Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: Aldis Hodge, alex cross, Cross

Cross: Samantha Walkes on Her Character, Working with Hodge & More

Cross star Samantha Walkes spoke with us about the Prime Video series, working with showrunner Ben Watkins and star Aldis Hodge, and more.

Sometimes, in Hollywood, there can be roles that fulfill a specific purpose but do nothing to highlight an actor's talents. It's an issue actress Samantha Walkes has to vet in her roles to make sure even if they fit into certain conventions, she gets to build beyond any stereotypes her character faces. The Murdoch Mysteries star was fortunate enough to find that in the Prime Video series Cross from Ben Watkins and based on the popular James Patterson Alex Cross novels. The first adaptation was Patterson's second novel, Kiss the Girls (1997), followed by his first, Along Came a Spider (2001), both loose adaptations. The Watkins series, which stars Aldis Hodge, evokes the spirit of the established Patterson novels but is an original TV series take on the popular character. Walkes spoke to Bleeding Cool about how Cross exceeded her initial expectations, her approach to her character, working with Wakins and Hodge, and much more.

Cross Star Samantha Walkes on Showrunner Ben Watkins' Low-Key Nature, Elle Monteiro & Aldis Hodge's Alex Cross

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Cross?'

The writing [laughs]. I was a little skeptical at first because you get those auditions, and they have that character description. I saw love interest, but I got a little scared because I was hoping that it wasn't going to be written like similar ones we've seen in the past, with no dimension, depth, or richness of complexity. When I saw what they had written, I was like, "Sign me up! This is great!" The fact that they took so much time and there was intentionality about Elle, a lot of these female characters also have such depth to them.

What did you do to prepare for the role of Elle Monteiro? Have you read the James Paterson novels or seen the films?

Before this opportunity, I had watched Morgan Freeman do his lovely work as Alex Cross. I never read the books before but knew of James Patterson because at every airport I traveled to, this man was plastered on every bookstore wall. Once I got the role, I started reading the first installment to see how Patterson likes to write love interests, especially with the delicate situation of the widower, two kids left behind, and being a black man in America, a detective of a forensic psychologist, all the masks he had to ear. I was curious how he wrote those rules and then married them to what Ben Watkins and his team in the writing room also imagined for it.

Was there an established character from the books you tried to model Elle after?

No, Elle's not based on the books. Elle's is completely reimagined, but I read the way that James likes to write this love interest and this sense of climate that crosses in. I kept that in the back of my mind as I created her world.

What's it like working with Ben and helping to bring his vision to life, and what was it like on set?

Ben's infamous for downplaying all the ways he is involved like he will take no credit. He's a humble man, and he led this troupe as such. It's all about servitude. Every time we had a table read, he would introduce everyone else to the room and thank them for their work and spending time. Even if his name was the one who was on that episode, it was like he would never give himself a shout-out.

We got accustomed to that and ensured he always got his accolades because of the ways he had to fight for us. Think about these big networks we're working with, this man had a vision and wanted it to be as authentic as possible to what he dreamt. Fighting for that vision, being aware of the challenges ahead, and being under him were some of the best experiences by far in my career because they set a tone.

Even the crew came top down, and they loved coming to work. You can tell because we pull these hours, and sometimes, it's hard to fake it. Since it's our job as storytellers, we can tell when you're bullshitting [laughs]. This crew, I'm telling you, I remember the last day of shooting season one. I have footage of some of the speeches that happened. Aldis was at the helm, loading that in for all of us, and not one person left. Hundreds of people crowded around 3 a.m. to stay for speeches, photos, and the love we shared in that room, giving thanks to them and appreciation.

It's amazing to watch people work tirelessly on something, whether in the background. We don't always love our job every day, let's be honest. Some days are harder than others, and this crew was dedicated to excellence day in and day out. I've never been in a production like this before. There are casting directors here in Canada that I'm friends with now coming out, who have said to me, "Sam, we send readers to table reads, and they come back with five-star reviews," as we've never had a production like this, and when someone comes back, because they always ask, "How were you treated" It's like everyone from a table read to stand-ins to whatever, they all loved working on the show.

Did you only watch the ones with Morgan Freeman? Did you also look at the one with Tyler [Perry]?

I only watched Morgan.

Can you speak of Aldis's on-screen presence, your chemistry with him, and what sets his Alex Cross apart from the Morgan Freeman incarnation?

Working with Aldis was a dream, we had a lot of fun on set together. We're two big kids, which is helpful, especially with the content and the issues raised in this show. It's nice to have someone who likes to bring levity, light, and laughter to the workplace. We had tons of fun, even with the dark stuff. It pulls a lot from the actor, and it's smart casting.

It's smart and it's nuanced to have someone in this age group. He's younger in the present day, and it's the smartest choice they could have made. We need to see more of the world of 'Cross' to fall in love with this show and Ben did a great job of building out an environment with all these pillars contributing to the lead. It's family life, his love for solving crimes, and the psychological component of tracking these offenders. There's this complexity of his love journey and his kids. We get to see all facets of this man, and I find it quite beautiful that we can investigate that. In some of the movies, I know we can't see that world, which is why this is a reimagination. We're adding to the plethora of coverage that this world has had.

You can catch season one of Cross, which also stars Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, Jennifer Wigmore, Eloise Mumford, and Ryan Eggold, available on Prime Video. You can check out our interview with Stacie Greenwell.

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