Photo: Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Morris Chestnut is one of those actors who's been quietly excellent for over three decades, and I feel like he never quite gets the credit he deserves. He broke onto the scene as Ricky Baker in Boyz n the Hood back in 1991 — a heartbreaking, fully realized performance that announced a serious talent. What I love about his career is the range: he moved from that raw dramatic debut into action films, comedies, and prestige TV without ever feeling out of place. His NAACP Image Award win in 2014 was well earned, and honestly long overdue recognition for the kind of consistent, grounded work he brings to every project. He's never the flashiest guy in the room, but he always elevates whatever he's in — and in Hollywood, that reliability is genuinely rare.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Morris Chestnut
- Name (Japanese)
- モリス・チェストナット
- Reading
- もりす・ちぇすとなっと
- Born
- January 1, 1969 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rooster
- Origin
- Cerritos, California, United States
- Occupation
- actor / film producer / television actor / film actor
2. Background
- High school
- Gahr High School
- University
- California State University, Northridge
Awards & achievements
- 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Morris Chestnut born?
Born January 1, 1969 (age 57).
Where is Morris Chestnut from?
Morris Chestnut is from Cerritos, California, United States.
What does Morris Chestnut do?
Morris Chestnut works as actor, film producer, television actor, film actor.
Actor — see all → · Film producer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.