Exclusive Interview: Edwin Hodge Chats About His Journey from Broadway to Hollywood, Good Sam, and More

From the stage to the screen, Edwin Hodge has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. He’s known for the dynamic characters that he’s brought to life in projects including Boston Public, Mental, Cougar Town, Mayans M.C., and The Tomorrow War. This year, he can be seen starring opposite Sophia Bush in the must-see medical drama Good Sam. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Edwin about his career, Good Sam, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting and storytelling?
Edwin: I discovered my passion at an age when I didn’t truly understand what it was. I was three years old when I was watching The Cosby Show and told my mother that I wanted to be inside the TV with the other kids I was watching. She made it happen! The first time I truly remember loving what I was doing was when I did a Quaker Oats commercial. I believe I was six or seven at the time. I had one line in it: “Thanks, mom.” They ran the commercial nonstop it seemed. The storytelling part came when I filmed Die Hard with a Vengeance with my brother Aldis Hodge. The process of filming an epic movie like that with two icons in the industry, Samuel Jackson and Bruce Willis, was a great introduction to action films. Then watching it on the big screen solidified the idea that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Mr. Jackson in a way introduced my brother and me to Broadway, and that also was an unexpected milestone in our careers.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Edwin: The biggest influence on my career is my mother and the foundation that she built to guide me through this journey. My family has always had an amazing support structure because of her. I can only sit here and answer these questions because she never gave up on me and my potential even when I doubted myself. A former marine, she has been around the world and seen a lot. The broad perspective she has about the world allowed me to grow in a business where I’d be connecting with the world in various ways.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Edwin: The moment that stands out to me in my career is the very first time I stepped out on stage opening night of Show Boat on Broadway. As soon as the curtain opened, I swung out on stage on a rope and fell onto a mat as if I was falling into the water. I helped open the show and didn’t understand what that would mean to me until I became an adult. I remember looking out into the audience for the first time and feeling a rush of unexplainable emotions—excitement, fear, joy, and the sudden urge to throw up—all consuming me. It was great! The coolest part came a year into working the show though. My brother ended up joining the cast. We were lucky to share such a huge stage.

PC: What has the transition been like going from the stage to the screen?
Edwin: The transition was a little tough actually. We moved to California right after the run of the show and quickly realized things were a lot different. I was eleven and very much a small fish in an extremely large pool. I can’t tell you how many times a casting director would tell me, “Can you bring it down a little?” TV acting wasn’t like being on stage, and it took me about eight months to understand that. In many cases, I realized I just needed to be me for the auditions, and in other cases, Broadway helped me because of the discipline that I had gained from the experience. I had one shot to get it right. I couldn’t mess up because then I would throw off everyone else’s process. I treated my auditions as if I were on stage, but I brought the performance level down. Seems to be working.

PC: You’re one of the stars of Good Sam. Tell us about the series, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Edwin: Good Sam follows the life of Dr. Sam Griffith, played by the lovely Sophia Bush. She takes over as the head of cardiothoracic when her father and boss, played by the dashing Jason Isaacs, falls into a coma after being shot. Their strained relationship takes a turn for the worse when he wakes up and wants his old position back six months later.

I play Malcolm A. Kingsley. He is Lakeshore’s new financial director and also part of the Kingsley Family Foundation, which is one of the hospital’s top donors. Like Sam, he’s trying to find his footing while constantly having to answer to his father. Sam and Malcolm realize they are in common situations and lean on each other for support. There’s also a little heat between them.

I was interested in the show overall. With the prodigious cast and creators, I knew it’d be a set I’d want to play within for a while. The process has been very inclusive when it comes to developing our characters, and the writers have been doing a great job giving each of us bold storylines.

PC: Which of Malcolm’s relationships has been your favorite to explore and why?
Edwin: I think there’s something very interesting about all of Malcolm’s relationships. However, the one that has been the most fun to dive into is his relationship with his mother, played by the amazing Victoria Rowell. I enjoy it because there are usually so many levels for us to play in one scene. I can’t give away too much, but it’s a roller coaster for both characters.

PC: There are so many timely and relevant themes that this series tackles. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Edwin: The show does a great job of touching on many different themes. We tackle love, pain, loss, and forgiveness. We dive into the underbelly of the hospital and the politics of the business. Overall, I like the idea of dealing with loss and being able to center yourself so that you can see the best in a bad situation and know that even when you believe there isn’t hope for something better, people are pulling for you in your darkest moment.

PC: You’re also going to be starring in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Is there anything you can tell us about that series?
Edwin: All I can legally say about this show is that it looks amazing! I have to give it up to this cast and production team. The way they are about to take the audience back in time to one of the greatest eras in basketball is going to be crazy. I can say that the actors portraying these legends put in a lot of work. The actors/basketball players practiced damn near every day. They’d show up even if they weren’t able to participate in the drills. A lot of effort was put into bringing this story to life, and I believe Lakers fans and fans of basketball will appreciate it.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Edwin: Succession.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Edwin: The Other Sister.

PC: Favorite book?
Edwin: Dreamblood by N.K. Jemisin.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Edwin: Smokey Joe’s Cafe.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Edwin: Björk.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Edwin: Sinqua Walls.

To keep up with Edwin, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Good Sam on CBS.