For the file, Morris Chestnut shouldn’t be an actual physician. Only reveals one on TV.
To be particular, Chestnut has performed a number of medical doctors in recent times, working as a trauma specialist on “Nurse Jackie” earlier than transferring into pathology on Fox’s “Rosewood.”
The final physician he performed, Barrett Cain on Fox’s “The Resident,” is a standout. The spectators hated it. Castagna cherished it.
“Cain was extra involved in regards to the cash a affected person would make for the hospital than his well being,” he mentioned with a mischievous snort. “The followers cherished to hate me. They would come as much as me and say, “You’re so imply.” I actually appreciated it.
Chestnut is leaving his “dangerous physician” days behind, embarking on a brand new specialty as a compassionate geneticist and internist on the CBS medical drama “Watson,” a contemporary reboot of the Sherlock Holmes mythology. He performs Dr. John Watson, Holmes’ associate, who turns into the pinnacle of an elite clinic for uncommon problems at a Pittsburgh hospital after Holmes is murdered.
“I by no means made Hollywood my life,” Chestnut mentioned. “It’s a tricky place, bodily and emotionally.”
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Reworking Watson’s character means far more to Chestnut than merely increasing his medical resume. Although he has loved a reasonably constant profession since his acclaimed debut in 1991’s “Boyz N the Hood,” Chestnut has appeared primarily in ensemble or supporting roles, lots of them romantic autos that showcased his beauty and construct athletics.
“Watson” represents his desired rise to the main man ranks.
“This is a big milestone for me in some ways,” he mentioned. “I’ve had main roles up to now, however as an actor, I really feel like I’m taking the appropriate step when it comes to my strategy to the work. The alternative to play this character, and on CBS, is large. And enjoying with the mythology of Sherlock Holmes is one thing I might by no means have imagined.”
CBS is placing loads of promotional muscle behind “Watson.” Ahead of its official premiere on February 16, the community will launch the drama on January 26 following the NFL playoffs.
“Given our sturdy perception within the present, it is becoming to offer ‘Watson’ a high-profile launch with a robust lead-in instantly following the AFC Championship soccer sport, which is at all times one of many most-watched tv occasions of the 12 months, and a confirmed platform for launching a few of our most profitable sequence,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, mentioned in an e-mail. He known as Chestnut “a basic and charming main star, and his singular efficiency as the long-lasting Doctor is daring, smart and heroic.”
The actor says “Watson” stands out from different medical dramas. “We’re not simply medical doctors, we’re investigators,” he mentioned. “When sufferers come into our clinic, we do not clear up the medical thriller immediately. We enter their properties, we take to the streets. It combines the medical facet of Watson with the affect of Sherlock.”
Making his method by a wholesome breakfast at a Beverly Hills lodge, Chestnut was enthusiastic as he mentioned the sequence. He seemed a lot the identical as within the first movie “The Best Man” from 1999, wherein his portrayal of a muscular soccer star cemented his standing as a heartthrob.
He attributed his look to his aggressive and wholesome way of life: “It’s a blessing from God. I’ve by no means made Hollywood my life. It’s simply part of my life. It’s a tricky place, bodily and emotionally. I’ve seen him eat folks and spit them out. I am going residence and loosen up after work. I do not go to events. That stuff can take a toll in your soul, physique and thoughts.
Chestnut as John Watson in “Watson,” which airs Sunday in its prime post-NFL time slot.
(Colin Bentley/CBS)
Chestnut, who additionally serves as an government producer on “Watson,” was instantly enthusiastic when he was first introduced with the pilot script by showrunner Craig Sweeny. “He was so sturdy. It had every part: motion, emotion, wit. It left you with a cliffhanger to see the place issues would go. After assembly Craig and understanding the place he needed to take the present, I knew I needed to signal on.
Yet he’s additionally uncomfortably conscious that not everyone seems to be pleased a couple of black actor taking over a job that has traditionally been performed by white males. The listing of previous Watsons contains Nigel Bruce, Robert Duvall, Jude Law, John C. Reilly and Martin Freeman.
The transfer has already drawn criticism on social media, mirroring the criticism that greeted Halle Bailey’s casting within the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” the “Star Wars” franchise and different beloved properties which have embraced extra cultural elements. variety.
“I’m reluctant to debate it, particularly within the occasions we reside in,” Chestnut mentioned, his deep voice registering his disappointment. “I’ve seen some destructive feedback about my portrayal of this character. And I do not actually wish to concentrate on that: I simply hope that individuals see the mythology character for what he’s. I do not wish to draw consideration to that.”
However, he acknowledged that his casting would have attracted much less consideration a number of years in the past, when the Black Lives Matter motion sparked requires better fairness and inclusion in Hollywood.
Chestnut mentioned: “It would have been a lot smoother, 100%. These days, folks prefer to level out sure issues and put a destructive political spin on them. I’m pleased that “The Little Mermaid” and “Wicked” have been big successes. In my whole profession, I’ve by no means handled issues outdoors of my job. It’s irritating to must take care of all of this. Let’s hope all of us have success.”
“Watson” is only one of many new medical dramas hitting primetime this season. NBC’s “Brilliant Minds,” Fox’s “Doc,” Max’s “The Pitt” and ABC’s “Doctor Odyssey” joined veterans “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Chicago Med.”
Assisting Watson within the clinic is a staff of younger, skilled medical doctors who’re additionally investigating uncommon illnesses. Complicating his private life is his lingering affection for his ex-wife, Dr. Mary Morstan (Rochelle Aytes), who can also be the hospital’s medical director. And Watson remains to be focused by Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty.
“I’m very energized not solely by the evolution of my character, however the different characters as effectively,” Chestnut mentioned. “The viewers will actually really feel sorry for them. The present is thrilling and thrilling.”
Chestnut first rose to fame within the Nineteen Nineties with movies like “Boyz N the Hood” and “The Best Man.”
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
The sequence marks the community’s second Holmes reboot. “Elementary,” starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu because the detective duo, premiered in 2012 and had a stable seven-season run.
Sweeny, who was an government producer on “Elementary,” mentioned Chestnut was one of many actors he was considering of whereas writing the “Watson” pilot: “It was due to his empathy and intelligence. Everyone within the business has nothing however glowing phrases for Morris as an individual. He is without doubt one of the kindest and most respectful folks I’ve ever labored with, in addition to an amazing chief.”
He was additionally impressed by among the actor’s earlier portrayals of medical doctors.
Sweeny mentioned: “In writing a medical present, I’ll give the actor the duty of swimming in an ocean of medical jargon. It takes a dedication. With this present, we’re dedicated to fine-tuning the science in each medical twist and switch. Correct science has many syllables. Morris is as dedicated to getting issues proper as we’re to writing.
“Playing a physician may be very difficult, and enjoying a physician in a one-hour sequence is much more difficult,” Chestnut mentioned. “Medical terminology is nearly a unique language. I’ve to know what I’m speaking about. I can not change phrases like I may in a standard function. Terms and prognosis have to be correct and well timed. It provides a totally completely different stage to the efficiency.
It’s a problem he is grateful to simply accept, particularly at this level in his artistic development. In “Boyz N the Hood,” the late director John Singleton’s landmark debut about younger males residing among the many risks of gang life in South Los Angeles, Chestnut performed Ricky Baker, a highschool soccer star hoping to go to school with a scholarship. Ricky meets a tragic finish when he’s killed by gang members.
“Aside from that film launching my profession, it helped maintain my profession,” he mentioned. “Not solely is it a improbable movie, however folks have been rooting for me. People have been emotionally linked to the character, however the endurance whereas I used to be doing different tasks linked folks to it Me. I can not let you know how many individuals I speak to right now who weren’t alive when the film got here out.
The different standout is “The Best Man,” Malcolm D. Lee’s romantic comedy a couple of group of faculty buddies who’ve a joyous however troublesome reunion when two of them determine to get married. That movie bucked the pattern of black movies of the time that centered on riots in black areas by specializing in subtle, high-class black characters.
Chestnut was among the many solid members who would go on to stardom, together with Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Nia Long, Regina Hall and Melissa De Sousa. The solid reunited for a sequel, 2013’s “The Best Man Holiday” and the 2022 Peacock restricted sequence “The Best Man: The Final Chapters.”
In the sequence, Chestnut performed one other well-known soccer participant, Lance Sullivan, who’s emotionally distraught in “The Best Man Holiday” after studying that his spouse, Mia (Monica Calhoun), is dying of most cancers. Again, Chestnut mentioned, “People went on an emotional journey with me. This additionally helped me maintain my profession.”
Those movies and subsequent tasks positioned him within the “Watson” highlight, he mentioned.
“I’m so honored that they considered me for this,” he mentioned. “I simply needed the business to acknowledge me and see me and say, ‘I need this That sort.’ “
