Posted in: Amazon Studios, TV | Tagged: Cross, prime video, Samantha Walkes

Cross Star Samantha Walkes on Elle's Storyline Arc, Co-Stars & More

Cross star Samantha Walkes spoke with Bleeding Cool about the Prime Video series, bonding with co-stars, Elle's storyline arc, and more.

Samantha Walkes is always looking for new challenges, whether as a veteran of the theatre or in their film and television work. 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. Watkins is the first to adapt the detective to TV following film adaptations starring Morgan Freeman and, later, Tyler Perry with a more modern twist, and Aldis Hodge in the title role. Walkes spoke to Bleeding Cool about how the series exceeded her initial expectations, co-stars, and more.

Cross Star Samantha Walkes on Bonding with Ryan Eggold, Costars, and Challenges

Bleeding Cool: Can you speak about your costars like Isaiah, Jaunita, Alona, Caleb, or Melody?

Those were some of my favorite scenes were the ones concerning the [Cross] family around the table. I love multigenerational casting. There's something about the stillness and wisdom of our older cast members versus the childlike-ness and the playfulness of our kids on set. It adds so much energy and some of my favorite stuff was around the table fighting. The improvisation within the scene of how we all connect as a unit in our storylines is not necessarily on a page. It's not something that they can write for us. Finding that rhythm, the tone, and textures within our banter across the table and passing the lot were some of the most fun times, and all of us laughed together. I'm grateful to be part of that.

In the first season, what else happened? Working with Ryan Eggold…I still get chills when I watch some of the stuff that happened between us in the season. There's energy, and it's kinetic. It's like lightning, and it feels very sharp and fresh. There's rebirth, death and there's all this ebb-and-flow in the way he performs. It was lovely to work opposite him for this season.

It was quite an honor, and I've learned a lot too. I come from the theater, right? I'm a theater kid at heart, and I've only been in the TV & film industry for a few years. Getting to set and watching my colleagues work has been probably the best part of my job, but I don't believe I get paid it, Tom! It's like a highway robbery [laughs]. I'm getting paid to learn from these giants, it's wonderful and to reflect off each other and volley. It's such an athletic craft, right? That's what people forget. They watch us, and they love it. They're entertained, which is what we want, but they forget how athletic it is.

It's not just the hours, this is mentally, spiritually, and emotionally draining work where we're constantly having to play these within these worlds. It's like a game. It's solving this puzzle. It's constantly curious. We're relentless in our search for why and we're pushing for our objectives. You must have this mental asceticism, and Ryan was one of the highlights for that.

What was your biggest challenge in the series, and how does it stand out from your other work?

With Elle, one of the things [the role] taught me something personal as well. There's this journey she's on with 'Cross' and trying to find a way through just the turbulence. With her passion for activism and her community, and then trying to establish a love with a D.C. detective, who's a widower with two kids. There is so much there, and one of the things that was most challenging was when I got to some of these episodes; we were dealing with some of this material and the love journey of Alex Cross.

I realized there was no answer, that this was a messy love. There are no checkboxes. This is something that takes so much intentionality and work. There was a part of me as the actor where your process is to answer certain things about this situation so you know where you're going. This was one where this was in the unknown. It's in question, but it's also within the insecurity. It's where lies the power in her love for him.

It was the first time that it was like a light bulb [going off above my head]. It was an "Aha!" moment for me because the fact this is not something that sits in a box, not tied up in a bow. There is no neat ending. It's very messy, it's okay not to have the answer, and it's okay not knowing where to go from here.

The insecurity of that and leaning into that only brings this beauty and clarity to the fact I believe that's what real love is. I don't really believe in true love, but maybe real love is not knowing all the steps of dance, right? I found that as I kept going through this and figuring it out as the actor, it's okay not to have the answers because my journey doesn't have an answer. It was beautiful to release into that. There was beautiful freedom on the other side going through that, where this love can take any form it needs because we're not sure. We're here trying, and both committed. There's a dedication to finding it, even if we don't know which step to take next, I found that delicious to play. It was even more exhilarating, fun, and fulfilling as an artist to have that journey.

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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