‘The Crossover’: Deja Cruz, Skyla I’Lece, and Trevor Bush Talk How Book Drew Them to Series (Exclusive)

The Crossover is a new basketball drama series that is now streaming on Disney+ and focuses on twin brothers, Josh and JB Bell, who are young basketball superstars looking to reach the NBA. Their three friends, Alexis (Skyla I’Lece), Maya (Deja Cruz) and Vondle (Trevor Bush) play key roles in their development as players and young men. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to I’Lece, Cruz and Bush, and the three talked about what made them want to be part of the series. 

“The book, the poetry,” I’Lece exclusively told PopCulture. “Kwame Alexander is an amazing poet, and being able to be on something that he created is huge.” The Crossover is based on the book of the same name written by Alexander in 2014. The book won multiple awards and is written entirely through verse. 

Cruz was drawn to the project because of the book as well. “So many people read it in middle school and elementary school, and just being able to be a part of that is so exciting,” she said.

Bush enjoyed the book as well but is also a basketball player like his character Vondle. “Already being familiar with the book, getting the audition, it’s like, ‘Wow, I read this book. This is so cool,’” he said. “And then being able to bring my passion of basketball and acting into one, into a TV show, that’s just icing on the cake.”

In The Crossover, Josh (Jayln Hall) and JB (Amir O’Neal) are dealing with the pressure of being successful in basketball as well as life in junior high school. Alexis is an important character for both because they are interested in her. “She’s a huge support system for, I think, all of the kids,” I’Lence said. “She puts on a brave face when she’s really going through a lot of things internally and with her family, and her parents, and all this stuff, but yeah, she puts on a brave face for the people that she loves.”

Maya is longtime friends with the twin boys, and while she loves both of them, she clearly has feelings for one of them. “I love that Maya is able to put her feelings on the back burner to really be there for the boys and bring them up when they’re down,” Cruz said. “It kind of relates to me, as well, when I’m always there for my friends. So it was easy to connect to.”

Vondle is also a longtime friend of Josh and JB and helps them get through things on and off the court since he’s on the basketball team. “I don’t have to tuck anything away,” Bush said. “You guys do, but they’ve actually, JB and Filthy help my character as well, so it’s just wonderful.” All eight episodes of The Crossover are now streaming on Disney+.