Morris Chestnut, a name synonymous with Black excellence for over thirty years. Renowned for his work in “Boyz n the Hood,” “The Best Man,” “Rosewood,” “The Resident,” and “Diarra from Detroit,” to name a few, is currently captivating audiences as Corey Cash in season two of the Hulu / Onyx Collective series, “Reason Doubt.”
On the surface, Corey Cash is a charismatic and cunning attorney who only seems to care about being the face of a high-profile case. However, the audience soon learns that there’s a deeper reason behind Corey’s need for the spotlight. The character’s redemption arc is what attracted Chestnut to the role.
“One of the things I love about Raamla Mohamed’s (series creator/showrunner) writing is that she could have easily said, ‘Morris we want you to play a lawyer who comes to L.A. to help his old friend, Jax, get her friend Shanelle off of a murder case.’ Boom. It could have just been that simple,” he said.
“But what drew me to the role, after talking to Raamla and reading Corey Cash’s arc, it’s actually ‘We want you to come to L.A. to help a friend, defend a friend while you’re trying to redeem yourself from these issues that have happened in your past, and in the midst of doing so, you’re also dealing with issues with your father. The character was so layered, and that’s what really excited me about taking on this role,” said Chestnut.
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What makes season 2 of “Reasonable Doubt” must-see TV is the compelling way in which the writers so carefully and intentionally address domestic violence. Attorney Jax Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi) is tasked with defending her friend Shanelle (Shannon Kane) in a murder case following the death of Shanelle’s husband JT (Christopher Mychael Watson) which Jax believes was an act of self-defense.
To protect her mental health following a harrowing experience with a former lover, Jax enlists Corey Cash to assist with Shanelle’s case. However, the two legal titans have clashing defense strategies. One of Corey’s many strengths in the courtroom is the way he delivers powerful speeches advocating for survivors of domestic violence.
Praising Mohamed’s screenwriting of such compelling monologues, Chestnut said, “Another thing that I love about working with Raamla is the depth of the messaging. It’s not only just the depth of the characters, but it’s the depth of the messaging.
“To have not just a woman speak for a woman, but a man speak for a woman, they’re both equal, but to have a different type of voice to say, ‘Hey, we support you, we see you and we’re here for you.’ In the show, Jax and her girlfriends are always there for each other, so to also have another man be there, that imaging and that messaging was needed, and it’s very real.”
Chestnut and Corinealdi previously worked together on the medical drama “Rosewood.” Chestnut shared his endearing experience behind the scenes of “Reasonable Doubt.”
“I love going to Emayatzy’s set, it was really a breath of fresh air to see Kerry Washington, who’s the executive producer, Raamla Mohamed, who’s the creator, writer, and showrunner, and Emayatzy as the star. It was literally one of the best sets that I’ve ever been on.
“The tone for the show and how the set is run is conveyed by those three people and it was such a pleasure. I was so happy to be there, everything ran like a well-oiled machine.”
The Cerritos native went on to say that he and Mohamed both being from the Los Angeles area, helped to add another level of “relatability” to his character and his experience working on the show.
While the season finale for “Reasonable Doubt” is near, Chestnut has a new series for fans to enjoy. He’s currently shooting the CBS medical drama “Watson” based on the Sherlock Holmes stories. Chestnut plays the leading role of Dr. John Watson, a physician and former consulting detective.
“It’s a blessing to have the opportunity and I’m excited about this show as well,” he added.
In addition to acting, Chestnut is also the producer of a short film entitled, “The Origin,” which will screen during the 6th annual Micheaux Film Festival at the Culver Theatre on Friday, October 25.
