Morris Chestnut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morris Chestnut
Chestnut at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2010
Born	Morris Lamont Chestnut (1969-01-01) January 1, 1969 (age 56) Cerritos, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Pam Byse-Chestnut ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2

Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Ricky in the 1991 movie Boyz n the Hood. He has also starred in many other popular films like G.I. Jane, Like Mike, and The Game Plan.

Morris Chestnut is also famous for his role as Lance Sullivan in The Best Man and its follow-up movies and TV series. On television, he has appeared in shows such as Nurse Jackie, Rosewood, and The Resident. He is set to play the main character, Dr. Watson, in an upcoming TV show called Watson.

Morris Chestnut has won two NAACP Image Awards for his acting. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is a special honor for actors.

Early Life and Education

Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, on January 1, 1969. His mother, Shirley, was a teacher, and his father, Morris, worked as a medical salesman.

He went to California State University, Northridge, where he studied finance and drama. Before he became a famous actor, Morris Chestnut worked as a bank teller.

Becoming an Actor

Morris Chestnut's first acting job was in a TV show called Freddy's Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series in 1990. Soon after, he got his first big movie role as Ricky Baker in Boyz n the Hood (1991). This movie helped him become widely known.

He then appeared in several TV movies, including The Ernest Green Story, where he played Ernest Green. Morris Chestnut also acted in bigger movies like Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) and G.I. Jane (1997). From 1997 to 1998, he was a regular cast member on the show C-16: FBI.

Famous Roles in Movies

In 1999, Morris Chestnut starred in The Best Man. He played Lance Sullivan, a professional football player getting ready for his wedding. The movie was very popular and helped him get an NAACP Image Award nomination. He played another football player in the Disney movie The Game Plan (2007) with Dwayne Johnson.

He also starred in The Brothers (2001), a movie about young Black professionals. In 2002, he played a basketball player named Tracy Reynolds in the movie Like Mike. In 2004, he was a firefighter in Ladder 49, acting alongside John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix.

Some of his more recent movies include The Perfect Guy (2015) and When the Bough Breaks (2016).

Television Shows

In recent years, Morris Chestnut has worked a lot on television. From 2009 to 2011, he was in the science fiction show V. In 2011, he had a recurring role in the first season of American Horror Story.

From 2013 to 2014, he joined the cast of Nurse Jackie, a medical comedy-drama, playing Dr. Ike Prentiss. He won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for this role.

From 2015 to 2017, Morris Chestnut played the main character, Dr. Beaumont "Rosie" Rosewood Jr., in the crime show Rosewood. He also had important roles in Goliath and The Enemy Within. From 2019 to 2021, he played Dr. Barrett Cain in the medical drama The Resident.

In 2022, he returned as Lance Sullivan in the TV series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which earned him another NAACP Image Award. He also hosts a show called Rebuilding Black Wall Street on the OWN network. In 2024, he starred in Diarra from Detroit and Reasonable Doubt.

Personal Life

Morris Chestnut has been married to Pam Byse-Chestnut since 1995. They have two children, a son named Grant and a daughter named Paige. He was raised in the Baptist church and is a practicing Christian.

In 2017, Morris Chestnut co-wrote a health and fitness book called The Cut. He was inspired to write it after training for his role in The Best Man Holiday.

In March 2022, Morris Chestnut received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a very special honor that celebrates his long and successful acting career.

Awards and Nominations

Morris Chestnut has been recognized for his acting with several awards and nominations.

Images for kids

• 

  Morris Chestnut at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Morris Chestnut para niños