Morris Chestnut

Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He first came to prominence for his role as Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood. He has appeared in feature films such as G.I. Jane, The Brothers, Like Mike, Ladder 49, The Game Plan, The Call, and Kick-Ass 2. He has also played Lance Sullivan in The Best Man, reprising the role in the 2013 sequel film The Best Man Holiday, and 2022 follow-up series The Best Man: The Final Chapters.

His television roles have included Ryan Nichols in ABC's V, Ike Prentiss in Showtime's Nurse Jackie, the lead role of Beaumont Darius Rosewood, Jr. in Fox's Rosewood, Hakeem Rashad in Prime Video's Goliath, Barrett Cain in Fox's The Resident, Corey Cash in Hulu's Reasonable Doubt, and the title character in Watson for CBS.

Chestnut has been nominated for seven NAACP Image Awards, winning for Nurse Jackie and The Best Man: The Final Chapters. His body of work has seen him receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life Chestnut was born on January 1, 1969, in Cerritos, California, the son of Morris and Shirley Chestnut. His mother was a teacher, while his father worked as a medical salesman. He studied finance and drama at California State University, Northridge.

Career Boys n the Hood and breakout Chestnut's first professional acting role was as Jason in the Freddy's Nightmares episode "A Family Affair", which aired on February 18, 1990. His first feature film role was as Ricky Baker in Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed that up with roles in various TV movies, notably including the Peabody Award winning Disney Channel film The Ernest Green Story, in which he played Ernest Green. Chestnut also appeared in Patti LaBelle's short-lived sitcom Out All Night. His career continued to rise steadily with co-starring roles in standard big-budget studio films such as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) with Steven Seagal and Katherine Heigl, and G.I. Jane (1997) with Demi Moore. He was also a regular cast member on ABC's action drama series C-16, in the role of Special Agent Mal Robinson, from 1997 to 1998.

The Best Man and other films In 1999, Chestnut starred in The Best Man with Taye Diggs and Nia Long, as Lance Sullivan, a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. The Best Man earned positive reviews from the press and did well at the box office. For his performance, Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. He again played a football player in Disney's The Game Plan (2007), co-starring opposite Dwayne Johnson.

Chestnut starred in The Brothers (2001), a film centering on the themes of fidelity and success among young Black professionals. That same year, he portrayed Keith Fenton, the love interest of Vivica A. Fox, in the romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game and appeared as basketball player Tracey Reynolds in 2002 film Like Mike. In 2004, he played firefighter Tommy Drake in Ladder 49, opposite John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix.

He has worked with Steven Seagal three times: Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) as his reluctant partner and lead male villain in Half Past Dead (2002) and Prince of Pistols (2008).

Chestnut appeared in four films in 2013: Identity Thief, The Call, Kick-Ass 2 (playing Omari Hardwick's character from the first film), and The Best Man sequel The Best Man Holiday, in which he reprised his role as Lance Sullivan, earning him another NAACP Image Award nomination.

Recent cinema work includes The Perfect Guy, Heist (both 2015) and When the Bough Breaks (2016).

Television work In recent years, the majority of Chestnut's work has been in television.

From 2009 to 2011, Chestnut starred as Visitor Ryan Nichols in the ABC science fiction drama V, based on the classic 1983 miniseries. In 2011, he recurred as Luke in the first season of American Horror Story, and in 2013, he joined the cast of Showtime's medical dramedy Nurse Jackie as war veteran Dr. Ike Prentiss, staying for two seasons. For his performance in the latter, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Shortly afterward, he co-starred in the TNT crime drama Legends opposite Sean Bean.

From 2015 to 2017, Chestnut played the starring role of pathologist Dr. Beaumont "Rosie" Rosewood Jr. in the Fox crime procedural Rosewood, receiving another NAACP Image nomination as a result.

Chestnut had main roles in the second season of Prime Video's Goliath, and NBC's The Enemy Within. He played cold-hearted neurosurgeon Barrett Cain in seasons three and four of the Fox medical drama The Resident, and appeared as Raymond Dupont in the short-lived Our Kind of People, also for Fox.

In 2022, he once more played Lance Sullivan in the Peacock limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, winning his second NAACP Image Award. In 2023, he hosted Rebuilding Black Wall Street, an OWN/Sunwise Media docuseries covering the history and renovation of the Tulsa neighbourhood of Greenwood. In 2024, he starred opposite Diarra Kilpatrick in the BET+ mystery-dramedy Diarra from Detroit, and joined the main cast for the second season of Hulu's legal drama Reasonable Doubt. For the latter, he earned his sixth NAACP Image Award nomination.

From 2025 to 2026, Chestnut starred in the CBS medical-mystery series Watson, playing Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories. Chestnut was raised in the Baptist church, and he is a practicing Christian.

In 1998, Chestnut won the annual Madden Bowl video game competition.

To prepare to reprise his role as professional football player Lance Sullivan in The Best Man Holiday, Chestnut trained with celebrity fitness trainer Obi Obadike to get into shape. This inspired him to become Obadike's co-author on the health and fitness book, The Cut. Published on April 18, 2017, the book contains exercise drills and recipes.

People magazine named Chestnut as one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2015.

In March 2022, Chestnut was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star that was unveiled in his presence.

In 2024, Chestnut reunited with The Best Man director Malcolm D. Lee, and co-stars Harold Perrineau and Taye Diggs, to found Sable Bourbon, a spirits brand.

On December 9, 2024, Chestnut and actress Mindy Kaling announced the nominations for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. At the ceremony itself, Chestnut and Kaley Cuoco presented the Best Screenplay award.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 Boyz n the Hood Ricky Baker The Last Boy Scout Locker Room Kid 1992 In the Line of Duty: Street War Prince Franklin TV movie 1993 The Ernest Green Story Ernest Green TV movie 1994 The Inkwell Harold Lee 1995 Higher Learning Track Anchor Under Siege 2: Dark Territory Bobby Zachs 1997 G.I. Jane McCool Firehouse Andre 1999 The Best Man Lance Sullivan 2001 The Brothers Jackson Smith Two Can Play That Game Keith Fenton Scenes of the Crime Ray The Killing Yard Shango TV movie 2002 Like Mike Tracy Reynolds Half Past Dead Donny Johnson / 49ner One 2003 Confidence Travis 2004 Breakin' All the Rules Evan Fields Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid Gordon Mitchell Ladder 49 Tommy Drake 2005 The Cave 'Top' Buchanan 2007 The Game Plan Travis Sanders The Perfect Holiday Benjamin 2008 The Prince of Motor City Leo Moore TV movie 2009 Not Easily Broken Dave Johnson Love in the Nick of Tyme Marcelles Wynters Video 2012 Think Like a Man James Merrill 2013 Identity Thief Detective Reilly The Call Officer Phillips Kick-Ass 2 Detective Marcus Williams The Best Man Holiday Lance Sullivan 2015 The Perfect Guy Dave Heist Derrick 'Dog' Prince 2016 When the Bough Breaks John Taylor 2017 Girls Trip Himself

Television Year Title Role Notes 1990 Freddy's Nightmares Jason Woodman Episode: "A Family Affair" 1992–1993 Out All Night Jeff Carswell Main Cast 1994 Soul Train Himself/Guest Host Episode: "Patti LaBelle/Sounds of Blackness/Simple E" Living Single Hamilton Brown Recurring Cast: Season 1 1997–1998 C-16: FBI Special Agent Mal Robinson Main Cast 2000 ER ICU Nurse Frank "Rambo" Bacon Guest Cast: Seasons 6–7 2005 Bones Agent Oakes Episode: "The Man in the Wall" 2006 In the Mix Himself Episode: "Xmas in March...." 2009–2011 V Ryan Nichols Main Cast 2011 American Horror Story Luke Recurring Cast: Season 1 2013 American Dad! Craig (voice) Episode: "For Black Eyes Only" 2013–2014 Nurse Jackie Dr. Ike Prentiss Main Cast: Seasons 5–6 2014–2015 Legends Tony Rice Main Cast: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2 2015–2017 Rosewood Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. Main Cast 2016–2017 Live with Kelly and Mark Himself/Guest Co-Host Guest Co-Host: Season 28, Recurring Guest Co-Host: Season 29 2018 Unsung Hollywood Himself Episode: "The Best Man" Goliath D.D.A. Hakeem Rashad Main Cast: Season 2 2019 Being Mary Jane Beau Mercer Episode: "Becoming Pauletta" The Enemy Within FBI Agent Will Keaton Main Cast 2019–2021 The Resident Dr. Barrett Cain Main Cast: Seasons 3–4 2021 Our Kind of People Raymond Dupont Main Cast 2022 Celebrity Game Face Himself Episode: "Cedric the Entertainer Busts Kevin's Chops" The Best Man: The Final Chapters Lance Sullivan Main Cast 2022–2023 All American Rick Barnes Recurring Cast: Season 5 2023 The Talk Himself/Guest Co-Host Recurring Guest Co-Host: Season 13 Rebuilding Black Wall Street Himself/Host Main Host 2024 Diarra from Detroit Francois "Swa" Brickland Main Cast 2024– Reasonable Doubt Corey Cash Main Cast: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 2025 After Midnight Himself Episode: "Episode #2.67" Number One on the Call Sheet Himself Episode: "Black Leading Men in Hollywood" 2025–2026 Watson Dr. John Watson Main Cast

+KeyDenotes series/miniseries that have not yet been released

Music videos Year Song Artist 2003 "Dance with My Father" Luther Vandross

Theatrical performances Love In The Nick of Tyme (2007) What My Husband Doesn't Know (2011) The Nutcracker (2013)

Published work

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome 2000 NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture The Best Man 2014 Acapulco Black Film Festival Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Acting Ensemble The Best Man Holiday Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actor NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Nurse Jackie 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Rosewood 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special The Best Man: The Final Chapters 2025NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Reasonable Doubt 2026 Watson