EXCLUSIVE: Showtime‘s The Chi will feature four additional new actors in recurring roles when Part 2 of Season 6 premieres on March 10. They are Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), Leon (Swarm), Brett Gray (I’m A Virgo) and Daniel J. Watts (Werewolf By Night).
Hardison plays Professor Gardber, a college literature professor; Leon plays Alonzo, a charming, street-savvy attorney with old ties to Alicia (guest star Lynn Whitfield); Gray plays Damien, a whip-smart young man who will impact Emmett’s (Jacob Latimore) life in more ways than one; Watts plays Pastor Ezekiel, a charismatic pastor of a megachurch.
Created and executive produced by Lena Waithe under her Hillman Grad banner and executive produced by Common, The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.
In Season 6 Part 1, Emmett (Latimore) and Kiesha’s (Birgundi Baker) blissful blended union is tested by his perilous partnership with Douda, (Curtiss Cook), who is dealing with the fallout of Q’s murder and its effect on shifting loyalty of his inner circle. Victor’s (Luke James) tangled past impacts his new role as city councilman. Newlyweds Jada (Yolonda Ross) and Darnell (Rolando Boyce) fear for their son Emmett after he makes a desperate, life-threatening move. Rob (Iman Shumpert) and Tiff’s (Hannaha Hall) cannabis business and Jake’s (Michael V. Epps) apparel line took off, and Papa (Shamon Brown Jr.) falls for an older woman while questioning his faith at the senseless loss of his beloved father.
Kevin (Alex Hibbert) landed a big gaming opportunity in Los Angeles, leaving Maisha (Genesis Denise Hale) to fight for her big career move despite manager Jemma’s (Judae’a Brown) newly divided attention.
In addition to Whitfield, guest stars also include Jill Marie Jones, Kandi Burruss, La La Anthony, Vic Mensa, Carolyn Michelle Smith, Jason Weaver, Iman Shumpert, Nia Jervier, L’lerrét Jazelle, Hannaha Hall, Ahmad Ferguson, Genesis Denise Hale, Joel Steingold, Judae’a Brown, Miriam A. Hyman, Tyla Abercrumbie, Tai Davis, Rolando Boyce and Tory O. Davis.
Along with Waithe and Common, the series is executive produced by Aaron Kaplan, Rick Famuyiwa, Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of ID8 Multimedia and Rishi Rajani, CEO of Hillman Grad. Executive producers Justin Hillian and Jewel Coronel are co-showrunners for Season 6. Co-executive producers include Naomi Funabashi, who oversees for Hillman Grad, and Resheida Brady. Producers Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield are set to direct multiple episodes in Season 6.
Hardison is best known for his role as the fast-talking, flip-sunglass-wearing, girl-watching “Dwayne Wayne” on NBC’s hit show A Different World, which premiered nearly four decades ago. He most recently starred in Moonhaven for AMC, was a series regular on Teenage Bounty Hunters for Netflix and recurred on the comedy series Black Monday for Showtime. In 2018, he starred in Love Is… for OWN. He also starred in Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover opposite Zendaya for three seasons. He has guest starred and recurred on various shows such as Freeforms’ Grownish, NBC’s Parenthood, The CW’s Supernatural and the CBS comedy 9JKL. He is repped by Untitled Entertainment and Global Artists Agency.
Leon most recently starred in the Amazon Studios Donald Glover series Swarm as well as the Showtime drama series City on A Hill. Previous credits include A Day to Die opposite Bruce Willis and Frank Grillo; Hallmark’s no.1 movie of the year, Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas, as well as Disney’s Cool Runnings, New Line’s Above the Rim, Tri-Star’s Cliffhanger and the 20th Fox hit Waiting to Exhale. He is repped by Daniel Hoff Agency, Inphenate and attorney Cari Davine.
Gray most recently served as a series lead in Boots Riley’s Amazon series I’m a Virgo, currently streaming on Prime Video. He is best known for his portrayal of Jamal Turner in Netflix’s hit series On My Block across four seasons. Additional credits include roles in the Emmy-winning Netflix limited series from Ava DuVernay, When They See Us and on stage in the off-Broadway production of The Secret Life of Bees. He is repped by Independent Artist Group and Brave Artists Management.
Watts is a Tony and Emmy-nominated multidisciplinary artist with multiple stage, screen and TV credits. On the small screen, a sampling of his credits include Werewolf By Night (Disney+); The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon); The Last OG (TBS); The Deuce (HBO); Boardwalk Empire (HBO); Blindspot (NBC); Blue Bloods (CBS). He recently wrapped the first season of HBO’s Penguin alongside Colin Farrell which continues the epic crime saga Matt Reeves began with The Batman. Watts is repped by WME, Mosaic, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman, et al.
