Morris Chestnut was born on New Year\u2019s Day 1969 in Cerritos, California where he was a student-athlete in high school, en route to majoring in finance and drama at California State University. He made his big screen debut opposite Ice Cube in John Singleton\u2019s \u201cBoyz n the Hood,\u201d and subsequently enjoyed his breakout role as the groom-to-be in Malcolm Lee\u2019s \u201cThe Best Man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handsome heartthrob has been a much-in-demand leading man ever since, starring in hits like \u201cThe Call,\u201d \u201cThink Like a Man,\u201d \u201cIdentity Thief,\u201d \u201cThe Brothers,\u201d \u201cNot Easily Broken,\u201d \u201cKick Ass 2,\u201d \u201cTwo Can Play That Game,\u201d \u201cBreakin\u2019 All the Rules,\u201d \u201cThe Perfect Holiday,\u201d \u201cHalf Past Dead,\u201d \u201cLike Mike,\u201d \u201cLadder 94\u201d and \u201cThe Game Plan.\u201d A dedicated family man away from work, Morris and his wife, Pam, live in suburban L.A. with their son, Grant, and daughter, Paige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, he talks about reprising the memorable role of Lance Sullivan in the eagerly-anticipated sequel, \u201cThe Best Man Holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kam Williams:<\/strong> Hey Morris, thanks for another interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris Chestnut: No problem, no problem, Kam. Thank YOU, again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> I loved the film. It was like attending a reunion with a whole lot of folks I hadn\u2019t seen in a longtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Oh, that\u2019s great!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> I\u2019m going to mix my questions for you in with some sent in by fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Perfect!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Editor\/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What did it mean to you to reunite with the cast to shoot this sequel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: It was just wonderful coming together again after all these years, especially since we\u2019d had such a great experience before. It gave me a good feeling inside to reunite, almost like family. We\u2019d accomplished so much the first time, and it was pretty much the same with the sequel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Chalyn Toon asks: Does Lance trust Harper around Mia knowing their past? Does Lance and Mia\u2019s relationship suffer from his being haunted by the images of what happened between his wife and best friend?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: That\u2019s interesting. Lance definitely trusts Mia. And I\u2019ve always been that type of person. You really don\u2019t have to worry about your spouse, as long as you trust him or her. If you trust your spouse or whoever you\u2019re in a relationship with, everybody else doesn\u2019t matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> How did you feel about the arc of your character this go-round?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I was really excited about how all the characters were layered and had depth to them. Malcolm [director Malcolm Lee] wrote a really great script. As for Lance\u2019s arc, I think this is one of the best roles I\u2019ve ever had in a movie.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What message do you think people will take away from the film?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: There are so many messages, because the film has a number of storylines. One thing I love about making an ensemble film like this is that you can have ten people come away from it with ten different messages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Director Rel Dowdell asks: Would you consider your role in \u201cThe Best Man\u201d or in \u201cBoyz n the Hood\u201d to be your signature role, since both are iconic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: [Chuckles] Wow! Thank you, Rel, I appreciate that. I\u2019d like to think that they both are. \u201cBoyz n the Hood\u201d definitely put me on the map and really brought me into the game. Hopefully, this one does the same thing, twenty-something years later, because I feel very strongly about it. It\u2019s a great, emotional role in a great movie overall.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Patricia says: You have been in the movie business for decades. What advice do you have for aspiring actors who want to achieve longevity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I would say focus on your craft. Nowadays, a lot of people come to quote-unquote Hollywood thinking that all they just have to be different or do something outlandish or have a huge personality to become a star. But I think that if you just focus on the craft, you\u2019ll have a better chance at longevity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Woo! That\u2019s a good question. I read so many scripts, that I don\u2019t do that much leisurely reading of books. But the last, good, feature film script I read was The Best Man Holiday<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What is your favorite dish to cook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I don\u2019t really cook, but I like to eat sweets. When I go to a restaurant, I\u2019ll read the dessert menu before I even look at the entrees. I love sweets, especially chocolate. Hot, hot, warm chocolate fudge\u2026 caramel\u2026 chocolate chip cookies\u2026 all those kinds of desserts. Now I\u2019m getting hungry. [Chuckles]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What is your guiltiest pleasure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: It would definitely be the sweets. I try to keep in shape and I always have to check myself. Whenever I binge eat, sweets are the one temptation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: That\u2019s a great question. What was Sanaa\u2019s answer to that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> It\u2019s been so long ago, I can\u2019t remember. Sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Well, I\u2019m excited by my family, sports and desserts. [Chuckles]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> When you look in the mirror, what do you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Nothing special\u2026 just me. [LOL]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I love Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, John Varvatos and others along that line.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Signing on to do \u201cThe Best Man Holiday.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Instantly? For this movie to have instant box office success and make over $100 million.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: With my family. I like that question, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I\u2019d have to think about that one. There are so many to choose from.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: One Christmas, my brother and I woke up at about 2 in the morning. These dirt bikes were there under the tree, so we went outside and started riding them around our tiny backyard in the middle of the night.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Mackie question: Is there anything that you promised yourself you\u2019d do if you became famous, that you still haven\u2019t done yet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I never made any promises like that to myself, because I didn\u2019t pursue acting to become famous. I was actually just trying to make a living.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Wow, that\u2019s great! To be honest, it taught me that it\u2019s always about how you recover from that type of situation. It taught me that I could recover from anything and still be okay.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Viola Davis question: What\u2019s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: I\u2019m probably just a little bit more animated, but other than that I\u2019m pretty much the same person.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Hmmm\u2026 [Chuckles] that\u2019s a good one. I\u2019d say the ability to fly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Perseverance. They don\u2019t give up. They just continue to strive for what they want.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Professional athlete. Basketball.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who\u2019d it be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Dr. Martin Luther King.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you\u2019d like to star in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Yes, Mahogany.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Children\u2019s Miracle Network.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: Just as someone who has always done right by others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Morris, can you come up with a generic question I can ask other celebrities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n MC: [LOL] I can\u2019t think of one, but I wish I had a list of the ones you just asked me, because I need to think about all of them some more.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> I\u2019ll send you a copy of it. Thanks again for the time, Morris, and best of luck with the film. And if you think of a Morris Chestnut question, let me know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n