# Melody Hurd
**Melody Hurd** (born 2011) is an American child actress from [Prince George's County, Maryland](https://www.edgepedia.org/prince-georges-county-maryland), known for playing Gracie Emory in the horror anthology series *[Them](https://www.edgepedia.org/them-tv-series)* (2021), Maddy Logelin in the Netflix film *[Fatherhood](https://www.edgepedia.org/fatherhood-film)* (2021), and Janelle Cross in the Prime Video crime thriller *Cross* (2024– ).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/melody-hurd/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2011, Prince George's County, Maryland (TV Insider lists 2011)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/melody-hurd/) |
| Screen debut | *Battle at Big Rock* (2019 short), as Kadasha[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| Breakout role | Gracie Jean Emory in *Them* (2021), nine episodes[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/310730/melody-hurd) |
| Film lead | Maddy Logelin in *Fatherhood* (2021), opposite Kevin Hart[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1177985-kevin-hart-fatherhood-interview) |
| Current series role | Janelle Cross, series regular on *Cross* (2024–2026, 16 episodes)[5](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/casting/cross-josh-peck-season-2-guest-role-prime-video/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| Recognition | NAACP Image Award nomination, 2025, Outstanding Performance by a Youth, for *Cross*[6](https://www.tvline.com/awards/naacp-image-awards-2025-nominations-full-list-tv-nominees-1235396802/) |
| Family | Parents Tanisha Hurd and Fred Hurd II; siblings Rhythm, Tempo, and Lyric Hurd[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/bio/) |
## Early life
Hurd was born in Prince George's County, Maryland. IMDb gives her birth date as 2011, while TV Insider lists October 30, 2011.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/melody-hurd/) Her parents are Tanisha Hurd and Fred Hurd II, and her siblings are Rhythm, Tempo, and Lyric Hurd; her sister Rhythm also appears in *Fatherhood* alongside her.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/bio/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/)
## Career
**Debut and early roles.** Hurd's first screen credit is the 2019 short film *[Battle at Big Rock](https://www.edgepedia.org/battle-at-big-rock)*, in which she played Kadasha; the same year she appeared in the horror film *Trick* as Janice.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) In 2021 she guest-starred as Leslie in an episode of *Young Rock*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/)
**Them.** In the first season of Amazon Prime Video's horror anthology *Them*, subtitled *Covenant*, Hurd played Gracie Jean Emory, the younger daughter of Henry (Ashley Thomas) and Livia "Lucky" Emory (Deborah Ayorinde), a Black family that moves from North Carolina to a hostile, overwhelmingly white Los Angeles neighborhood during the Great Migration.[8](https://time.com/5954572/them-amazon-controversy/) She appeared in nine episodes of the season, which aired in April 2021.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/310730/melody-hurd)
**Fatherhood.** In the Netflix film *Fatherhood* (2021), directed by Paul Weitz and based on Matthew Logelin's memoir *Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love*, Hurd played Maddy Logelin, the daughter of [Kevin Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-hart)'s character, a widower raising her alone.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1177985-kevin-hart-fatherhood-interview) She promoted the film with Hart in interviews around its June 2021 release.[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1177985-kevin-hart-fatherhood-interview)
**Cross.** Since 2024 Hurd has been a series regular on *Cross*, the Prime Video adaptation of [James Patterson](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-patterson)'s crime novels, playing Janelle Cross, daughter of [Aldis Hodge](https://www.edgepedia.org/aldis-hodge)'s Alex Cross.[5](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/casting/cross-josh-peck-season-2-guest-role-prime-video/) • [9](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cross-season-2/) The role brought her a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie, or Limited-Series) at the 56th [NAACP Image Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/naacp-image-awards) in 2025, where her *Cross* co-star Caleb Elijah was nominated in the same category.[6](https://www.tvline.com/awards/naacp-image-awards-2025-nominations-full-list-tv-nominees-1235396802/) She continued in the role through the show's second season, which aired in early 2026.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/cross/s02/e04/cast-and-crew)
Her other television credits include a 2024 guest appearance as Young Tanya on *The Ms. Pat Show*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/)
## Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | *Battle at Big Rock* (short) | Kadasha[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| 2019 | *Trick* | Janice[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| 2021 | *Fatherhood* | Maddy Logelin[4](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1177985-kevin-hart-fatherhood-interview) |
| 2021 | *Them* (series) | Gracie Jean Emory[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/310730/melody-hurd) |
| 2021 | *Young Rock* (series, 1 episode) | Leslie[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| 2024 | *The Ms. Pat Show* (series, 1 episode) | Young Tanya[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/) |
| 2024–2026 | *Cross* (series) | Janelle Cross[5](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/casting/cross-josh-peck-season-2-guest-role-prime-video/) |
## References
1. [Melody Hurd, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/)
2. [Melody Hurd, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/melody-hurd/)
3. [Melody Hurd, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/310730/melody-hurd)
4. [Interview: Kevin Hart & Melody Hurd Discuss Netflix's Fatherhood, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1177985-kevin-hart-fatherhood-interview)
5. ['Cross' Taps Josh Peck for Season 2 Recurring Guest Role, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/casting/cross-josh-peck-season-2-guest-role-prime-video/)
6. [NAACP Image Awards 2025 Nominations, Full List of TV Nominees, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/awards/naacp-image-awards-2025-nominations-full-list-tv-nominees-1235396802/)
7. [Melody Hurd – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10699789/bio/)
8. [The Controversy Around Amazon's Them, TIME](https://time.com/5954572/them-amazon-controversy/)
9. ['Cross' Season 2: Everything We Know, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cross-season-2/)
10. [Cross Season 2 Episode 4 Cast and Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/cross/s02/e04/cast-and-crew)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Hu to Ji*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license