Morris Chestnut: Life in Film
A look back at the actor's career through his movies.
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Boyz N the Hood - A Southern California native, Morris Chestnut received his first break on the big screen in the John Singleton-directed, Academy-Award nominated Boyz N the Hood. Chesnut plays Ricky Baker, a star running back who is being recruited by USC but is eventually a victim of gang violence.\r(Photo: Columbia Pictures)
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The Inkwell - Chestnut would work with Larenz Tate in the 1994 film The Inkwell. Staring Glynn Turman and a young Jada Pinkett Smith, the film is about a young man coming of age during a summer at Martha’s Vineyard.\r(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)
Photo By Photo: Touchstone Pictures
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Under Siege 2 - Chestnut’s first role in a major mainstream film was alongside Steven Seagal in the 1995 action film Under Siege 2. While it wasn’t as successful as the first Under Siege, Chestnut would go on to work with Seagal in two other films (Half Past Dead, Prince of Pistols).(Photo: Warner Bros.)
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The Best Man - What was thought to be the male version of Waiting to Exhale, Chestnut played Lance Sullivan in Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man. Sullivan is the best friend of Taye Diggs's character, Harper Stewart.\r(Photo: Universal Pictures)
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Two Can Play That Game - Chestnut played alongside actress Vivica A. Fox in Two Can Play That Game. Chestnut was Keith Fenton, the boyfriend of a woman (Fox) who gives advice on how to keep men in check.(Photo: Screen Gems)
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The Brothers - Four Black men share their take on love, life and commitment, led by Chestnut, D.L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy and Shemar Moore. The Brothers received NAACP Image Awards and Black Reel Awards nominations.
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Half Past Dead - Starring alongside Steven Seagal and Ja Rule in this prison thriller, Chestnut played a terrorist who arrived on Alcatraz looking for an inmate who knows the whereabouts of stolen gold. (Photo: Courtesy Screen Gems)
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Like Mike - Chestnut had a chance to show off his basketball skills alongside some of the NBA’s brightest in Like Mike. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Steve Nash all made cameos in this 2002 film staring Bow Wow.\r(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)
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Ladder 49 - In 2004, Chestnut played firefighter Tommy Drake in the action film Ladder 49. Alongside John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix, the big budget flick examined the day-to-day life of a Baltimore fireman.\r(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)
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The Perfect Holiday - Chestnut took a stab at the holiday film genre in The Perfect Holiday. The star-studded lineup featured Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union and Terrence Howard. (Photo: Yari Film Group)