Ben Watkins (producer)
Ben Watkins | |
|---|---|
Watkins in 2026 | |
| Born | March 19, 1971 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Television writer, producer, showrunner, actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Burn Notice, Hand of God, Cross |
| Spouse | Kandi Ali |
| Children | 4 |
Ben Watkins (born March 19, 1971) is an American television writer, 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.[1]
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.[2] He was married and had started a family before completing college.[3]
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.[4] He also made guest appearances on CSI: Miami and later had a recurring role on Burn Notice as Ricky Watkins.[5]
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.[6] Universal Pictures subsequently acquired the project for adaptation into a feature screenplay.[3] Watkins joined the writing staff of the USA Network series Burn Notice as a staff writer during its first season. Over the show's seven-season run, he became an executive producer.[3] He wrote fifteen episodes of the series.[7]
Watkins created the Amazon Prime Video original series Hand of God, which starred Ron Perlman and ran for two seasons from 2014 to 2017.[8] The series explored themes of religion, zealotry, and morality, which Watkins had long been interested in exploring.[3] He served as an executive producer on the Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told starring Octavia Spencer, and as a consulting producer on the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga.[9] 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.[1][6]
In 2021, Watkins was announced as showrunner and executive producer for On Call, a half-hour police drama from Dick Wolf for IMDb TV (later rebranded as Amazon Freevee).[9]
Watkins serves as showrunner, executive producer, and creator 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.[1] A second season is in development.[7][10]
Filmography
As writer/showrunner
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Burn Notice | Writer, executive producer | |
| 2014 | Hand of God (TV series) | Creator, showrunner, executive producer | |
| 2019 | Truth Be Told (2019 TV series) | Executive producer | |
| 2019 | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Producer | |
| 2019 | New York Undercover | Creator, executive producer | |
| 2024 | Cross (2024 TV series) | Creator, showrunner, executive producer | |
| TBA | On Call | Showrunner, executive producer |
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Moesha | Jason | |
| 1997 | City Guys | Adam | |
| 2002 | The Young and the Restless | Dr. Wesley Carter | |
| 2004 | CSI: Miami | Audiologist | |
| 2008 | Burn Notice | Ricky Watkins |
Personal life
Watkins resides in El Segundo, California, with his wife, Kandi Ali, and their four sons.[2] He is a founding member of the Sweat Equity Alliance, a community activist organization focused on civil rights, public education, and homelessness.[1] He is also active with the Writers Guild of America and participates in its Showrunner Training Program.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Porter, Rick (16 November 2022). "'Hand of God' Creator Ben Watkins Signs With UTA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ a b Jones, Gray (5 October 2015). "TV WRITER PODCAST 087: 'Hand of God' Creator Ben Watkins". Script Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d Taylor, Heather. "Running the Show: Hand of God's Showrunner Ben Watkins". Script Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "'Burn Notice' Writer Lands Project at Fox". TheWrap. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "Ben Watkins: Filme, Serien und Biografie". Serienjunkies (in German). Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (10 August 2018). "'Hand Of God' Creator Ben Watkins Signs With Wme". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 February 2026 – via IMDb.
- ^ a b "Ben Watkins (II): Filmographie". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ "Ron 'Hellboy' Perlman speelt hoofdrol in serie 'Hand of God'". SerieTotaal (in Dutch). 29 January 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ a b White, Peter (29 June 2021). "'On Call': Ben Watkins Set As Showrunner Of Dick Wolf IMDb TV Drama, Elliot Wolf Boards As EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 February 2026 – via IMDb.
- ^ "'Cross' Season 2 Pushes You to Pick a Side and Then Makes You Question Why". BET. Retrieved 2026-02-14.