Avid fans of film and television may already be acquainted with the name Aldis Hodge. Though the screen actor may not be a household name in every circle, his many IMDb credits make him instantly recognizable for millions of viewers across the globe. Hodge’s latest project, Amazon Prime Video‘s Cross, places him front and center as title character, Detective Alex Cross. The project, which released to stellar reviews on Nov. 14, follows the decorated homicide detective as he uncovers a political conspiracy that goes all the way to the top of the food chain. Though Hodge has appeared in his fair share of popular projects, this new series has wrought a meteoric rise in recognition for the prolific actor.
With droves of new fans, many people are wondering just how much the multi-talented actor has made over the course of his decades-long career in front of the camera. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a comprehensive guide to Aldis Hodge’s life, career and net worth. The actor’s story is one of resilience and perseverance, which makes it all the more endearing that he has come so far. With no further preamble, let’s dive right in and see what we can learn about Hodge’s finances, investment portfolio and rise to fame.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Long before he was lighting up television and film screens with his infectious smile and daring charisma, Aldis Hodge was born to a humble Jacksonville, North Carolina family. His parents met while they were both serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, though Aldis and his brother Edwin were primarily raised by their mother alone. Despite her service record, Aldis’ mother was not paid a survivable wage for a single mother with two children, leaving his family to struggle through poverty for much of the young actor’s childhood. Per a 2019 interview with Cap Radio, Hodge even spent a portion of his youth homeless and living on the streets. As he explained “We’ve been homeless three different times. I believe the last time I was homeless was when we moved to LA – I think I was 10. We used to live in our car at a certain point and all that.”
Despite his difficult upbringing, Hodge exhibited multiple talents and hobbies as a child, taking to performing music from a young age. By the time he was just seven, the future star got his first credited acting gig as a recurring player on Sesame Street. From there, he took on a host of child acting jobs, appearing in such film and television projects as 1995’s Die Hard With A Vengeance, 1999’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer,and 2000’s Big Mama’s House. All the while, his mother was very deliberate to ensure that Aldis and Edwin took their education seriously, and apparently went to great lengths to ensure that her children’s acting schedules would never conflict with their schooling.
Teenage Years and Artistic Pursuits
Though Aldis Hodge would see plenty of success in front of the camera, he often lamented the limitations of his early roles. In his previously mentioned Cap Radio interview, the father of one explained, “When I was a teenager, all I was getting was, like, thug role auditions and athlete role auditions. And I remember, I was always a science nerd. I was like: Black people are more than this… So I’ve made sacrifices. There are jobs I didn’t take, auditions I didn’t go on. It all amounts to where I am now.” After finishing high school, the established actor attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where he studied painting and discovered his love for watchmaking. Shortly thereafter, he landed one of his largest roles at the time, as Alec Hardison on the TNT series Leverage.
This allowed Hodge to spread out into a more fleshed out and well-rounded character than ever before, as audiences got to know Hardison over the course of a whopping 77 episodes. The entertainer even took home a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor thanks to the series. Around the same time, Hodge began appearing in numerous television commercials, partnering with brands like Taco Bell and State Farm. Though he still wasn’t getting the same kind of roles as film icons like Denzel Washington, it was quickly becoming clear that Hodge’s careful selection of work made him a cut above the rest.
Major Breakthroughs and Larger Roles
In the mid 2010s, Aldis Hodge finally broke through to the mainstream with performances in major projects like The Walking Dead, Turn: Washington’s Spies, and Black Mirror. In 2015, Hodge made major waves with his portrayal of iconic gangsta rap founder MC Ren in the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. He subsequently appeared in hit movies such as Hidden Figures, What Men Want, The Invisible Man and multiple DC animated movies. In 2024 alone, Hodge has appeared in five feature length films, as well as the newly-released Cross series on Amazon Prime. According to his IMDb page, Hodge already has two projects in active production, so his career clearly shows no signs of slowing or stopping.
Obviously Cross has given the film star his biggest push into A-list territory yet, as his name and face have been all over the marketing for the exceptional dramatic series. Aldis Hodge has promoted the show via social media heavily in the weeks leading up to its release, exemplifying his happiness in being a part of such a well-rounded project.
Additional Ventures and Overall Net Worth
While acting is obviously Aldis Hodge’s main job, and the generator of most of his net worth, his watchmaking skills have given way to a lucrative side hustle. After spending nearly a decade collecting watches and tinkering with them as a hobby, Hodge launched his own brand of luxury wrist wear in 2024. The brand, titled A. Hodge Atelier, serves as a venture designed to bring people of a diverse background into the watchmaking business. Outside of the business venture, Hodge’s watch collection is known to be quite expansive, accounting for a total worth of over $1 million. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Aldis Hodge touts an overall net worth of over $10 million thanks to his many exploits on the big screen. If his meteoric rise in 2024 is any indication, it seems clear that he’s on-pace to more than double that figure in the next few years.
