Biography

Morris Chestnut

Jump to

A tall, handsome, and versatile American actor, Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, to Shirley (Wynn) and Morris Chestnut, Sr. He first came to be recognized by moviegoers starring as Ricky in Boyz n the Hood (1991), a role where he played a high school running back using his football skills to escape the violent surroundings of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. His half brother was played by Ice Cube who in the movie did not have the same motivation. Two years later, he landed a lead role in Civil Rights Drama The Ernest Green Story (1993), showing courage and perseverance as one of the Arkansas Nine high school students. He later starred in action films like Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), G.I. Jane (1997) and Half Past Dead (2002) as well as the romantic comedies The Best Man (1999), The Brothers (2001), Two Can Play That Game (2001), and Breakin' All the Rules (2004). In 2004, he appeared in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and Ladder 49 (2004).
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Has worked with Steven Seagal twice. He was both Seagal's character's partner and main enemy. In Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), Chestnut is Seagal's character's reluctant partner. In Half Past Dead (2002), he co-starred as the main villain.
Is an excellent Texas Hold 'Em poker player. Recently (2005), held his own against six established poker professionals in a television tournament.
Had a cameo appearance, but was uncredited, in the movie Higher Learning (1995) as one of the track runners on the team.
Winner of the 1998 Madden Bowl, beating other celebrity talent as well as NFL stars in a tournament of John Madden Football.
Has two children: Grant Chestnut and Paige Chestnut.

A lot of times, women don't get the male perspective in regards to a relationship, what men go through when they're not really dealing well.
I am just another fireman because the story focuses on Joaquin Phoenix's character, but I play Joaquin's close friend and I get burned up a little bit, but I don't die.
It's hard when you see a scene where it's raining, and we have the rain machine, and you see it for 5 minutes, but that scene takes all day to shoot, and you do it with rain, and the dry off, and go back and do it again.
Unless you are really grounded and have a true sense of reality, you can get lost in that and a lot of people do and that's why you see so many people with successful careers but with destructive lives.
And I think from a male perspective, we have men talking about their feelings and it being okay.

Suggest an edit or add missing content