Known for standout performances in A Thousand and One and Masters of the Air, Josiah Cross is preparing for another high-profile turn in Apple TV’s upcoming limited series Lady in the Lake, where he will share the screen with Natalie Portman, David Corenswet and Dylan Arnold.
A graduate of The American International University in London, Cross studied with Helen Strange, honing skills in technical theatre arts and performance. Off-camera, he keeps an active lifestyle and channels much of his energy into competitive sports such as rugby.
Below, we take a closer look at his life away from the set and what’s known about his personal and romantic life.
Their Skin Tone Brought Them Public and Personal Struggles
Josiah was born on March 28, 1997, to Keila-Kadijah Cross, CEO at Better Way Bread, who raised him and his brother on her own. The actor shares a close bond with his mother, a connection Keila often highlights on social media, where she regularly celebrates his milestones and expresses pride in his accomplishments.
Their journey to the present wasn’t without hardship. In a candid interview, the 27-year-old actor talked about how the film A Thousand and One reflected elements of his life with his mother, explaining that the script mirrored many of their experiences,
“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.”
From Aspiring Sports Journalist to a Career on Stage and Screen
His entry into acting came as a surprise detour from the path he originally imagined. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Josiah planned to make a career in sports journalism—an ambition shaped by his time as an athlete and discussed in profiles like the one at WWD.
That plan changed when a Cleveland State University professor recognized a dramatic quality in his written work and suggested he try the theater department. Following that nudge, he began to explore performance more seriously.
That choice earned him a scholarship to attend film school at Cal State Northridge—documented on his LinkedIn profile—where he took a leading role in Angels in America. His work in that production sharpened his craft and led to a Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Since June 2018 he has been represented by A3 Artists Agency, which has helped expand his professional opportunities.
Currently single, Cross is focused on building his acting career and continues to dedicate himself to developing new roles and skills.
Also read: https://thehiphopupdate.com/culture/tv-film/david-corenswets-wife-julia-best-warner-is-also-his-professional-companion/
2023 Marked His Big Break
Josiah Cross first appeared on screen in a small part as a party guest in the 2017 movie Back 2 Life. He then lent his voice to the character Porter Rose in the 2019 game NBA 2K20, before landing a more prominent role as TD in King Richard, sharing scenes with Will Smith.
Cross has said that working with Smith meant a great deal to him, explaining in an interview how Smith shaped his ambitions from childhood. Performing alongside his longtime idol was, he admitted, “overwhelmingly surreal.”
His profile rose sharply in 2023 when he played 17-year-old Terry in A Thousand and One. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and helped bring Cross wider recognition, including a nomination from the IFJA for Breakout of the Year.
Looking toward 2024, Cross will appear in the Apple TV+ limited series Lady in the Lake, which premieres on July 19. The adaptation of Laura Lippman’s novel follows Maddie Schwartz, a wife and mother who becomes an investigative reporter after an unsolved murder, offering Cross a chance to demonstrate a different range of his acting abilities.
