Michael Epps Says ‘The Chi’ Sheds New Light On Chicago
Lena Waithe’s The Chi has returned to television, and actor Michael Epps couldn’t be happier about the positive light the show has been shedding on his beloved city of Chicago, according to a report from Yahoo News.
The series follows a group of people living in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Epps plays the role of Jake, a young man who has had a rough start and was raised by his criminal brother, Reg, played by Barton Fitzpatrick. Throughout the series, Jake struggled to choose between the dangerous path his brother followed and the more kid-friendly route of homework and after-school activities. By the end of the season, Reg was shot and presumed dead, and Jake moved in with Douda, a successful South Side businessman and criminal running for major, played by Curtiss Cook.
While talking about his experience on the Chicago-based series, Epps said it’s been “great.”
“It’s just great being on a show, period, you know? ‘Cause it’s something new to me,” he said. “And it makes it better because I’m on a hit show about my city. You know, I’m from Chicago, so it feels good to be on a show that’s represent[ing] Chicago — you know, putting — like, putting a good picture out there for Chicago.”
Epps went on to say that most people who aren’t from the city are quick to assume the worst, but he’s happy that the show is providing better representation.
He also talked a little bit about his relationship with Alex Hibbert, who plays the role of Kevin. In the series, the two boys are best friends, and it appears their relationship has translated off the screen as well. Epps said since Hibbert doesn’t live in Chicago, he ends up staying with him while the show is being filmed.
“And while he is here, yeah, we’re kicking it off set. We have to be close, or else the chemistry during filming — it’s not going to as — it’s not going to be as great as it is,” the young actor explained.
During last week’s episode, the neighborhood rallied together to search for Kevin’s missing sister. Kevin suspected she could be trapped in her ex-boyfriend’s house and asked Jake for his help in finding her. Jake turned to his estranged brother, Victor “Trig” Taylor, who recently returned to the city to repair their relationship, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.
Trig, played by Luke James, reluctantly decided to visit the house, but his efforts were futile. As for Jake’s other brother, actor Barton Fitzpatrick recently teased a possible return to the series.
