Skip to content
MovieCove
Morris Chestnut

Morris Chestnut

Actor and producer · Born January 1, 1969 (57) · Cerritos, California, USA

Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as NBA star Tracy Reynolds in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan Nichols in the TV series V (2009). His first professional acting role was as Jadon in Freddy's Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series in the episode "A Family Affair" (season 2, episode 19) which aired on February 18, 1990. His first feature film role was as Ricky Baker in Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed with roles in various TV movies. Chestnut also played a role on Patti LaBelle's short-lived sitcom Out All Night. His career continued to rise steadily with co-starring roles in standard big-budget studio films like Under Siege 2 (1995) and G.I. Jane (1997). In 1998, he won the annual Madden Bowl video game competition. In 1999, he starred in The Best Man with Taye Diggs and Nia Long in which he played a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. He reprised his role in Best Man Holiday. For both of his performances, he earned NAACP Image Award nominations. He then starred in The Brothers (2001), another film centering on the themes of fidelity and success among urban professionals. He has worked with Steven Seagal three times in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Half Past Dead and Prince of Pistols. He starred In Two Can Play That Game (2001), Breakin' All the Rules (2004), and Ladder 49 (2004). He again played a football player in The Game Plan (2007). He produced and starred in the film Not Easily Broken (2009). He starred as Ryan Nichols in the TV series reboot of V (2009). He then appeared in the films Think Like a Man (2012), and, in 2013, the films Identity Thief, Kick-Ass 2, and The Call. In 2015, Morris Chestnut played Derrick Dog Prince in the movie Heist; and People magazine named him as one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2015. He played the lead role of pathologist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. in the series Rosewood, receiving another NAACP image Award nomination. He had recurring roles in the TV series Legends, The Enemy Within, and Our Kind of People. He had a starring guest role on the medical drama The Resident.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1969 (57)
From
Cerritos, California, USA
Works as
Actor and producer
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 59 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

What are Morris Chestnut's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
31%
Morality
28%
Self
18%
Survival
12%
Society
6%
Ideas
3%
Power
2%
Family bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship8 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 32 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 4 · Dark 14

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 24 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 5 · Intense 18

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 9

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 9

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 14 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 28 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

31 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 8 of 31 analyzed roles.

Hero
8 of 31
Ally
7 of 31
Shadow
4 of 31
Shapeshifter
3 of 31
Threshold guardian
3 of 31
Mentor
3 of 31
Trickster
2 of 31
Herald
1 of 31
Show the 31 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Dread
10
Warm
9
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
10
Other
46

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Morris Chestnut's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 40 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Morris Chestnut's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

59 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Watson(2024)

    Show 33 episodes · Executive Producer · as Dr. John Watson

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Diarra from Detroit(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · as Swa

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • The Best Man: The Final Chapters(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Lance Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Reasonable Doubt(2022)

    Show 13 episodes · as Corey Cash

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Our Kind of People(2021)

    Show 12 episodes · as Raymond Dupont

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Spell(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Enemy Within(2019)

    Show 13 episodes · as Will Keaton

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • All American(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · as Rick Barnes

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Resident(2018)

    Show 30 episodes · as Barrett Cain

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Girls Trip(2017)

    as Morris Chestnut

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Goliath(2016)

    Show 8 episodes · as Hakeem Rashad

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • When the Bough Breaks(2016)

    Executive Producer · as John Taylor

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Heist(2015)

    as Dog

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Rosewood(2015)

    Show 44 episodes · as Beaumont Rosewood Jr.

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • The Perfect Guy(2015)

    as Dave King

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Legends(2014)

    Show 12 episodes · as Tony Rice

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • The Best Man Holiday(2013)

    as Lance Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Kick-Ass 2(2013)

    as Detective Marcus Williams

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Call(2013)

    as Officer Paul Phillips

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Identity Thief(2013)

    as Detective Reilly

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Think Like a Man(2012)

    as James

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · as Luke

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Takers(2010)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Love in the Nick of Tyme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Producer · as Marcelles Wynters

  • V(2009)

    Show 22 episodes · as Ryan Nichols

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Nurse Jackie(2009)

    Show 17 episodes · as Dr. Ike Prentiss

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Not Easily Broken(2009)

    Executive Producer · as Dave Johnson

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Wendy Williams Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Prince of Motor City(2008)

    as Leo Moore

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Perfect Holiday(2007)

    as Benjamin Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Game Plan(2007)

    as Travis Sanders

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Bones(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Agent Oakes

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Cave(2005)

    as Top Buchanan

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Craig (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Ladder 49(2004)

    as Tommy Drake

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid(2004)

    as Gordon Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Breakin' All the Rules(2004)

    as Evan

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Confidence(2003)

    as Travis

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Half Past Dead(2002)

    as Donald Robert Johnson

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Like Mike(2002)

    as Tracey Reynolds

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Scenes of the Crime(2001)

    as Ray

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Killing Yard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Shango

  • Two Can Play That Game(2001)

    as Keith Fenton

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Brothers(2001)

    as Jackson Smith

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Best Man(1999)

    as Lance Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • C-16: FBI (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 13 episodes · as Mal Robinson

  • G.I. Jane(1997)

    as McCool

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Firehouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Andre

  • Under Siege 2: Dark Territory(1995)

    as Bobby Zachs

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Higher Learning(1995)

    as Track Anchor

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • ER(1994)

    Show 2 episodes · as Frank 'Rambo' Bacon

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Inkwell(1994)

    as Harold Lee

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Living Single(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Hamilton Brown

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Ernest Green Story(1993)

    as Ernest Green

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • In the Line of Duty: Street War(1992)

    as Prince Franklin

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Out All Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 20 episodes · as Jeff Carswell

  • The Last Boy Scout(1991)

    as Locker Room Kid

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Boyz n the Hood(1991)

    as Ricky Baker

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Unsung Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 59 titles, 58 of them dated from 1991 to 2025; peak year 2003.

Biggest box office

Identity Thief (2013)

$174M worldwide

Highest rated

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Rosewood (2015)

Film career

19912025

Peak 2003 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 21 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting57 of 59: 53 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thProducing6 of 59: 2 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score28th

59 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s14 · acting2000s21 · 21 acting · 2 crew2010s17 · 16 acting · 2 crew2020s6 · 5 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 14% of 28 roles
910106

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Morris Chestnut's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 32 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 32

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 52 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · actor

The Prince of Motor City (2008)

98th percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Morris Chestnut's work okay for kids?

Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore17 titles35–84 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity24 titles16–60 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles44–90 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs15 titles19–60 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles32–78 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Morris Chestnut work with?

People who share at least 2 of Morris Chestnut's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nia Long shares the most, 5.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles