With a career that spans three decades, Aldis Hodge has been a pillar of Black representation in Hollywood for years. The actor got his start in the ’90s and hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since. After smaller parts throughout his childhood and teen years, Hodge got a breakout role in Leverage at age 21. Since then, he’s captivated us in projects like Underground, Hidden Figures, The Invisible Man and City on a Hill. A true leading man, he has an ability to reinvent himself and take up space in Hollywood that can’t be understated.
“For me, the ambition is to continually change the perspective [on] and the approach to the identity of Black men and Black people fully,” says Hodge, 36. “That’s something that we, the community, need—so that we can maintain and control the professional narrative and affirm our value in Hollywood. We’re not sitting here waiting on a call. We’re creating that avenue of opportunity for ourselves.”
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