*We caught up with the stars of the Disney+ original series “The Crossover,” based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel of the same name by Kwame Alexander.
Per the synopsis: “The Crossover” introduces teen brothers Josh and Jordan Bell, widely considered basketball phenoms. Through his lyrical poetry, an adult version of Josh, aka Filthy, narrates the story of he and his brother’s coming of age, on and off the court, as their former professional basketball player father adjusts to life after basketball, and their mother finally pursues lifelong dreams of her own.
“It was a novel written in verse,” Alexander said of the series when we caught up with the author. “And it’s so much rhythm, it’s so much white space on the page. A lot of people don’t know, the white space on the page is for the journey that the reader can take. They can fill in some of the blanks. And so it’s so much that goes into creating a poem. And how do you translate that onto the screen? I had no idea how that was going to work.”
The translation from page to screen ultimately worked out splendidly thanks to the creative team, executive producer Kimberly A. Harrison and showrunner/EP Damani Johnson.
READ MORE: Derek Luke and Sabrina Revelle Talk New Disney+ Series ‘The Crossover’ | EUR Exclusive
The series stars Derek Luke (“Chuck Bell”) Jalyn Hall (“Josh ‘Filthy’ Bell”) Amir O’Neil (Jordan ‘JB’ Bell”) Sabrina Revelle (“Crystal Bell”) Deja Monique Cruz (“Maya”) Trevor Bush (“Vondie”) and Skyla I’Lece (“Alexis”).
“Vondie is definitely the Bell Brothers’ best friend and he can be that voice of reason for them, help them out when they make some decisions. And he’s also a jokester so he can keep it light. Keep it fun,” Bush told us of his character.
“Alexis is a great support system for JB when he’s going through his crises. She’s just a great center for him to be able to hold onto. And she’s very strong. She’s sweet and she’ll do anything for the people that she loves,” I’Lece shared.
Cruz added, “Maya is JB and Filthy’s ride or die. She’s able to put her feelings on the back burner to make sure she’s got her boys up and she’s just the family friend. She does have a little crush on Filthy, but he don’t see it, so stay tuned.”
Alexander said the journey of the two brothers in “The Crossover” serves as “a reminder to all of us that Black people are human beings.”
“We’re happy, we’re sad, just like everybody else. We’re just going about the business of trying to live this one wild, precious life. And in the midst of it, things are going to change, they’re going to shift. Life is going to crossover on us, and we’re going to have to figure out how to stick together. And the only way to do that is by having a team, a village that loves you, that you love. And so I want people to remember that, and that’s ultimately the goal,” he continued.
EUR’s Ny MaGee spoke further with Hall, O’Neil, Cruz, I’Lece, and Bush about their characters and what viewers can expect on this first season of “The Crossover.”
Watch my 2-part video interview with the cast below.
“The Crossover” is now streaming on Disney+.
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