Ben Watkins

Ben Watkins (born March 19, 1971) is an American television writer, director, producer, and showrunner. He is best known for creating the Amazon Prime Video series Hand of God and serving as showrunner and executive producer of the Prime Video series Cross, based on the Alex Cross novels by James Patterson.

Early life and education Watkins was born in Berkeley, California. During his childhood, his family moved frequently by his estimate, 14 times before he graduated high school with experiences ranging from living in gated communities to being temporarily homeless and sleeping in a car. He was married and had started a family before completing college.

Career

Acting and early writing Watkins began his entertainment career as an actor. He appeared in television series including Moesha and City Guys, and played Dr. Wesley Carter on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2002 to 2004. He also made guest appearances on CSI: Miami and later had a recurring role on Burn Notice as Ricky Watkins.

His transition to writing began with the short film Quest to Ref, which he wrote, co-directed, and starred in. The film was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and won the American Black Film Festival. Universal Pictures subsequently acquired the project for adaptation into a feature screenplay.

Watkins created the Amazon Prime Video original series Hand of God, which starred Ron Perlman and ran for two seasons from 2014 to 2017. The series explored themes of religion, zealotry, and morality, which Watkins had long been interested in exploring. Watkins and his wife, Kandi Ali, co-founded the production company Blue Monday Productions. Through the company, Watkins has developed projects for FX, HBO, NBC, and Hulu.

Watkins currently serves as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the Prime Video series Cross, based on James Patterson's Alex Cross novels. The series stars Aldis Hodge in the title role and premiered in 2024.

Filmography

Acting credits

Other credits

Personal life Watkins resides in El Segundo, California, with his wife, Kandi Ali, and their four sons. He is a founding member of the Sweat Equity Alliance, a community activist organization focused on civil rights, public education, and homelessness. He is also active with the Writers Guild of America and participates in its Showrunner Training Program.