Matthew Lillard broke a 15-year streak in his career for Cross season 2. The Prime Video series is based on James Patterson's popular Alex Cross novels, with Aldis Hodge playing the titular role in the television adaptation. Lillard joins Cross season 2 as a billionaire named Lance Durand.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly about season 2, showrunner Ben Watkins reveals that Lillard had to audition for the role of Lance, even though he had not auditioned for a part in 15 years. Watkins also praises Lillard for his acting range and the sincerity he brings to all his roles. Read the showrunner's comments below:
When [Matthew] found out I wanted him to read [for the part], he was like, "What? I haven't read in 15 years."
Even though a lot of people associate him with some of the funnier or campier roles, he has great range. And I think part of it is because he really lives life. He loves people, so that means he studies people just naturally and he's sincere about his craft.
In addition to Lillard, Jeanine Mason joins the cast of Cross season 2 as an ambitious judge named Rebecca. Meanwhile, Alex Cross and Kayla Craig (Alona Tal) will investigate a case related to Lillard's character, who can be seen in the image below:
Watkins' comments come two weeks after Quentin Tarantino said, "I don't care for Matthew Lillard" after also openly criticizing Paul Dano and Owen Wilson. While Lillard admitted that Tarantino's criticism "f***in sucks" and "it hurts," many figures in the entertainment industry have since come to the actor's defense. This includes James Gunn, who worked with Lillard on Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
Regardless of Tarantino's criticism, Lillard's career is thriving as he comes off of a year of critical and commercial successes and is attached to several future high-profile projects. He starred in Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's The Life of Chuck, which released in theaters this year after winning the People's Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
2025 also saw Lillard starring in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, which has quickly proven to be a major box office hit, and is confirmed to return for Five Nights at Freddy's 3.
Lillard's projects in 2026 include Daredevil: Born Again season 2 and Scream 7. He previously revealed that he is playing a new antagonist named Mr. Charles, who has tremendous political power, in Daredevil: Born Again. For Scream 7, he is reprising the iconic role of Stu Macher despite the character's fate earlier in the horror franchise.
He also reunited with Flanagan for his adaptation of the King novel Carrie, where he will play Principal Grayle. It is expected to be released in 2026 after filming wrapped in October.
Reviews for Cross season 1 were generally positive, with many critics arguing that the Prime Video series is a significant improvement over lackluster adaptations of the source material in the past. With a 76% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a chance to further improve its reception with Lillard now part of the cast.
Cross season 2 premieres on Prime Video on February 11.
