the author explained, “I said, ‘Fuck you.’ It was painful, but I did it.” Patterson added that he didn’t want to whitewash Cross because “that wasn’t who he was.”
Prime Video’s “Cross” has already been renewed for season 2. The first season is now streaming.