A tall, handsome, and versatile American actor, Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, to Shirley (Wynn) and Morris Chestnut, Sr. He first came to be recognized by moviegoers starring as Ricky in Boyz n the Hood (1991), a role where he played a high school running back using his football skills to escape the violent surroundings of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. His half brother was played by Ice Cube who in the movie did not have the same motivation. Two years later, he landed a lead role in Civil Rights Drama The Ernest Green Story (1993), showing courage and perseverance as one of the Arkansas Nine high school students. He later starred in action films like Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), G.I. Jane (1997) and Half Past Dead (2002) as well as the romantic comedies The Best Man (1999), The Brothers (2001), Two Can Play That Game (2001), and Breakin' All the Rules (2004). In 2004, he appeared in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and Ladder 49 (2004).