As fans prepare to say goodbye to The Equalizer with today’s series finale, one of its key stars is reflecting on five transformative seasons — and expressing heartfelt gratitude for the ride. The long-running Queen Latifah-starring CBS drama was cancelled earlier this week, surprising fans who had not only been anticipating a sixth season, but even a spin-off as well. Speaking exclusively with Collider’s Christina Radish at the press junket for Prime Video’s The Better Sister, Lorraine Toussaint opened up about the surprise cancellation and what playing Aunt Vi has meant to her. She told Collider:
“We just got word last night that we’re done. I think of all the characters I’ve played, and that one allowed me to indulge my maternal, softer side more than any other characters I’ve played. I’ve played psychopaths and all sorts of things. She’s definitely not Catherine [from The Better Sister].”
Who Is Lorraine Toussaint in ‘The Equalizer’?
Toussaint starred as Aunt Vi, the grounded and fiercely loving anchor in the life of Queen Latifah’s Robyn McCall, and surrogate parent to Delilah, played by Laya DeLeon Hayes. The warmth and intimacy she brought to the role stood out in a show packed with action, dramatic missions, and moral dilemmas. For Toussaint, Vi offered a rare opportunity to access — and showcase — a different kind of strength.
“I have a daughter that is Delilah’s age. I speak 20-year-old,” she said. “[Laya] was 15 at the time she started, and I spoke that language really well. There was a softness to Vi that I really loved nurturing and giving. I got to be in my heart self, playing her.”
In the series, Vi wasn’t only a supporting character, but she was also the emotional heart and soul of the McCall household which also made her the heart of The Equalizer as a whole. She got to dish out quiet wisdom and tough love during low-octane scenes which were a nice and much-needed contrast to the show’s fast-paced procedural storylines. “It gave me a moment of respite, actually,” she reflected. “Going to work felt easy and effortless. I could just breathe my way into work and breathe my way home. It was lovely.”
The news of The Equalizer’s cancellation came as a shock to fans, especially after CBS had already renewed a number of its returning series. The final episode, titled “Decisions,” will now serve as the series finale, and while the cast and crew were aware of the possibility, the confirmation still stung — albeit softened by the knowledge that they’d crafted something meaningful together, as Toussaint summed up: “I’m very grateful for those five years.”
The final episode of The Equalizer will air tonight at 10 PM ET. All episodes of The Equalizer will remain available on Paramount+.
The Equalizer
- Release Date
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February 7, 2021
- Network
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CBS
- Showrunner
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Andrew W. Marlowe
