Post by Admin on Sept 22, 2019 12:59:40 GMT -4
What You Didn't Know About Him
Morris Chestnut’s childhood dream was to be an NFL running back. And when the world met him a little more than 25 years ago, he was a high school jock by the name of Ricky Baker in John Singleton’s epic and impactful 1991 Boyz N The Hood. Baker met a tragic demise that fans have yet to get over. The role was a phenomenal entrance into Hollywood and Chestnut simply melted into the character, likely drawing on his experience as a running back for Richard Gahr High School in his hometown of Cerritos, California. Chestnut’s forte is to transform into iconic characters such as Lance Sullivan, the New York Giants running back who just signed a life-changing contract in 1999’s The Best Man (and in the 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday). Currently starring in Rosewood, which returned to Fox on Jan. 6, Chestnut talks football, Martin and why he’s not an emotionally irrational NFL fan.
What’s your primary social media tribe?
They kind of all wash into one! But I’d say Facebook just because I’m a little old-school. That’s the one that I’ve built the longest. It has the furthest reach and the engagement … seems more in-depth … It’s more personal.
What’s your favorite throwback TV show?
I’m a big Martin fan when it was on and now in reruns. I love the humor. I love the friend dynamic on the show.
“I’ve played sports ever since I was a child. I love the competition, the camaraderie. It’s been a huge part of my life ever since I can remember.”
Describe yourself during football season.
OK, so this is what it is. I call myself a football loser because all I do on Sundays is watch football. I have friends whose emotions really fluctuate with their teams. When their team wins, they’re as high as a kite. And when their team loses, they’re beneath the soil. I’m more of a monotone. Yes, I’m excited: I love watching the game, I love the strategy of the game — it’s how I relax. But my emotions don’t fluctuate that drastically when I’m watching sports. Yeah, I love when my team wins. But when they lose, I can deal with it. One of my friends just recently, his team lost. We couldn’t reach him for eight days!
I know you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, but you’re from the West Coast.
I was playing running back and [the Eagles] used to have these mesh cutoff shirts … and I liked them at the time. And they have one of my favorite black quarterbacks, Randall Cunningham. They had him for a number of years, and then soon after that they got Donovan McNabb. I’ve always been a fan. I’d love to have the Eagles against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and have the Eagles beat the Patriots. Not like the last time we were there.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I love to eat sweets!
What’s one sport that you play right now in real life?
Basketball.
Are you an NBA fan?
I’m a huge Lakers fan. We haven’t had too much to be excited about, but I just love watching teams grow and build.
Do you think the Cleveland Cavaliers can repeat?
I most definitely think the Cavs can repeat, and I think it’s going to be an all-out brawl with them and Golden State. But I definitely think the Cavs can repeat. Now, will they? I’m inclined at this moment to say that they will repeat, but you never know.
“I love watching the game, I love the strategy of the game — it’s how I relax. But my emotions don’t fluctuate that drastically when I’m watching sports. Yeah, I love when my team wins. But when they lose, I can deal with it.”
What’s the last stamp in your passport?
Prague. I did a part for a television show there called Legends. That was the last stamp in my passport.
What do you predict for 2017?
I’m keeping it very light and I’m going to keep it sports, because I have a few opinions about politics, but I don’t really want to get into that! I’m going to predict that the Cavs will win the Finals this year!
Why do you love sports so much?
I’ve played sports ever since I was a child. I love the competition, the camaraderie. It’s been a huge part of my life ever since I can remember, actually. I love to play them and I love to spectate. I love everything about them.
2019
With streaming platforms and an increasingly diverse industry, Chestnut is eager to lend his own voice to the world by telling the stories he wants to tell. "There's a push to develop so much content," he said. "There are so many platforms, and opportunities are opening up across the board. I'm developing a few things now. There is something that I have set up at Paramount Players that I am producing, but not starring in. Television is a little bit more challenging because television is a writer's medium. Writers are truly the stars of TV. If you look at the huge shows, Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, these writers break stars on television. So it's a little more challenging, but I'm expanding into that."
As far as his longevity is concerned, it hasn't just been the beloved roles (or his charm) that have sustained Chestnut for all of this time. His secret to success is much more obvious than that. "I personally believe that it's simple for me," he revealed. "But when I've told people, and when I've had discussions with other actors, it seems a little complicated. For me, it's basic: come to work on time, know your lines, do your work, and treat people with respect. I mind my own business, I don't get into anybody's business, and that's really at the core of it. I just take my job seriously."
