Aldis Hodge is hacking his way back onto Season 2 of Leverage Special

If you think Aldis Hodge looks familiar, there’s a very good reason why. Although his role as “Alec Hardison,” the smooth and clever computer hacker, on the hit cable series Leverage (which begins its second season July 15 on TNT) just recently turned the young actor into a household name, this seemingly overnight sensation is actually a seasoned, hard-working show business veteran. “I’m only 22, but I have been doing this for twenty years,” Hodge admits. “My work goes all the way back to like Sesame Street, for a couple of years. I guess you could say that I’ve been doing this for a while now.” However, Aldis and his older brother Edwin Hodge (“Malcolm Washington” on Mental) actually got their start on the New York stage. “We did Showboat, on Broadway, which I call my alma mater, for about two-and-a-half years,” recalls Hodge referring to the Tony Award-winning revival directed by Harold Prince. “Then, after that, we came to LA and started knocking on the TV door. But, I think we knocked it down.” Indeed. From stints on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, NYPD Blue and ER (all before his 12th birthday) to recent, pre-Leverage gigs on Bones, Supernatural, Numb3rs, CSI and Friday Night Lights, Hodge already possesses an impressive television, stage and film (Die Hard With A Vengeance, Big Momma’s House) resume that rivals those of actors twice his age. Surprisingly, Hodge wasn’t born with dreams of becoming a talented, successful actor. In fact, at two years old, an innocent little bribe (and his love of all things Batman) helped to guide him onto the road to stardom. “My brother (two years older) was the one who wanted to do TV, but I didn’t like the business at all,” he recalls, while driving to the Portland, Oregon-based set of Leverage. “He was doing this one job where they needed an extra kid on set and my mom was like, ‘Do you want to do it?’ And I was like, ‘Sure, cool, fine,’ and so I did it. Afterwards, she bought me Batman toy. She told me that for doing a good job, she was going to buy me a Batman toy. So, I said myself, ‘Okay, how can I get more Batman toys? I know, I’ll do more acting jobs.’ (laughs) So, that was what got me into acting, I wanted more Batman toys. But eventually, I came to love my craft. It’s still a very tough monster to tackle but I do love my craft and nothing’s taking that away.” After reading the script for the pilot episode of the caper-filled, action/drama Leverage, Hodge was anxious to hone his craft even more by landing the role of computer hacker Alec Hardison. (For those who may have missed out on the excitement and fun of the humor-packed, action-driven series, Leverage chronicles the weekly exploits of a Robin Hood-esque, specialized team of thieves, computer experts and con artists who right corporate and governmental injustices against honest citizens by coming up with scams and pulling off heists of their own). Although Hodge already had a job on Friday Night Lights (as high school football player “Voodoo”) he wasn't about to let the role of Hardison slip through his fingers. Instinctively, Hodge felt that the part of Hardison would prove to be one of those rare, roles of a lifetime. “I loved everything about the role and the show, and I had to be a part of it,” Hodge remembers. After auditioning a handful of times, Hodge would land the role that quickly turned him into a household name. Featuring a terrific ensemble cast — Academy Award-winner Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman from the British hit sitcom Coupling, Angel series regular Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf of Alvin and the Chipmunks fame, and of course, Hodge — Leverage scored big in its first season, averaging 3.7 million viewers and ranking as one of cable’s hottest Number One original series. Better yet, many of Hollywood's most influential insiders are predicting that viewership will double for Season Two of Leverage (Wednesdays at 9:00p.m./8:00p.m. EST/CST on TNT). “I think people really enjoy watching Leverage because they’ve really come to care about the characters that they met in the first season (just released on DVD), and they’re interested to see what they will do next,” Hodge admits. “And, I’m really excited about Season Two. We are working on Episode Eight right now, and so far, so good, man. I can’t complain. I have been so happy with how the scripts have turned out to be, and they all seem great for the rest of the season. They're fantastic stories for the whole cast, and we are all back on the horse and we are riding again, so we are all happy — we’re happy campers.”

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What can fans expect from Season Two of Leverage?“They can except changes for the better, exciting new changes. There is so much growth, and it’s not only with Nate’s (Hutton) character but there is so much camaraderie that has formed within the team as a whole. We are more of a family now than ever. The things that we did in Two, the capers are bigger, the adventure is so much stronger and so much better, so much more exiting and fun because I think this season, you don’t necessarily have to figure out who we are as characters, because viewers know us, so they can get more into the story and what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. We kind of define, a little bit more, of who we are. We assert ourselves a little bit more, as far as why we are doing what we do. I think it’s going to be a far more exciting ride this time around. The first season was great, but now the viewers are tuned in and they know what we are about, and they have much more to expect because we are bringing something fresh this season, I guarantee that.” Are you surprised at how audiences have taken to Leverage and are really behind it and how much they love the characters?“It’s really surprising when you get that kind of support from the fans. Never before have I been on a project where we have had this much support behind us. So, it’s very surprising. It almost takes me to an odd place, because I’m thinking, ‘Are we getting way too good?’ (laughs) Do you know what I mean? It’s like, ‘Wait a minute, Wait a minute.’ But our fans have been very, very supportive. They are very loyal to us and we do it for them, but we can’t be anything but grateful.” The cast — Timothy, Gina Bellman, Christian, Beth Riesgraf and yourself — create such great chemistry together onscreen. Was it always apparent that you were all going to work well together? From the beginning, did you all know that your personalities were going to click? “Well, you never really know until you have that first read-through with the cast. But we all knew what we had came here for — nobody is trying to be a diva, we just came in and looked at one another as equals. We were like, ‘Look, this is our job,' and that was from Day One. It was great shooting (the pilot) in Chicago, because we were able to hang out, and we really got a chance to get a feel for one another. We were able to start building or work relationships off of that.”

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Since the first season was filmed in Los Angeles, why has production on Leverage moved to Portland, Oregon?“I believe Portland was the ideal situation because, one, it’s a great location. It’s actually turned out to be a great freakin’ city, and two, they are great tax incentives. It’s great to throw some business this way, man. They are very, very accommodating to us.” Since Hardison in an expert hacker, personally, are you fairly proficient on the computer or are you a complete numbskull who doesn’t know anything about them?“Let’s just say I’m working up my skill. (laughs) When it comes to finding my way around a computer, I’m decent. But as far as all the hacking and all that kind of stuff, I’m actually learning about it. It’s kind of wild how easy the stuff really is. As far as not just computer hacking, but there’s also just talking to people to just get information.” Have you actually sat down with some actual hackers as part of your character research?“Well, my consultant on the show, Kevin, was, at one time, on the top of the FBI’s list of most wanted hackers in the world, back in ’95. Kevin is the real deal. I had the pleasure of meeting him for the very first time this season. Last season, we couldn’t make it out to meet him, but he was around. We talk back and forth on the computer, and we’re just smokin’, but I just kind of watch his work and study his history. And it’s an amazing world to get into. The scary part about it is it’s not necessarily about trying to steal things, real hacking is more the business of doing it just to see if you can. But it can become addicting. That’s why I’m afraid to really tap into it. I haven’t done anything illegal. (laughs) I’m learning as much as I can right now so that I can bring it all to the table when it comes the show. But, it’s a wild world, basically, and it’s easy to get sucked in and I just don’t want to get sucked in.” What surprised you the most about hacking? Was it the fact that you can learn so much information about a person by just typing in a couple of line of computer code?“The thing is, knowledge is the most awesome thing we have in our arsenal, personally speaking, and what separates hackers from everyday people is what they do and don’t know. It’s not necessarily about how smart you are – you don’t have to be a genius for this kind of stuff – it’s just how much know and how much you are willing to find out. And that’s the scary part, because it’s all basic general knowledge. How well do you know your ABCs? Okay, go. I asked Kevin, pertaining to myself, ‘How safe am I?’ And he said, ‘Look, if somebody wants to get you, they’ll get you.’ I was like, ‘That sucks. But, Okay.’”

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A lot of people don’t realize it, but you are also a successful stand-up comic. Is that why a lot of your lines sound so fresh and off the top of your head? Are some of them improvised? “A few of them are, yeah. (laughs) I have a rule about it because I respect the writers and I respect the work ethic of our staff. I say, ‘Give them one straight, and then give them hell.’ (laughs) I’ll do a take as they need it – word for word from the script – especially when it comes to all the technical jargon that punches the story along. I let all of that be, but when I find an opportunity I take it. And they just ride with me. They say, ‘Al, just do your thing. Okay, just go.’” Did you work on any feature films during your hiatus between Seasons One and Two?“No, I didn’t, but I plan to. As soon as we have a hiatus, I have a few goals to knock out. I have been reading a few scripts, and I think I might like to jump into a couple of them. Time permitting, of course. I am also building a watch company, so I will be taking a few trips to Switzerland. A watchmaker? Where did your interest in watches come from?“I have been designer since…I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I have been designing watches since I was eighteen, just trying to build my company. I would be in school for it, right now, but up in Portland, it’s kind of hard to mix the two. But it’s all good, I’m still pushing. I’m just trying to build my watch company, book a film and complete a few script projects that I’m writing on with my brother. I try to stay as busy as possible, because I am not comfortable with vacation at all. (laughs) The watches are hey are going to be called AH Timepieces. I figure if I have the instinct to do it, I’m not going to push it off, because I only have one life.” Before I let you go, what do you hope people take away from watching episodes of Leverage?“I just hope that they are happy and excited, man, and I just hope that people look at it and just enjoy because that’s what this show is supposed to do. It is meant to uplift people and take away the burdens of your day. You are supposed to be able to escape in it, so I hope that when people watch us they can just have absolute fun, enjoy themselves, and to really take in our purpose, which is to help the viewer relax a little bit and enjoy their day.” Leverage — Wednesdays at 9:00p.m./8:00p.m. EST/CST on TNT.

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Leverage: The First Season DVD Bonus Features: Deleted scenes and the featurettes “Leverage: Behind The Scenes,” “Anatomy Of A Stunt Fight,” “The Cameras of Leverage,” “Leverage Gets Renewed” and “Beth Reisgraf’s Crazy Actress Spoof.”