INTERVIEW: Cast of 'The CHI' Talks Final Season, Honoring Chicago, Connecting With Their Characters in Real Life + More

The cast of 'The Chi' reflects on their final season with raw honesty, revealing how the show’s portrayal of Chicago transcends stereotypes by centering black love, trauma, and redemption. Far from being a mere crime drama, the series became a vessel for healing—both on screen and in real life—as actors like Cortez Smith and Michael V. Epps shared how their characters’ journeys mirrored their own struggles with grief, gun violence, and mental health. Smith, who lost an uncle to gun violence, described a pivotal scene where he had to confront his unresolved pain, admitting he wasn’t healed until he played it. The show’s 'men’s circle' scenes weren’t just narrative devices—they were real emotional rituals that helped the cast process trauma and build brotherhood. As the longest-running Black drama on television, 'The Chi' is celebrated not just for its storytelling, but for its legacy of lifting up Black creators, from Lena Waithe’s behind-the-scenes mentorship to the cast’s own ventures like Cortez Smith’s mental health nonprofit and Alex R. Hibber’s music and production work. The final season, they say, isn’t just closure—it’s a full-circle moment of redemption, family, and legacy. The cast also reveals the deep authenticity behind their performances: their chemistry wasn’t scripted, but forged through real-life friendships, late-night hangouts, and mentorship from legends like Jason Weaver and Lynn Whitfield.