‘The Chi’: Season 4 Will See Luke James in a Bigger Role
The Chi, Showtime’s drama series from Lena Waithe, has been running for since 2018. As the show continues to evolve, additional cast members are added. Singer and actor Luke James first debuted on the show last season and now, it has been announced that the former Star actor will have an even bigger role in the show’s upcoming fourth season.
What is ‘The Chi’ about?
The Chi explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago, through a multitude of characters. In the pilot episode, two murders result in a trickle effect of sorts, impacting all of the different characters of the show and bringing them together in more ways than one.
The series’s first season starred Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), Jacob Latimore (Detroit, Sleight), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme, The Get Down), Armando Riesco (Bull) and Tiffany Boone (The Following). Sonja Sohn (The Wire), Jahking Guillory (Kicks), and Steven Williams (The Leftovers) were among the recurring cast members.
Michael Epps, Shamon Brown and Barton Fitzpatrick were upped to series regular status in season 2. Boone and Mitchell left the show after season 2 following Mitchell’s misconduct claims. Birgundi Baker was upped to series regular in season 3.
Luke James on ‘The Chi’ and his promotion on the show
This month, Deadline reported that James would be bumped up from recurring cast member status to a series regular on The Chi.
On the show, James plays Victor “Trig” Taylor, who is introduced as the estranged older brother of Jake (Epps). Upon introduction, Trig wants to reunite his family, but, as the official description from Showtime states, he “takes an unconventional approach.”
Trig is looking to change his life and lives with his partner, Imani, who helps Trig try to win back custody of Jake. In an earlier interview with Bevy Smith on Bevelations, James revealed the importance of his storyline with Imani.
“I think that we somehow separate – or people try to separate themselves from the LGBTQ community as if these people don’t feel, don’t have the same feelings and wants, don’t have the same goals and the desires of love and freedom just as we all do,” he said.
Overall, James said that the story is about the beauty and humanity of the bond between the characters. “[W]e’ve made it some type of taboo thing where people feel the need to hide themselves and my character has a lot to work on. It’s good to be able to see that this is a real person and see the beauty of him loving her and trying to love her completely, and at the same time to love her completely. – there’s beauty in her trying to help him love himself.”
The Chi is expected to return later this year on Showtime for the fourth season of the show.
