EXCLUSIVE | 'The Chi' star Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine on playing both a 'victim of gun violence and the perpetrator'
When 'The Chi' star Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine talks, there's a sense of calm in his voice. His responses aren't right off the bat. He takes his time and articulates each answer with the utmost clarity and patience. He's played Ronnie Davis, in the hit Showtime drama for two seasons, and it has been quite the ride. The 53-year old considers his role to be a blessing. "I am truly grateful," he says when asked about being back for Season 3. Ronnie is a complex character and unfortunately for him, life's always thrown curveballs.
For Ntare, what was delighted on how the character shifted from season to season. In an exclusive with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), the actor talks about 'The Chi' Season 3, what's in store for his character, and how the drama has been special since its inception. "I think from the first season, he was really like one step forward, two steps back," Ntare explained.
"And then the second season was sort of discovering a bit more of the character and learn more about his background, his family, and the sort of ghosts that haunt him and that have held them back. And I think in this third season, we really get to see his calling so to speak. And he sort of has this North star," he added. While discussing Ronnie, the final moments of Season 2 saw him forgiven by Brandon for the death of his brother, Coogie (Season 1), and for Ntare, that has a monumental impact on the character.
"I think that was a really monumental moment because he was traumatized by the fact that he had caused so much pain and to get that forgiveness was one huge step forward for forgiving himself," Ntare felt. Back when he read the script for the character, it was something he hadn't seen fleshed out like this before. "It was really refreshing to see the script where we got to look inside this world of someone who was both a victim of gun violence and the perpetrator of it. He takes someone's life and he's also shot. And so to examine the repercussions of that through the eyes of Ronnie is really insightful," he observed.
The biggest specialty about 'The Chi' is the way it weaves in characters and connects them seamlessly and, according to him, it was a major challenge for writers. "Because the writers have to create this web," he said. "It's really exciting as the actor because you get to play with so many different characters." He continued: "I think my character interacted with almost every other main role on the show in that first season. So as an actor, you get to play across different characters. Sometimes you get a role and you only have scenes with one person or two people, but it was exciting every day to go to work and be able to work with a new character."
'The Chi' has kids playing an integral part in the show and the drama has also traced their growth over the last two seasons. For Ntare, it was a case of them stealing each scene they were in. "Anytime I had an opportunity to play with one of the kids I felt really blessed because I know they were elevating everything." From his perspective, the women cast playing more central roles is something the audience could look forward to in Season 3. "There are quite a few new characters," Ntare said. "The women are playing more of a central role, and from my character, we get to discover what I would say is his calling. We get to see Ronnie have some sort of purpose."
When asked about his preparation to play the role, "I reached out to as many as I can find in Chicago, ask them for input about the character. And if they knew anyone who they thought was similar to the character, then seek out the people to get their advice," he remarked. Ntare also spoke of the 2011 documentary, 'The Interrupters' that he watched to play Ronnie. "It's about a group of men who help stop violent crime, and I researched a lot about the work that they do, and that helped me gain insight as well."
Before winding up, the last question was about the documentary he was working on. Ntare is all set to helm a project based on Ugandan Photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo, and he was happy to shed light on the documentary. "He was a studio photographer from the 1960s to the eighties in Uganda," he explained.
"I just stumbled across the studio and offered to shared his work far and wide. Unfortunately, he passed away before I was able to do so but now I'm putting the scale of this documentary, and Steven Soderbergh, the Oscar-winning director is coming on board to executive produce the film. And that's part of what's been keeping me busy this during our downtime. It has been about working on editing footage that I've already shot. And figuring out what I want to get when I return. Yes. It's basically celebrating his work."
'The Chi' Season 3 premieres on June 21, Sunday, at 9 pm ET on Showtime.