Aldis Hodge

Writer, actor, painter, watch designer -- for Aldis Hodge the sky was the limit. After spending most of his childhood appearing in print ads and TV commercials, he began acting on Broadway in the Tony-winning revival of "Showboat" and on the big screen alongside brother Edwin in "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" (1995). They later shared several projects, including "Big Momma's House" (2000) and "Boston Public" (FOX, 2000-04), and in 2004 the ambitious Aldis branched out with a voiceover role in the popular video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" (Rockstar Games, 2004). After he portrayed an intimidating high school quarterback on "Friday Night Lights" (NBC/Audience Network, 2006-2011), the former design student and future watch mogul landed the role of gifted hacker Alec Hardison on TNT's "Leverage" (2008-2012) and appeared in the indie drama "The East" (2013) as well as commercial successes "A Good Day To Die Hard" (2013) and "Straight Outta Compton" (2015). Aldis Hodge wasn't just an actor -- he was a one-man creative empire. Born and raised in North Carolina, Aldis Hodge did what most kids with older siblings do; he tagged along. After accompanying his older brother Edwin to a commercial photo shoot one day, Aldis was picked for his own ad in a national magazine. The next few years saw the younger Hodge build his own successful career in print and TV ads. When he was nine he landed a role in the Broadway revival of "Showboat," and next appeared alongside Edwin in the smash hit "Die Hard: With a Vengeance." He worked steadily on TV, showcasing his range in everything from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (The WB 1997-2001, UPN 2001-03) to "Pacific Blue" (USA Network, 1996-2000). While he acted (usually alongside Edwin) in projects such as "Big Momma's House" and the David E. Kelley drama "Boston Public," Aldis pursued his writing and painting, and eventually enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. After taking on a voiceover role in the cult video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and a small part in "The Ladykillers" (2004), Hodge was cast in a recurring role on "Girlfriends" (UPN 2000-06, CW 2006-08). After leaving the show in 2006, Hodge took a dramatic turn with his character Ray "Voodoo" Tatum on "Friday Night Lights." He portrayed the Hurricane Katrina evacuee on half a dozen episodes of the critically-acclaimed but low-rated series, and found steady supporting work on "Supernatural" (The WB 2005-06, The CW 2006-) until joining the cast of "Leverage" in 2008. His quick-witted performance as Alec Hardison, a geeky electronics expert, quickly made the sci-fi-loving whiz-kid a fan favorite character. After the series finale in 2012, Hodge was cast as an anarchist hacker in the political spy drama "The East" and reunited with Edwin in the financially successful but critically panned "A Good Day to Die Hard" (2013). Along with a recurring role in the historical series "Turn: Washington's Spies" (AMC 2014-17), Hodge appeared as MC Ren in the NWA biopic "Straight Outta Compton" (2015). Along with high-profile supporting roles in historical drama "Hidden Figures" (2016) and Tom Cruise action sequel "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (2016), Hodge co-starred on Civil War drama "Underground" (WGN America 2016-17) as one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad that smuggled escaped slaves to safety in the north prior to the Civil War.