Lela Rochon on the Final Season of ‘The Chi,’ the Beauty of Nostalgia and Pushing for More Women-Led Stories

Jul 3, 2026 11:15am PT SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains plot details from Season 8 of “The Chi,” now streaming on Paramount+ In the eighth and final season of Lena Waithe’s long-running drama, “The Chi,” legendary actress Lela Rochon steps onto the scene. The “Waiting to Exhale” alum first appears in Episode 6, “When Truth Thaws,” as Vivian, a luxury wedding planner who is hired to orchestrate Emmett (Jacob Latimore) and Keisha’s (Birgundi Baker) forthcoming nuptials. Though Vivian is eager to plan a lavish event, she quickly realizes that the couple’s ideas for their big day couldn’t be further apart.

Moreover, Emmett’s ex-wife Tiffany’s (Hannaha Hall) emotional and financial involvement complicates matters. Related Stories Claire Danes Says Leonardo DiCaprio Told Her Not to Play With Prop Guns on 'Romeo + Juliet' Set: 'Claire, We Don't Do That' An avid viewer of “The Chi” since it first debuted back in 2018, Rochon was thrilled to step into this bustling Chicago ecosystem and put her own touch on a character who will play a pivotal role as this fan-favorite story comes to an end. As the series comes to a close, Rochon talks to Variety about working on “The Chi,” some of her favorite movie memories, and why she’s continually pushing for underrepresented and unseen stories.

Popular on Variety These days, it’s so rare for a series to continue for as long as “The Chi” has. What was it like to step on the set of the final season? It just felt easy.

It felt comfortable. I had been such a fan of the show and had told Lena [Waithe] I had seen every episode, which I could not believe. I started watching [“The Chi”] with my kids when they were in middle school.

The fact that it’s been on for eight seasons is wonderful and bittersweet. So, finally doing the show was just a treat for me. It was just something I didn’t even really think about.

What intrigued you most about portraying Vivian? Obviously, the dynamic between Emmett, Keisha, and Tiffany looks like it’s going to get messy very quickly. It was really fun for me.

In the 1990s I had an idea for a movie about a wedding planner, and then the next thing I knew, Jennifer Lopez did one. So I was a hair too late. So it was really exciting not knowing what Lena had in mind for me because she had told me, “Oh, I’m writing you into the show.”

I had my hopes up for some big, juicy gangster lady, and [Vivian] wasn’t that. I was a little shocked, like, “Oh, a wedding planner.” They were like, “Yeah, we want you really playing, really simple.”

I was like, “Mm-mm.” My wedding planner was not that. She was fabulous, and she still is fabulous.

We are still friends to this day. She is unique and special. So it was fun for me because I had an idea of who I thought [Vivian] would be.

Emmett and Tiffany are lying to Keisha about what really happened to Nuck (Cortez Smith), which will cause major turmoil when she finds out. Do you think this wedding is actually going to happen? I can’t say.

What was it like to work with these young actors who have been with the show since the very beginning? You know what? It was interesting because I think they might’ve been a little more shy about talking to me than I was about talking to them.

So, for me, seeing them as young, fresh faces on this show made me curious about everybody. Who are you? Where are you from?

How did you end up in Chicago? Are you from Chicago? Are you going to stay here after this show?

I had many questions because it’s always interesting to see how things are done now compared to when I was that age. It’s very, very different. The fact that none of them have to live in Los Angeles anymore, that everything is by tape, Zoom and these other things.

So I almost felt sad for them that they weren’t coming to Hollywood; they didn’t want to. Hollywood’s too expensive. All those things made me a little sad because if you can thrive here and do well here, it’s a beautiful thing.

But if you can live in peace somewhere else and you’re happy and that’s your thing, it’s wonderful. It’s a hybrid of being an actor these days. It’s just something new to me.

How did you feel about filming in Chicago? It’s very different from L.A.

or even Atlanta. Filming in Chicago was a first for me. I’d only flown into Chicago to do “The Oprah Winfrey Show” or local press.

When we pulled in, I’m like, “Oh, it’s a whole studio here.” It’s a whole thing happening in Chicago, and that intrigued me about the show, since I wasn’t that familiar with the city. So to be on “The Chi” and see the life in the Chi, I just really wanted to breathe it and live it.

Lela Rochon as Vivian in “The Chi.” Sandy Morris/Paramount+ As an icon in this industry, you’ve worked with a plethora of incredible directors from Eddie Murphy to Oliver Stone and, more recently, with Issa Rae and now Lena Waithe. What is it like working now with these young Black women, in particular, who specifically write roles for you?

I’m flattered by that. To be perfectly honest with yo