Having given up his dream of playing professional football, Morris Chestnut received immediate recognition in his first feature role as Ricky Baker, the promising young athlete cut tragically down in John Singleton's powerful coming of age film, "Boyz N the Hood" (1991). His impressive debut led to supporting work in "In the Line of Duty: Street War" (NBC, 1992) and the title role of the Disney Channel's "The Ernest Green Story" (1993), as well as a part in Matty Rich's feature "The Inkwell" (1994). Chestnut showed his action hero chops for "Under Siege II: Dark Territory" (1995), with Steven Seagal, and was one of the Navy SEAL recruits alongside Demi Moore in "G.I. Jane" (1997). His first experience as a series regular came in the short-lived NBC sitcom "Out All Night" (1992-93), starring Patti LaBelle, and he returned to series work (this time in a drama) for ABC's "C-16" (1997-98), playing an FBI recruit fresh out of training. He also acted in Malcolm Lee's directorial debut, "Best Man" (1999).

In 2001, Chestnut starred in the "The Brothers," solidifying both his acting talent and sex symbol status and in 2002, he joined Steven Seagal and Ja Rule for the surprise hit action crime feature "Half Past Dead." The actor continued to demonstrate his versatility, appearing in dramas like "Confidence" (2003), comedies like "Breakin' All the Rules" (2004) and horror-thrillers like "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (2004). A minor role the realistic, but mundane “Ladder 49” (2004) was followed by a slightly more pivotal role in the sci-fi thriller, “The Cave” (2005), in which he played a cave explorer who helps lead a pair of biologists into an elaborate cave system beneath the newly discovered ruins of a 13th century Romanian abbey. But instead of discovering an new ecosystem, as the biologists had hoped, the group finds a new species of unique and unwelcoming beings formed by the isolated environment. A clichéd storyline, unknown cast and lack of aggressive advertising ensured a $6 million opening weekend.