The Chi's Barton Fitzpatrick On How Chicago Is Represented On Television

Publish date: 2024-03-25

Barton Fitzpatrick's love for his home city is admirable, and it shows in his work. However, how does Hollywood score when representing Chicago's image to the world? Thankfully, we got to ask Fitzpatrick, who is a near expert on representing the Windy City given how many Chicago-set series he's appeared in. 

"I think casting me, they do," Fitzpatrick said when asked if series like "The Chi" represent the city accurately. "By casting actors such as myself and employing writers who are actually from the city, yeah, definitely. I think so." However, he's also aware that progress is essential in every aspect of the industry. "I think we could definitely do a better job always. There's always room for improvement in any aspect."

Funnily enough, Fitzpatrick revealed to us that fellow "Power Book IV: Force" actor Kris D. Lofton knew he was from Chicago the second he saw him. "He saw my work on 'The Chi,' and he reached out, like, 'You have to be from Chicago. Your portrayal is too authentic,'" Fitzpatrick recalled. "And that's literally how our relationship started." There's a reason for this, too. "Chicago is the most gorgeous place in the world, in my opinion," he continued. "So I owe everything to Chicago. I pay homage to Chicago, whatever I do." Ultimately, Fitzpatrick had one point to make about Chicago's representation on TV: "I'm impressed, and I'm proud of the stories that I've seen."

You can catch Barton Fitzpatrick in "Power Book IV: Force" every Sunday on Starz.

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