Morris Chestnut Reflects on Surviving and Thriving Three Decades in the Business: ‘In Hollywood, There’s No Blueprint’

Emily Longeretta Morris Chestnut doesn’t have a “secret” to success, per se, but there is one thing he wishes he’d done when he started working in the industry three decades ago: study.“If I knew when I was first starting out that I would still be here, I would have focused more on the craft — I would have studied like crazy in the beginning,” he tells Variety. “When I got into this, I got a big break early. I was always trying to look for the next job.

But I always ask young actors, ‘What’s your background? Did you take any classes?’ That’s what I tell them most of the time: Study and get the foundation because once you get that, you’ll always be around and you’ll always have opportunities. When you do get that big break, you’re ready for it. When I got that break, I definitely wasn’t ready.” That big break came in John Singleton’s 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood,” in which Chestnut starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King and Nia Long.However, his first role — the part that got him his SAG-AFTRA card — was one year before.

He starred in 1990’s “Freddy’s Nightmare,” a horror anthology series that was part of the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. When reflecting on the memorable moments throughout his career, he can’t leave that out.“It wasn’t a weekly show. It was one of those shows that come on at 2 o’clock in the morning on random channels,” he says.

“After it aired, I was at a local play and a woman came up to me. It was my very first time being recognized. I was like, ‘You’re up that late watching the show?’ It was really just one of those moments where I was like, ‘Wow, I think I can do this.’”Now, Chestnut has starred in dozens of films and movies, and on March 23, will