Jacob Latimore Opens Up About the Most Emotional Scene He Ever Filmed on ‘The Chi’

As The Chi prepares to come to an end after eight seasons, star Jacob Latimore is looking back on some of the most memorable moments from his time on the hit drama series. While there were plenty of fun scenes over the years, one moment stands out as the most difficult experience he has ever had as an actor.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the premiere of The Chi’s eighth and final season in New York City, Latimore opened up about filming the emotional death of Emmett Washington’s mother, Jada, played by Yolanda Ross.

According to Latimore, the scene from the Season 7 finale was unlike anything he had done before. Jada’s death from cancer was one of the show’s most heartbreaking moments, and bringing those emotions to life on screen was a major challenge.

“I’m really close with my mom,” Latimore told PEOPLE. Because of that personal connection, filming a scene about losing a mother hit especially hard.

The actor explained that television productions move quickly, leaving little time to prepare for highly emotional moments. He revealed that he only had a short amount of time to film the scene, despite spending days mentally preparing for it.

“I had such a short window [to film it]. With television, we gotta move on to the next scene. So, I only had about 10 to 15 minutes to pour out all that. It took me all day, maybe all week, to get there,” he said.

Latimore described the experience as deeply emotional and difficult. However, once filming began, he allowed himself to fully embrace the moment.

“It was a very fragile moment,” he said. “I think, really, the first take I just let loose and I felt so good afterward.”

While that scene was the hardest for him to film, Latimore also reflected on one of his favorite memories from the series. He said a house party scene from Season 6 remains one of the most enjoyable moments he worked on during the show’s run.

The scene featured Emmett and Kiesha celebrating their move into a new home while friends and family gathered together for a night filled with music, dancing, and plenty of drama. For Latimore, it captured the sense of community that became a major part of The Chi throughout its eight seasons.

As the series approaches its final episode, Latimore admitted that saying goodbye has been emotional. The cast had wrapped filming only a week before attending the New York premiere, making the reality of the show’s ending feel even more real.

“This week, it feels really good, and it makes it feel really real,” he said. “I’ve been hearing the voices of my castmates behind me. I’m missing voices all the time, us linking up four, five, six months out of the year.”

The actor also revealed that the cast has shared many emotional moments together since production ended.

“We’ve been crying,” Latimore admitted. “It’s bittersweet, but we’re proud of what we’ve done.”

Fellow cast member Jason Weaver echoed those feelings during his own interview with PEOPLE. Weaver, who joined the series in Season 4 as Shaad Marshall, described the finale as an emotional milestone for everyone involved.

“I think this really puts the cherry on top of this beautiful cake that we’ve baked throughout the course of season 8 and throughout the course of the series,” Weaver said.

As reported by PEOPLE, both actors expressed gratitude for their time on the show and the relationships they built along the way. After eight years on the air, The Chi is preparing for its final chapter, with new episodes continuing to stream every Friday until the series finale arrives on July 24.

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