RUBEN CHAMORRO

BY  VYCEVICTUS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RUBEN CHAMORRO

IT’S FREQUENTLY POSITED by movie fans and critics alike that our current crop of Hollywood leading men doesn’t quite live up to the iconography established by actors of yore. Finding the next De Niro, Schwarzenegger, or Pitt is a tall order. That’s why the solution lies not in trying to re-create the past but in developing a new formula to meet the needs of the future. Enter Aldis Hodge. From his earlier years (1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance, in which he appeared as a child actor) to now (the 2008 series Leverage, which ran for five seasons, along with 2022’s Black Adam), the 38-year-old has built a rock-solid foundation in television and film. With the talent he has for expressing emotional interiority, along with a fighter’s skill set and physicality, Hodge seems destined to stand out for a long time on screens big and small.

Hodge’s latest project is Prime Video’s Cross, a new adaptation of James Patterson’s long-running series of crime novels featuring the serial-killer profiler Detective Alex Cross; Hodge is both the star and executive producer, working hand in hand with creator/showrunner Ben Watkins. His skill as a leader behind the scenes is another impressive layer of dynamism for a star with the physique of a blockbuster action hero, the dramatic chops of an Academy Award contender, and the handsome charm of a true-blue heartthrob.

I’ve been thinking a lot about male role models recently. Concerns about young men embracing extreme attitudes born of hopelessness in the face of economic insecurity and turbulent cultural shifts—“The Culture Wars,” as the pundits call it—have grown over the past few years. When I met with Hodge, it was the day before the 2024 presidential election, and my mind was heavy with thoughts about society, my career, and my responsibilities at home and to my family. Meeting a full-fledged movie star certainly added to that anxiety, but I was blessed to find Hodge to be a calm and welcoming presence as he strolled into the Men’s Health offices, fresh off an appearance on a local morning talk show. I could sense that he, too, had much on his mind, and we quickly found comfort in each other’s energy as two middle-aged Black men with A Lot Going On, enduring the endless task of keeping it together.

This dynamic of men connecting has been part of the fabric of Cross from its inception. Hodge recalls a lengthy conversation during his first meeting with Watkins, in which they discussed the show's overall nature and intention. They wanted to dive into the inner lives of the men at the core of the show, and themselves as well. “Our conversation was about where we were in our lives as men, and the importance of showing that,” Hodge says. His cream sweater and khaki outfit evoke a philosophy professor—focused and thoughtful but always ready to share. “We wanted to show vulnerability as a strength and the importance of acknowledging mental health.”

RUBEN CHAMORRO

The pressure to succeed as a Black man in modern America permeates the story; tensions in the city of D.C. escalate in the wake of grisly crimes committed by “The Fanboy,” the show’s main serial-killer antagonist. Cross faces increasing pressure to apprehend him while also being tormented by the tragic loss of a loved one, as haunting demons from the past simultaneously  emerge. Hodge’s portrayal presents a man who’s both an indomitable force and a wounded soul on the edge of complete breakdown. The show doesn’t shy away from real-life issues such as trauma and PTSD. “That subject matter was definitely intentional,” Hodge says. “We talked about topics that were important to us as men, and also topics we thought were important to be representative of the Black community that we hadn’t necessarily seen addressed or portrayed correctly before.”

While these thoughtful elements represent a welcome evolution of your typical crime caper, there are still plenty of thrills to be had. Hodge’s version of Cross has muscle to spare, with many moments of action and suspense that show off his world-class action-hero prowess. Hodge is a martial arts practitioner—a Southern Shaolin kung fu competitor in his youth, who gained experience in wushu, capoeira, kali/escrima, and Muay Thai over the years. He melded that mix of traditional and modern fighting techniques and styles by training for the role with coach Corey Calliet, who has also worked with major stars such as Michael B. Jordan and John Boyega. In training with Calliet, Hodge often considered the importance of not only physical strength but strong mental health and wellness as well. “The physical helps to substantiate and stabilize the mental,” he says. “Keep your body in shape, but it’s not like you have to be out here bodybuilding.”

As he says this, I bring up the Men’s Health chest workout routine video he did a few years ago that I have watched repeatedly for pointers since its release. I chuckled nervously for a moment, embarrassed to let the fanboy in me slip out, but Hodge was genuinely grateful for the appreciation from myself and all of his fans. For my part, I let him know that appreciation goes beyond just aesthetics; as part of the Action for Everyone podcast, I do deep analysis into the theory and practice of action cinema and what makes a proper action hero. My cohost Liam O’Donnell (creator of the Skylines sci-fi/action DTV movie franchise) has worked with talents such as Iko Uwais (The Raid), an Indonesian action superstar who has made his way into Hollywood feature films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Expendables 4. Hodge perks up at this revelation, excited to hear the name of someone who turns out to be not only one of his favorite actors but a major influence and inspiration as well.

“Iko is crazy!” he says with a laugh. “I love martial arts, I love training, and I love action movies. I’ve never trained in silat, which is what we saw in The Raid, but I think it’s really fantastic. There’s a beauty and an art to action that’s rarely met and matched.”

In my time with him, Hodge revealed himself as a true Renaissance man, exuding an inspirational masculinity, emotional intelligence, poise, and keen vision that should instill hope in those looking for what the next generation will bring to the table. Men’s Health got a glimpse into Hodge’s unique perspective right from the start as he shook things up and started the interview with his own opening question.

ALDIS HODGE: What surprised you the most when you watched Cross?

MEN’S HEALTH: How Cross confronts our current understanding of social issues and events—Ferguson protests, Black Lives Matter, defunding the police—head-on from the very first episode. I was curious to see how it would use those issues intelligently while also being this very heightened serial-killer noir. It was interesting that ultimately there’s not necessarily a stance being taken but a big question being presented. Here is a Black man within the institution trying to do good but also recognizing the system’s many flaws. How does one do that? Can that even be done?

I’m a U.S. Army veteran of 12 years, and I very intimately understand this inherent paradox: being in an institution that uses force over others, yet growing up and witnessing firsthand how excessive force can be used on my people.  For me to go overseas and do that to other people…that’s something I have to live with. I have to own that. So then, in the realm of fiction, we see Black characters who are cops or military, and the question is rarely asked: 

Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in the movie Black Adam (TOP) Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross in the series Cross. (BOTTOM)
ALAMY STOCK PHOTO( TOP); AMAZON PRIME VIDEO (BOTTOM)

MH: Things like “copaganda”—that is, a biased slant on how we portray police in fictional media—are very important issues to a lot of audiences. As you say, this is a reality. So, hopefully people will be open to this interpretation of that concern.

AH: As a portrayal of detectives and police officers, it’s a full-rounded view. Often, people make the mistake of isolating the idea of a police officer through the lens of what they’re supposed to be, as opposed to the true lens of what that person is doing. It’s a case-by-case basis. So, in the show, you have that varied experience through the characters, where you have some police that are trying to do the job well, doing the best they can, but get caught up. You have police who are sour and abuse their power. And then you have detectives like Cross and his partner, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), who are going to do the right thing regardless of who’s opposing justice. It could be a suspect, a serial killer, or it could be somebody else with a badge. It doesn’t matter. The thing that makes these guys special is they’re going to do the job the right way, regardless of the risks.

MH: Alex Cross is a legacy character of sorts. He’s a beloved literary hero who has been portrayed in live action by Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry. What was your mindset in bringing this character to life? How did you want to make this portrayal of Alex Cross your own while staying true to the core of the character?

AH: This answer is for a lot of other actors out there who are trying to figure out how to transition characters: It’s not something you ever have to worry about. If you understand the character’s honest intention, and you connect that or anchor it to your own honest intention and ambitions, then you’re always going to deliver your best and most unique performance. What makes us special as artists and creators is the exact same thing for each and every one of us. You are indicatively you. You’re going to walk and talk differently from somebody else. I was never worried about what I could bring to this character that was going to be different because I knew automatically it was going to be different. I’m confident in whatever it is I bring.

What I focused on primarily was making sure my intention was commensurate with Ben Watkins’s vision as the showrunner because we have to be a team. After I talked to Ben, I talked to [Alex Cross book series author] James Patterson about what inspired him to create the character and what the most important things that needed to be reflected about him were.

RUBEN CHAMORRO

MH: While Cross is a genius savant detective, he also has this tremendous weight upon his shoulders that comes in the aftermath of his wife’s death, which kicks off the show. You show this emotional strain and dive into things like therapy and mental health while also being a “Big Black Cop,” tackling these stereotypes and iconography in our media.

AH: This is the brotherhood between Sampson and Cross, and the fact that they’re pushing each other to get better, to do better. That, for us, is rare to see on-screen, but it’s normal within our true lived state. We didn’t want to make a superhero, we wanted to make a hero. A superhero is near impervious, right? There’s no fight, no hustle, no struggle, no flaws. But a hero is somebody who is flawed, is hurt, is wounded, and still has the courage and the strength—or finds the strength—to keep going.

MH: Pulling back from the show a bit, can you talk more about your personal philosophy surrounding physical and mental health?

AH: When I’m physically fit, working toward my physical goals and meeting them, aside from the endorphin boost, I also get a great deal of mental ease and personal confidence. Whenever I start letting myself go physically, I see it. And if I see it on a daily basis, it does weigh on my mentality almost to a state of depression. There was a time when I had a back injury; it was so bad that I’ve needed two surgeries within the last five or six years. Not having my physical capabilities available to me at all times, to the point where sometimes I couldn’t even walk or sleep because of my pain, that weighs on you mentally.

MH: With those issues in mind, have you made specific changes to your fitness routine?

AH: For sure: self-care. Before my injuries, I never did athletic massages, physical therapy, going to see a chiropractor. I was forced to do so in order to recover, things like muscle stem work and deep-tissue massages. I had to learn that fitness as a whole is a scientific process. Your physique is not directly representative of your health necessarily. You can look big and swole and not actually be healthy. Same thing where you may not look the most muscular but might actually be far healthier because you understand where your body’s at and you’re hitting your nutritional goals.

MH: It’s good to know you’re a real-life martial arts practitioner because a lot of stars aren’t as invested in building the actual skills involved. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since actors are just one part of a whole system. The directors, the choreographers…

AH: …And the stuntmen, who are incredible! Stuntmen and -women are sorely undervalued for the job they do and for the training they have to go through. I had a stuntman when I worked on Black Adam—David Warren III—and that dude is absolutely incredible. He’s the best natural athlete I’ve ever seen in my life.

MH: Cross is a detective thriller, but some serious action and hand-to-hand combat come up along the way too.

AH: I really enjoy the physical aspect of it. Yes, I love action, but what I love about action is there’s a whole storytelling element to it that you cannot fabricate through any other medium. There are some things you can emote with an amazing back kick or five-punch combo that you can’t always necessarily communicate with words alone. There’s something else you get out of that, which is really quite significant.

RUBEN CHAMORRO

MH: With you as an executive producer, it makes me think of someone like Dev Patel, who recently directed and starred in the action film Monkey Man. He mentioned in interviews that he spearheaded the project himself because, although he practices martial arts in real life, he’s more known as a dramatic actor, and nobody would take the chance on him as an action star. Do you have similar concerns of being pigeonholed? Perhaps it might be the inverse in your case, to be relegated to the “Big Black Action Hero” archetype, when really you have this very clear thoughtfulness in everything you do.

AH: I want to make sure my career is open to any opportunity, and that I never sit in a box. I grew up doing stand-up comedy—most people don’t know that; you had to be at the shows. People know most of my dramatic work but don’t understand that comedic side. Same thing on the action side. There was a time where people didn’t want me to be more than that. I grew up on a really cool show called Leverage, and I was playing the smart, nerdy geek. People don’t merge that with being a fighter, and I’m like, I’m literally both in real life. I’m a science kid. I sit there and do conceptual design, engineering, physics, all that. That’s my world. At the same time, I’m very physical and I’m in the gym. I’m fighting. I don’t see a separation.

People don’t often understand how to accept the duality of things they deem to be oil and water mixing harmoniously. So, for me, you’re always going to fight some battle to break through a door or break through someone’s perceptions. Ultimately, I only care about the opportunity I want and executing how I’m going to go get it. There’s always going to be some door you’re meant to kick down. You’ve just got to figure out how to kick it down.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Live From New York, It’s Dylan O’Brien!

The 33-year-old plays Dan Aykroyd in Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night,’ and he’s not sure he hit it out of the park. But he’s okay with that.

Jake Paul Opens Up About His Past Mistakes, Mike Tyson, and God

How the societal menace and serial disrupter is trying to change the sport of boxing, influence influencer culture, and, gulp, maybe change the world, too.

How Josh Rivera Got Into the Mind of a Killer

The star of FX’s 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' packed on 60 pounds to play the NFL star-turned-murderer. But the hard part was getting into his character’s head.

Welcome to the Hartnettissance

Thanks to a bit of charm, a bit of charisma, and his new role in M. Night Shyamalan's 'Trap,' Josh Hartnett is on the path to superstardom (again).