Casting Director KIM COLEMAN goes in-depth with me in this exclusive interview, talking about casting the smash Prime Video series CROSS, serving as a Governor of the Casting Branch of the Academy, and the importance of casting, be it for television or the big screen.
SYNOPSIS: CROSS brings James Patterson’s legendary detective Alex Cross to life in a gripping series packed with suspense, action, and psychological depth. Starring Aldis Hodge as the brilliant yet haunted investigator, the show delves into Cross’s mind as he hunts dangerous criminals while battling his own demons. With intense storytelling and a fresh take on the beloved character, CROSS is a must-watch crime thriller. In Season One, CROSS follows Alex Cross, a decorated D.C. homicide detective and forensic psychologist who faces a sadistic serial killer leaving a string of bodies strewn around the city. As Alex and his partner, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), track this killer, a mysterious threat from Cross’ past appears, aiming to destroy what he’s done to keep his grieving family, career, and life together.
Created by Ben Watkins, CROSS stars, among others, Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa, Ryan Eggold, Alona Tal, Johnny Ray Gill, Eloise Mumford, Juanita Jennings, Jennifer Wigmore, Sharon Taylor, and Karen Robinson.
Motivated by her lifelong love of television and film, which started when she watched old TV shows and black and white movies with her grandmother, one of the driving forces that keeps KIM COLEMAN going in this career path as a casting director is how much she enjoys helping actors, discovering new talent, watching actors grow, and being passionate about finding the right people for roles. She feels blessed to do work she loves and finds joy in the creative process of casting, particularly in supporting young and emerging actors.
One of her greatest accomplishments, however, is not just her work on screen, but that behind the scenes as one of the Governors of the Casting Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Together with Richard Hicks and Debra Zane they fought for Academy Award recognition for Casting Directors, and presented compelling cases to the Awards Committee and Board of Governors as to why Casting Directors should be acknowledged and honored. They received overwhelming support from directors, actors, and producers and now, starting in 2026, Casting Directors will finally be recognized at the Academy Awards, highlighting the critical role casting directors play in bringing stories to life.
Over the course of her decades in the business and extensive experience as a casting director, Kim has worked with some of the most talented directors, creators, and actors in the business, such as Tyler Perry and projects ranging from Madea to “The Six Triple Eight” to his latest film “Straw”, Spike Lee, Deon Taylor, and established writers like George Nolfi who move into the director’s chair. She seamlessly moves between film and television, and for my money, is at the top of her game with her casting of the new soap opera “Beyond the Gates”, and the Amazon smash hit CROSS.
A series that I openly admit I have binge-watched four times already since its debut on Amazon last Fall, I think it’s safe to say that were it not for Kim’s work and the impeccable casting and her understanding of creator Ben Watkins’ vision for the series, CROSS would not be a success, let alone the hit that it is. You can have the words on the page. You can have the prettiest or scariest pictures on screen. You can have rapier editing that holds it all together. But if you don’t have the actors who can bring those words on the page to life and do so with realism, authenticity, and palpable emotion for the camera to capture, it doesn’t matter how pretty the picture or how crisp the cut. Casting is critical. (And yes, we are getting Season Two, which Kim had already cast before we got together on the phone for this interview.)
As we dug into CROSS, Kim discussed her casting process in general before we zeroed in on CROSS and character specificity. Her approach emphasized finding talented actors who could make characters feel real and relatable, rather than relying on stereotypes.
When it comes to CROSS, Kim focused on creating a diverse and authentic cast by:
- Intentionally casting female officers and a female police chief to reflect the real world
- Prioritizing actors who could bring genuine, grounded performances
- Conducting in-person chemistry reads to ensure authentic interactions
- Casting actors who could realistically portray complex relationships, like the brotherly dynamic between Aldis Hodge’s character of Alex Cross and Isaiah Mustafa’s character of John Sampson
- Selecting child actors who could naturally represent kid behaviors
- Working closely with the creator/showrunner Ben Watkins, to develop nuanced character descriptions
- Seeking actors who could represent contemporary social dynamics, particularly around law enforcement and community relationships
For KIM COLEMAN, when approaching casting, it all starts with the script. When breaking down scripts for casting, she typically reads the script and receives input about the main characters from the creator, in this case Ben Watkins, and the various episodic directors. With CROSS, Watkins often writes his own character descriptions, and Kim then adds her perspective. She starts by thinking about who would be great for each role, sending lists of ideas to Ben and to each director, along with actors’ materials like demo reels or previous audition scenes. She works from lead roles down to smaller parts, collaborating closely with the director to find the right talent for each character.
With Aldis Hodge already attached as “Alex Cross” when Kim came on board, she needed to ensure each actor cast could authentically interact with him and create believable relationships. Chemistry readings were crucial. Emphasizing the importance of in-person chemistry reads, noting that being in the room allows for nuanced interactions that can’t be captured on Zoom, for key roles like the family members and fellow officers, finding actors who could genuinely play off Aldis and create authentic connections was a top priority in the casting process.
But beyond the desired diversity of the characters and casting to reflect the world in which we live today, there are some specific characters that proved extremely difficult and challenging to cast, starting with the role of “Ed Ramsey”, which may have been one of the most challenging roles in the series. Wanting to ensure the character wasn’t too obvious or over-the-top, but had a nuanced, unexpected quality, Kim thought of Ryan Eggold, whom she had cast in previous shows and knew he was versatile. When she mentioned Ryan to Watkins, he reviewed Ryan’s work and was impressed. They did a chemistry read with Aldis, which sealed the deal. As Kim stressed in our conversation, getting the Ed Ramsey character right was critical because if that role didn’t work, it would have impacted the entire first season’s success.
Casting females in roles of authority, like the police chief and police agent, was crucial to reflect the real world we live in today. Kim emphasized that it was important to Ben to display a world where women hold positions of authority in law enforcement. The goal was to create a grounded and authentic representation of contemporary society, showing that women can and do hold significant leadership positions in professional settings. Kim knocked it out of the park, casting Sharon Taylor as “Chief Massey”, Jennifer Wigmore as “Chief Anderson”, and Alona Tai as “Agent Kayla” in the primary law enforcement roles. But there’s another type of strong woman in today’s society, and that is the family matriarch, in this case “Mama Cross,” who is brilliantly portrayed by Juanita Jennings.
Another key character who leaps off the screen thanks to the work of Johnny Ray Gill is “Bobby Trey.” When discussing Bobby Trey’s character with Ben, they agreed that they needed someone who could be “off the chain” and could go to dark, violent places while also having some humor. Ben asked Kim what she thought about Johnny Ray Gill. Kim had known Johnny for a long time, and when Ben showed him the script, he agreed to the role. Kim emphasized that they needed someone who could really nail the complexity of the character, and Johnny Ray Gill fit that requirement perfectly.
As we spoke, Kim specifically praised Eloise Mumford, who played the difficult role of Shannon Witmer, Ed Ramsey’s targeted victim. Mumford was someone they were excited about casting, and while Mumford hadn’t done this type of role before, Kim felt she was an excellent choice for the project. And she is.
Always a challenge for casting directors are the roles of children. In CROSS, the Cross children are an essential part of not only “completing” the character of Alex Cross as a well-rounded man who has found a balance between being a single father family man and hard-charging detective, but key to the story as a whole, particularly as we get into episodes 7 and 8. For Kim, casting the children was not only challenging but rewarding. She was very specific about finding kids who could authentically portray children’s behavior and emotions. For the roles of Damon and Janelle Cross, she wanted actors who not only looked like they could be siblings but also had the skills to handle intense emotional and physical scenes, one of the concerns in casting these two roles. Together with Watkins, the two were up front with parents about the script’s nature and ensured the children felt comfortable. She found her Cross siblings in Caleb Elijah and Melody Hurd. Kim knew Melody from a previous film and was impressed by her talent. The goal was to cast kids who could act like real children – running, playing, and showing genuine emotions – while also handling the more dramatic moments in the series.
As you’ll hear, we covered all of this and more. From the moment we started chatting, Kim was engaging and affable, with a wonderful sense of humor and disarming honesty, passionate about her craft. I think you’ll enjoy listening to her as much as I enjoyed speaking with her. Quite honestly, I can’t wait to chat with her again, be it next year after Season Two of Cross or on one of her many other projects.
After completely covering CROSS, we discussed what is now one of Kim’s greatest accomplishments. It is not her work on screen, but rather, that behind the scenes as one of the Governors of the Casting Directors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Together with Richard Hicks and Debra Zane they fought for Academy Award recognition for Casting Directors, and presented compelling cases to the Awards Committee and Board of Governors as to why Casting Directors should be acknowledged and honored. They received overwhelming support from directors, actors, and producers and now, starting in 2026, Casting Directors will finally be recognized at the Academy Awards, highlighting the critical role casting directors play in bringing stories to life.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
By debbie elias, exclusive interview 04/02/2025
CROSS is now streaming on Prime Video.
