LONDON – In the upcoming season of “Cross,” viewers are in for a treat as corrupt billionaires face justice. Aldis Hodge makes a return as the astute detective and forensic psychologist, delving into intricate homicide cases in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Set to premiere on February 11 on Prime, the season introduces a gripping narrative where Cross is on the trail of a violent vigilante. This vigilante is targeting those who evade accountability due to their immense wealth. Although not directly inspired by the exploits of Jeffrey Epstein, Hodge notes that the storyline draws some intriguing parallels.

“The timing is quite uncanny,” Hodge remarks, “because when this story was initially developed, it was before many recent revelations came to light.”

Interestingly, the second season was completed in 2024, well before the latest Epstein documents became public knowledge.

Hodge expresses his hope that the show will “shed light on these issues, encouraging people to no longer ignore them and hopefully, inspire real change.”

The success of the first season catapulted the actor into the limelight, cementing his identity as the television portrayal of James Patterson’s iconic character, Alex Cross. Hodge’s portrayal has earned him recognition worldwide, even catching the attention of soccer legend Thierry Henry, prompting a selfie request to avoid disappointing his mother, he humorously admits.

The Associated Press spoke to Hodge about his on-set book club, action scenes and what he really wants for his birthday. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: How pleased were you with the success of Season 1?

HODGE: I was very pleased and very surprised, to be honest. I’m particularly surprised about the international crossover. … I’ve been between here (London) and Paris in my time these last couple of months, and there’s a lot of love for the show internationally, which is, I don’t know why it’s so shocking to me, but I just didn’t realize it would have that much crossover appeal. It shows me exactly how effective the right kind of storytelling can be across different lands.

AP: The first season doesn’t shy away from the problem of being a Black man and a policeman — so how are the police reacting to you?

HODGE: I was in Paris and there was a French police officer who came up to me and was like, “Cross!” I was like wait, what? It was cool to me because the fact that we do get to have that real honest conversation. I know a lot of police officers and servicemen and women who get into the game for the right reasons and want to do the job the right way. And they’re very open and honest about the challenges that they face within the regime. And a lot them are looking to feel understood or heard.

AP: You filmed it quite a while ago. When you look back at it, what is it you remember from it the most?

HODGE: It’s mostly the people. We have a fantastic cast, our crew is amazing. I actually enjoy spending time with my cast. And we have our own little pockets, you know what I’m saying, like I got a little book club going with my boys on there, you know what I mean? Then some of us, we get out, we go and do the training, or we go have some dinners. But we really just enjoy one another. We all support each other too,

AP: There’s an excellent running scene. Do you have to work on it specifically?

HODGE: I was channeling my inner Tom Cruise, you know. … No, my mom actually, she used to be a competitive runner with track and field, and then she used to be a track and field coach. I was, like, I gotta make mom proud. You know, make sure that my arms is doing what they gotta do … look — run once or twice, ah you good. To run about 10 takes in, you start to feel it. And that’s when your body says, “Hey, man, you getting old, sit down, OK?”

AP: “Cross” is coming out around Valentine’s Day — do you think it’s a good show to watch as a couple?

HODGE: Absolutely. The crazy thing is we get a lot of love from people who they watch this together. Or what I hear most often, usually from men, is that they’re like, “Yo man, I’ll be at work. I was waiting to watch it with my girl but when I came home she had already watched the episode so now we fighting because she was supposed to wait for me. … So now I ain’t talking to my girl because of your show.” I’m like, “We trying to bring people together.”

AP: This year you are turning 40; are you excited? Do you have different aims?

HODGE: My biggest aim for 40 is just hoping that my knees and my back work. I’m going to tell you, it is not fun when you wake up and you hurt yourself just getting out of bed. Ain’t nothing cute about that at all. So I just want my knees to work. You know what I’m saying? I got a 4-year-old who always wants to be picked up, but she doesn’t understand daddy’s old, OK? Daddy’s body is broke, OK, so I’m trying to just be able to keep up with her. But that’s really it, yeah. I just need the knees.