Kendrick Cross

Cross's career arc is a slow burn. He didn't crash onto screens with a star-making role in his twenties — he built it methodically, starting on stage and then working his way through the kind of guest-spot television grind that most actors quietly endure for years. Early TV credits included episodes of Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill, followed by appearances on Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva (TMDB). Not flashy. But consistent. The recurring work started stacking up from there. Roles on The Game and Saints & Sinners established him in the drama world, and his appearances on Born Again Virgin, Dynasty, and Black Lightning showed range across tones and genres (TMDB). The 2019 OWN series Ambitions was arguably his biggest starring vehicle to that point — a prime-time soap opera backed by the Oprah Winfrey Network that, despite its cancellation after a single season, demonstrated Cross could anchor a show rather than just support one (TMDB). He's said in interviews that the stage background informs how he approaches long-form character work. His film résumé runs parallel to the TV work. For Colored Girls (2010) was a high-profile Tyler Perry adaptation with a stacked ensemble cast. The 5th Wave (2016), All Eyez on Me (2017), Acrimony (2018), Tales from the Hood 2 (2018), and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) followed in quick succession — a stretch where Cross was genuinely everywhere if you were paying attention. The War with Grandpa landed in 2020. Then 2021 brought a recurring role on Queen Sugar and an appearance in Genius: Aretha, the National Geographic anthology series covering Aretha Franklin's life (TMDB). The Stranger Things Season 4 role as Agent Wallace in 2022 — in what became one of Netflix's most-watched seasons ever — was a significant visibility moment. He's currently recurring on General Hospital as Detective Bennett, a role he joined in January 2023 (TMDB).