Hollywood can 'eat people and spit them out.' Morris Chestnut refuses to be one of them

For the record, Morris Chestnut is not a existent doctor. He conscionable plays 1 connected TV.

To beryllium precise, Chestnut has played aggregate physicians successful the past respective years, scrubbing successful arsenic a trauma specializer successful “Nurse Jackie” earlier moving connected to pathology successful Fox’s “Rosewood.”

The past doc helium played, Barrett Cain successful Fox’s “The Resident,” is simply a standout. Viewers loathed him. Chestnut loved it.

“Cain was much acrophobic astir the wealth a diligent would marque for the infirmary than the patient’s health,” helium said with a mischievous laugh. “Fans loved to hatred me. They would attack maine and say, ‘You’re truthful mean.’ I truly liked that.”

Chestnut is putting his “bad doctor” days down him, taking connected a caller specialty arsenic a compassionate geneticist and internist successful CBS’ aesculapian play “Watson,” a modern reboot of the Sherlock Holmes mythology. He plays Dr. John Watson, Holmes’ partner, who becomes the caput of an elite uncommon disorders session astatine a Pittsburgh infirmary aft Holmes is murdered.

“I’ve ne'er made Hollywood my life,” Chestnut said. “It’s a pugnacious spot — physically and emotionally.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Reworking the Watson quality means much to Chestnut than conscionable expanding his aesculapian resume. While helium has enjoyed a reasonably accordant vocation since his acclaimed debut successful 1991’s “Boyz N the Hood,” Chestnut has mostly been featured successful ensemble oregon supporting roles, galore of them romanticist vehicles showcasing his bully looks and diversion build.

“Watson” represents his hoped-for ascension into the ranks of starring man.

“This is simply a important milestone for maine successful a fig of ways,” helium said. “I’ve had pb roles before, but arsenic an actor, I consciousness I’m hitting my stride successful presumption of however I attack the work. The accidental to play this character, and connected CBS, is huge. And to play with the Sherlock Holmes mythology is thing I ne'er would person imagined.”

CBS is putting dense promotional musculus down “Watson.” Before its authoritative premiere Feb. 16, the web is launching the play connected Jan. 26 pursuing the NFL playoffs.

“Given our beardown content successful the show, it’s lone fitting to springiness ‘Watson’ a high-profile motorboat with a almighty lead-in instantly pursuing the AFC Championship shot game, which is ever 1 of the astir viewed tv events of the year, and a proven level for launching immoderate of our astir palmy series,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said successful an email. She called Chestnut “a classic, charming pb star, and his singular instrumentality connected the iconic doc is bold, omniscient and heroic.”

The histrion maintained that “Watson” is distinctive from different aesculapian dramas. “We are not conscionable doctors, we are detectives,” helium said. “When patients travel into our clinic, we don’t lick the aesculapian enigma close there. We spell into their homes, we spell into the streets. It’s combining the aesculapian facet of Watson with the power of Sherlock.”

Making his mode done a steadfast meal astatine a Beverly Hills hotel, Chestnut was enthusiastic arsenic helium discussed the series. He looked overmuch the aforesaid arsenic helium did successful the archetypal “The Best Man” diagnostic successful 1999 successful which his portrayal of a muscular shot prima solidified his heartthrob status.

He credited his quality to his aggressively steadfast lifestyle: “It’s a blessing from God. I’ve ne'er made Hollywood my life. It’s conscionable a portion of my life. It’s a pugnacious spot — physically and emotionally. I’ve seen it devour radical and spit them out. I spell location and chill aft work. I don’t spell to parties. That worldly tin instrumentality a toll connected your soul, assemblage and mind.”

Chestnut arsenic John Watson successful “Watson,” which premieres Sunday successful the premier post-NFL clip slot.

(Colin Bentley / CBS)

Chestnut, who is besides an enforcement shaper of “Watson,” was instantly excited erstwhile archetypal presented with the aviator publication from showrunner Craig Sweeny. “It was truthful strong. Had everything — action, emotion, wit. It near you with a cliffhanger to spot wherever things were going to go. After I met with Craig and learned wherever helium wanted to instrumentality the show, I knew I had to motion on.”

Yet helium besides is uncomfortably alert that not everyone is pleased with a Black histrion taking connected a relation that has historically been portrayed by achromatic men. The database of past Watsons see Nigel Bruce, Robert Duvall, Jude Law, John C. Reilly and Martin Freeman.

The determination has been already met with gripes connected societal media, mirroring the disapproval that greeted the casting of Halle Bailey successful the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” the “Star Wars” franchise and different beloved properties that person embraced much taste diversity.

“I’m reluctant to sermon it, peculiarly successful the times we’re surviving in,” said Chestnut, his heavy dependable registering his disappointment. “I’ve seen immoderate antagonistic comments astir maine playing this character. And I truly don’t privation to absorption connected that — I conscionable anticipation radical spot the quality successful the mythology for who helium is. I don’t privation to telephone attraction to that.”

Still, helium acknowledged that his casting would person attracted little attraction respective years ago, erstwhile the Black Lives Matter question sparked calls for much equity and inclusion successful Hollywood.

Said Chestnut, “It would person been overmuch much seamless, 100%. In these times, radical similar to constituent to definite things and bring a antagonistic governmental rotation to it. I’m gladsome that ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Wicked’ are wildly successful. In my full career, I’ve ne'er made it astir things extracurricular of my work. It is frustrating to person to woody with that. Hopefully we are each successful.”

“Watson” is conscionable 1 of respective caller doc dramas checking into premier clip this season. NBC’s “Brilliant Minds,” Fox’s “Doc,” Max’s “The Pitt” and ABC’s “Doctor Odyssey” person joined veterans “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Chicago Med.”

Assisting Watson successful the session is simply a squad of young, accomplished doctors who are besides investigating the uncommon disorders. Complicating his idiosyncratic beingness is his lingering affection for his ex-wife, Dr. Mary Morstan (Rochelle Aytes), who is besides the hospital’s aesculapian director. And Watson is inactive being targeted by Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty.

“I’m astir energized not lone by the improvement of my character, but of the different characters,” Chestnut said. “The assemblage is truly going to consciousness for them. The amusement is breathtaking and emotional.”

Chestnut archetypal roseate to prominence successful the 1990s with films specified arsenic “Boyz N the Hood” and “The Best Man.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The bid marks the network’s 2nd Holmes reboot. “Elementary,” which starred Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu arsenic the investigative duo, premiered successful 2012 and had a coagulated seven-season run.

Sweeny, who was an enforcement shaper connected “Elementary,” said Chestnut was 1 of the actors helium was reasoning astir erstwhile helium was penning the aviator for “Watson”: “It was due to the fact that of his empathy and intelligence. Everybody successful the manufacture has thing but glowing words for Morris arsenic a person. He is 1 of the kindest and astir respectful radical I’ve ever worked with, arsenic good arsenic a large leader.”

He was besides impressed by a fewer of the actor’s erstwhile portrayals of physicians.

Said Sweeny: “In penning a aesculapian show, I’m going to task the histrion with swimming successful an water of aesculapian jargon. It takes a commitment. With this show, we’re committed to getting the subject close with each aesculapian twist and turn. Correct subject has a batch of syllables. Morris is arsenic committed to getting it close connected his extremity arsenic we are successful the writing.”

“Playing a doc is precise challenging, and playing a doc successful a one-hour bid is adjacent much challenging,” Chestnut said. “The aesculapian terminology is astir a antithetic language. I person to cognize what I’m talking about. I can’t alteration the words astir similar I could successful a regular role. The presumption and diagnosis person to beryllium close and connected point. It puts a full antithetic furniture to the performance.”

It’s a situation helium is grateful to instrumentality on, peculiarly astatine this constituent successful his originative growth. In “Boyz N the Hood,” precocious manager John Singleton‘s landmark debut astir young radical surviving amid the dangers of pack beingness successful South Los Angeles, Chestnut played Ricky Baker, a prima precocious schoolhouse shot prima who hopes to spell to assemblage with a scholarship. Ricky meets a tragic extremity erstwhile helium is gunned down by pack members.

“Aside from that movie launching my career, it has helped maine prolong my career,” helium said. “It’s not lone a large film, but radical were rooting for me. People were emotionally connected to the character, but the staying powerfulness portion I was doing different projects connected radical to me. I can’t archer you however galore radical I speech to contiguous who were not live erstwhile the movie was released.”

The different cardinal item is “The Best Man,” Malcolm D. Lee’s romanticist drama astir a radical of assemblage friends who person a joyous but rocky reunion erstwhile 2 of them determine to marry. That movie bucked the inclination of Black films astatine the clip that focused connected turmoil successful Black areas, focusing connected sophisticated, upscale Black characters.

Chestnut was among the formed members who would determination connected to large stardom, including Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Nia Long, Regina Hall and Melissa De Sousa. The formed reunited for a sequel, 2013’s “The Best Man Holiday,” and the 2022 Peacock constricted bid “The Best Man: The Final Chapters.”

In the franchise, Chestnut played different prima shot player, Lance Sullivan, who is emotionally distraught successful “The Best Man Holiday” aft learning that his wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun), is dying of cancer. Once again, Chestnut said, “People were connected an affectional travel with me. That besides helped maine prolong a career.”

Those films and consequent projects person positioned him for the spotlight successful “Watson,” helium said.

“I americium truthful honored they thought of maine for this,” helium said. “I conscionable wanted the manufacture to admit me, to spot maine and say, ‘I privation that guy.’ ”