Josiah Cross and ‘A Thousand and One’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
“Surreal.”
Josiah Cross often returns to that word when describing how 2023 is shaping up. It’s how he sums up his experience attending Sundance earlier this year with his new film “A Thousand and One,” which took home the grand jury prize.
More from WWD
“Some of the greatest films ever have gone to Sundance,” says Cross of attending the famed film festival, his first. “It was a lot to take in, but I was very excited and humbled by the experience — definitely taken aback with it, in a good way,” adds the L.A.-based actor. “There was a lot going on. It was freezing — I did not expect it to be that cold there. So next time I go, I’ll definitely be prepared with warm coats, gloves and hats.”
“A Thousand and One” marks A.V. Rockwell’s feature directorial debut and stars Teyana Taylor in the leading role. The film, produced by Lena Waithe, is set in Harlem during three distinct time periods and New York City mayoral eras, spanning the ’90s through the mid-2000s. The story revolves around Inez (Taylor), who kidnaps her son Terry from foster care and is fiercely dedicated to providing him a stable sense of home, as their neighborhood faces rapid gentrification. Three actors of various ages portray Terry; Cross steps into the role for the latter half of the film when the character is in high school.
Cross was particularly drawn to the mother-son dynamic in Rockwell’s intimate script. “It resembled so much of my life with my own mother, in trying to figure out our place in the world; figure out our place as a son, as a mother, as a friend, and specifically being Black in America,” he says.
He lends a lot of credit to his on-screen mother, Taylor. “Teyana is an all-class talent. She comes from music, she’s a dancer, she’s an artist. She paints, she directs — being that multifaceted in your talent makes you nimble, it makes you more flexible when it comes to creating with another actor,” says Cross, describing Taylor as a generous scene partner. “That helped us both achieve something very special. I’m truly appreciative of her giving me the space to be myself as an artist,” he adds.
Cross has been navigating the increase in attention since the film’s Sundance premiere. In January, he signed on with United Talent Agency, which approached him in Park City at a screening of the film.
“Since Sundance, things have been fast, rapid, changing,” he says. “I’m just trying to stay grounded as much as possible — while still staying true to why I started this whole wanting to be an actor thing.”
Growing up in Cleveland, Cross didn’t initially set out to be an actor; as a former athlete, he wanted to be a sports journalist. One of his professors at Cleveland State pointed him toward the theater department after noting his dramatic approach to writing. After changing his major to theater, Cross won a scholarship to attend film school at Cal State Northridge. While there, he starred in a theater production of “Angels in America,” and was awarded a scholarship from the HFPA to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
“That’s where things started moving really fast,” says Cross of his time in London, praising his conservatory training as the most formative part of his acting journey. “If it weren’t for London, I probably wouldn’t be in this position because the training was bar none.”
Cross notes that he and his team are sorting through different opportunities to figure out what’s next, focusing on new types of projects and roles. He has several completed projects in the pipeline already, including “Masters of the Air,” the upcoming Apple TV+ World War II miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Cross booked the project while he was filming “A Thousand and One,” and it offered him the opportunity to work with directors like Cary Fukunaga, Dee Rees and Tim Van Patten.
He also recently finished filming “Lady in the Lake,” another Apple TV+ miniseries that stars Natalie Portman — “a person that I grew up idolizing,” says Cross.
“Getting the chance to work with her this early in my career was very surreal,” he adds — that word again.
Best of WWD
