Philly native Brett Gray is the newest member of Paramount+ drama “The Chi,” now in its sixth season.
“The Chi” is a coming-of-age-drama created by Lena Waithe that’s centered around a group of young people living on the South Side of Chicago. Gray joins the cast to play Damien, the brother of Emmett Washington (Jacob Lattimer), in Season 6, Episode 11, which premiered Friday night. Damien is described as a very bright young man who will impact Emmett’s life in several ways.
The show released the first part of Season 6 in the fall, and began releasing the second half of episodes on May 10. New episodes premiere weekly.
Gray confirmed in an interview with Fox29 that he would be in the cast for the rest of the season. While the show is a much more serious role than some of his previous gigs, he said that he likes to sneak in some comedic moments to lighten the drama.
“Lena Waithe is incredible and I think she lets me be myself in moments, so I like to give characters moments to breathe,” Gray told the outlet.
Gray was born and raised in Mt. Airy and attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative Arts. Until last year, he was best known for starring in Netflix’s “On My Block” and appearing in episodes of “Star Trek: Prodigy” and “When They See Us.” In 2023, he was tapped to costar in “I’m a Virgo,” a Prime Video surrealist comedy series following a 13-foot-tall main character played by Jharrel Jerome.
Gray has also released three EPs and a single, “New Money Same Me (Gucci Bag).” In an Instagram post, Gray said he’s been at work on a full-length album, as well.
“The Chi” is now streaming on Paramount+ with a Showtime subscription. View the Season 6, Part 2 trailer here.