The best Morris Chestnut movies and TV shows have helped the actor become an award-winning superstar with a massive fanbase that allowed him to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Chestnut is an actor who began his career studying finance and drama in college before finally settling for taking a chance on a role in Hollywood. That was sped up when he appeared in the movie Boyz n the Hood in 1991, one of the best films he ever appeared in, but one in which he only had a minor role.
However, things picked up for him a few years later when he was cast in the Disney Channel TV film The Ernest Green Story, and eventually, his breakout when he picked up a leading role in the comedy-drama The Best Man, which ended up becoming a beloved franchise. He has since built up a diverse and interesting body of work, taking on roles in comedies, action thrillers, horror movies, and several television shows while gaining award recognition from the NAACP Image Awards more than once.
10 The Enemy Within (2019)
Morris Chestnut Played Will Keaton
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The Enemy Within TV-14CrimeThrillerDrama
The Enemy Within is a 2019 American drama series created by Ken Woodruff. Erica Shepherd (Jennifer Carpenter), a former CIA operative serving life in prison, is recruited by FBI agent Will Keaton (Morris Chestnut) to track down a dangerous and elusive criminal she once knew.
Cast Jennifer Carpenter , Morris Chestnut , Raza Jaffrey , Kelli Garner , Cassandra Freeman , Noah Mills Release Date February 25, 2019 Seasons 1
Morris Chestnut joined the cast of the NBC drama series The Enemy Within in 2019. In this series, Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) stars as Erica Shepherd, a former CIA Deputy Director of Operations serving a life sentence for espionage and treason. However, as a brilliant codebreaker, FBI Special Agent Will Keaton (Chestnut) recruits her to help stop a mysterious terrorist named Mikhail Vassily Tal (Lev Gorn). The problem is that Will is the one who arrested Shepherd.
The thriller series lasted only one season and 13 episodes before NBC canceled it. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes was a very high 81%, with most people crediting the acting, specifically Jennifer Carpenter, as the conflicted codebreaker. Morris Chestnut was given less depth despite being the second lead in the series, but for the story, he did well enough with the material given. The series picked up by the end and finished with a cliffhanger, but NBC chose not to move forward with it.
9 The Resident (2019-2021)
Morris Chestnut Played Dr. Barrett Cain
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10/10 The Resident
The Resident is a medical drama that follows a senior resident named Conrad Hawkins and other staff members at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. The series provides a look into the practices of the healthcare industry that are frequently scrutinized by those who must participate, as well as the personal lives of the staff as they attempt to juggle an increasingly difficult work/life balance.
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*Availability in US Cast Matt Czuchry , Emily VanCamp , Manish Dayal , Shaunette Renée Wilson , Bruce Greenwood , Merrin Dungey , Melina Kanakaredes , Moran Atias , Malcolm-Jamal Warner , Glenn Morshower Release Date January 21, 2018 Seasons 6 Showrunner Andrew Chapman
The Resident was a Fox medical drama that focused more on the politics of running a hospital than it did on the cases themselves, which made it an interesting addition to the genre. Morris Chestnut joined the cast in the third season as Barrett Cain, a renowned neurosurgeon promoted by Red Rock to Chief of Surgery after Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) was demoted. Cain was a major part of the storylines in the third and fourth seasons, although he was mostly an antagonistic character.
What made Chestnut great in the role was that he made Dr. Cain a despised character…
Cain was a former football player whose career ended due to injuries, which made him bitter. In his two seasons, he ended up in an accident that almost cost him his medical career, and then was sued for his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the fourth season, Dr. Cain left the series for a better job at Johns Hopkins. What made Chestnut great in the role was that he made Dr. Cain a despised character to The Resident viewers and showed nuance as someone who often did the right things but with a bad attitude.
8 Goliath (2018)
Morris Chestnut Played Deputy District Attorney Hakeem Rashad
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goliath Drama
Goliath is a 2016 legal drama that is available to stream on Prime Video. Billy Bob Thorton stars as Billy McBride, a former lawyer who is trying to find justice in a corrupt legal system after he let a murderer walk free on a technicality. The series lasted for a total of four seasons.
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*Availability in US Cast Billy Bob Thornton Release Date October 13, 2016 Seasons 4 Directors David E. Kelley
Goliath was a Prime VIdeo legal drama that starred Billy Bob Thornton as a down-on-his-luck lawyer who wants redemption in an often corrupt legal industry. The series lasted four seasons, and the supporting cast mostly changed each season as Thornton’s Billy McBride faced different cases and obstacles. Morris Chestnut joined the cast for the second season as a main cast member. Chestnut played Deputy District Attorney Hakeem Rashad, a man with a grudge against McBride.
Related Goliath’s Season 2 Finale Proves Sometimes The Bad Guys Win
Unlike the first series Goliath’s season 2 finale showed that sometimes the bad guys win. The show’s third season arrived in late 2019.
Rashad represents a major tech company, while McBride represents a young man who is falsely accused of murder. Chestnut is a great antagonist in this season, as he wants revenge against McBride, who beat him in a prior case, rather than wanting to see justice prevail. While Billy Bob Thornton carried the series, Chestnut worked perfectly as his foil, and it helped the second season earn the highest Rotten Tomatoes score behind only the final season.
7 American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
Morris Chestnut Played Luke
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7/10 American Horror Story HorrorAnthologyThriller Sci-FiFantasyMystery
American Horror Story is a Horror Anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The franchise has seen stars like Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Denis O’Hare, Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters, and Dylan McDermott. Each season follows a new premise and spans an array of horror genres like witches, ghosts, serial killers, and more.
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*Availability in US Cast Denis O’Hare , Emma Roberts , Dylan McDermott , Joseph Fiennes , Gabourey Sidibe , Taissa Farmiga , James Cromwell , Angela Bassett , Zachary Quinto , Sarah Paulson , Jamie Brewer , Evan Peters , Lizzie Brochere , Kathy Bates , Jessica Lange , Michael Chiklis , Connie Britton , Lily Rabe , Franches Conroy Release Date October 17, 2012 Seasons 12 Showrunner Ryan Murphy Expand
Morris Chestnut was part of the first-ever season of American Horror Story, titled Murder House. This series follows a family who lives in a restored Los Angeles mansion that turns out to be haunted by the ghosts of its former residents. The cast was great and included some names that would become synonymous with the franchise, including Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Jessica Lange. Morris Chestnut stars in a recurring role as Luke Maxcy.
Related American Horror Story Murder House: The True Story That Inspired Season 1
American Horror Story: Murder House blends real events with supernatural occurence, taking inspiration from the most famous murder houses in America
Luke is a security guard hired by Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) to protect her family after a home invasion. Chestnut doesn’t play a huge role, but he is an important character concerning the relationship between Vivien and her husband, Ben (Dylan McDermott), and Ben and Vivian begin to develop a relationship. Chestnut was great in his role, and the series, as a whole, earned 17 Emmy nominations. Jessica Lange won an Emmy and Golden Globe for the season.
6 Diarra From Detroit (2023)
Morris Chestnut Played Swa
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Diarra From Detroit DramaComedy Cast Diarra Kilpatrick , Morris Chestnut , Phylicia Rashad , Dominique Perry , Claudia Logan , Bryan Terrell Clark , Shannon Wallace , Jon Chaffin Character(s) Diarra Brickland , Swa , Vonda , Aja , Moni , Mr. Tea , Chris , Danger Release Date March 21, 2024 Seasons 1
One of Morris Chestnut’s recent roles was a lead in the 2024 BET+ series Diarra from Detroit. The dark comedy-drama series stars Diarra Kilpatrick as Diarra Brickland, a divorced schoolteacher who tries Tinder to find a new date. However, when she believes her Tinder date has ghosted her, she begins searching for information on him. The bad news is that this leads her into the dangerous Detroit underworld, and she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.
Chestnut is charismatic and very likable in his role…
Morris Chestnut stars in the series as François “Swa” Brickland, Diarra’s estranged husband. Chestnut is charismatic and very likable in his role, and his relationship issues with his estranged wife are almost as interesting as the murder mystery as a result. The first season has eight episodes and a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating. Critics pointed out the excellence of the cast, and Phylicia Rashad won a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series.
5 Rosewood (2015-2017)
Morris Chestnut Played Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr.
Morris Chestnut was the main star in the 2015 police procedural series Rosewood, where he played Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. The series follows Rosewood as a private pathologist in Miami who works with law enforcement on cases. Jaina Lee Ortiz (Station 19) co-starred as Det. Annalise Villa and the series mostly followed a case-of-the-week format. The series lasted for two seasons and 44 episodes before Fox canceled it in 2017 after the second season ended.
Chestnut also received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series.
Rosewood was a series that seemed to disconnect viewers (73% on Rotten Tomatoes) from critics (9%). However, it is also important to note that many of the critics’ reviews were only from the first season premiere episode. Most fans loved the characters in the series, with some focusing on Chestnut’s performance as an arrogant scientist with a dark side since he is also dying. Chestnut also received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series.
4 The Best Man (1999)
Morris Chestnut Played Lance Sullivan
Morris Chestnut proved he could be a leading man in 1999 when he starred in the romantic drama The Best Man. He wasn’t the main star of the first movie, but he was just as important as the leading star, Taye Diggs. Diggs stars as Harper Stewart, an author who goes to New York City to spend time with old college friends before their friend, Lance Sullivan, gets married. Morris Chestnut stars as Lance, an NFL running back who is marrying Monica Calhoun’s Mia Morgan.
Chestnut received a lot of praise for his performance as the groom-to-be, and he earned his first-ever award nomination
The movie is about uncovering past secrets that are part of Harper’s upcoming novel, some of which could destroy the wedding and the relationship between these old friends. Chestnut received a lot of praise for his performance as the groom-to-be, and he earned his first-ever award nomination, picking up an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. The film was a huge success, spawning a sequel and a later miniseries following the characters.
3 Reasonable Doubt (2024)
Morris Chestnut Played Corey Cash
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Reasonable Doubt (2022) TV-MADrama
Reasonable Doubt is a legal drama series centering on Jax Stewart, a brilliant but unconventional defense attorney in Los Angeles. As she navigates challenging cases and the complexities of her personal life, she often skirts the line between legal and ethical boundaries.
Cast McKinley Freeman , Tim Jo , Angela Grovey , Thaddeus J. Mixson , Aderinsola Olabode , Emayatzy Corinealdi , Michael Ealy , Pauletta Washington Release Date September 27, 2022 Seasons 2 Creator(s) Raamla Mohamed
Morris Chestnut joined the cast of Reasonable Doubt in its second season. The Hulu series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jax Stewart, a defense attorney and mother of two who is separated from her husband. The second season brought in new faces, as the personal drama between Jax and her husband, Lewis, continues, especially with cheating allegations and an unexpected pregnancy. This becomes especially interesting when Chestnut joins the cast.
The series started its second season in 2024, which is where Mark Chestnut made his debut as Corey Cash, a talented defense attorney Jax brings in to assist on a case. With Corey coming back into Jax’s life, it had many fans wondering if this would create a new romantic connection. With the season underway in 2024, there is no telling how big of a role Chestnut could play in the future of the show if the Hulu series does return for a third season.
2 The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Morris Chestnut Played Lance Sullivan
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The Best Man Holiday RComedy Where to Watch
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*Availability in US Director Malcolm D. Lee Release Date November 15, 2013 Cast Monica Calhoun , Morris Chestnut , Melissa De Sousa , Taye Diggs , Regina Hall , Terrence Howard Runtime 129 minutes
The Best Man Holiday was a surprising sequel that was better in some ways than the original movie. This was a holiday film that saw Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, and the rest of the original film cast return for another comedy drama. The story jumps 15 years after the first movie’s events, with Harper (Diggs) dealing with writer’s block and financial difficulties. He decides to write an unauthorized biography of Lance (Chestnut), who is about to retire from the NFL, but he doesn’t tell his friend about the book.
Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award for his performance and won an award at the Acapulco Black Film Festival.
This brings drama when Lance’s wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun), invites everyone back for a Christmas get-together. Chestnut has a much bigger role in this movie, although the same drama between Lance and Harper leads the story. Chestnut delivers a heartwrenching performance as Mia is dying of cancer, and he has to come to terms with a future without her. Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award for his performance and won an award at the Acapulco Black Film Festival.
1 Nurse Jackie (2013-2014)
Morris Chestnut Played Dr. Ike Prentiss
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Nurse Jackie ComedyDrama
Nurse Jackie is a comedy-drama series that centers on the titular character who works at the E.R. for All Saint’s Hospital in New York City. The show explores the story of Jackie Peyton, a good-hearted nurse with a strong will but a troubled and tumultuous life involving substance abuse. Jackie fights to keep her Hospital fair and functional for staff and patients, all while trying to keep her head on straight.
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*Availability in US Cast Merritt Wever , Dominic Fumusa , Edie Falco , Stephen Wallem , Anna Deavere Smith , Paul Schulze , Ruby Jerins Release Date June 8, 2009 Seasons 7 Showrunner Liz Brixius
Mark Chestnut joined the cast of the hit Edie Falco comedy-drama Nurse Jackie in the show’s fifth season. The series had already won plenty of awards and picked up critical acclaim when he joined the cast, but he ended up as a popular star on the series nonetheless. The series follows Jackie Peyton, a drug-addicted nurse at a hospital. The main praise for the series went to its respectful treatment of addiction. Over its run, Nurse Jackie received 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, with Falco winning in 2010.
Chestnut plays Ike Prentiss, an emergency medicine doctor who was an army medic in his past. He is a more unconventional doctor in the ER and plays a romantic interest for Zoey (Merritt Wever). He only lasted for two seasons and was gone before the final seventh season, but he was impressive in his time on the show. Morris Chestnut won his only NAACP Image Award for his role on the show, taking the honor for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.