Morris Chestnut has always been Black America’s leading man. Whether he’s juggling the joys and perils of relationships in dramedies such as “Two Can Play That Game” or “The Brothers” or tackling monster reptiles (“Anancondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid”), the husband and father of two’s breadth of work has made him a mainstay in Hollywood. ESSENCE.com caught up with the Hollywood hunk on the set of his new show to discuss the outer limits, aliens inhabiting the earth and how tough it is be a show runner.
ESSENCE.COM: So you’re battling aliens and not anacondas this go round. What’s your character’s deal?
MORRIS CHESTNUT: (Laughs.) Ryan Nichols is a finance guy who’s about to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring when he realizes that the aliens have invaded the planet. There are a lot of secrets he has that he now has to deal with.
ESSENCE.COM: Are you feeling any pressure being a part of a cast of a remake? CHESTNUT: It was kind of a challenge because in the 80’s the show had a cult following and we knew it was going to be a tremendous effort to capture what most people remember, but it turned out to be okay. My character is a resurrection of a couple of characters from the original series, but you’ll have to watch to identify who he is.
ESSENCE.COM: So if aliens were to come to earth today how would your react? CHESTNUT: (Laughs.) That’s a good question. It’s funny because people who saw clips of the pilot criticized how people reacted to the aliens’ arrival. People always want to say how they’d react but when you’re not in the situation you don’t know what you’d do, so I can only imagine how I’d respond. I don’t think I’d be receptive to the arrival.
ESSENCE.COM: Well, we’ll be watching you dealing with the outer limits. Anything you’d like to say before we bid you adieu?
CHESTNUT: Yes, in regards to “V,” I’m proud of the show and I hope people will support the show, and I just want people to be patient because in the beginning [my character] isn’t very prevalent but toward the end he is, so I want to encourage people to stay with the show because I believe they’ll be pleasantly surprised. So please be patient and stick around to see your boy.
Tune in to the premiere of “V,” on Tuesday, November 3, at 8 P.M. ET.