Morris Chestnut
“The Best Man Holiday” Interview
with Kam Williams

The Best Chestnut!

Morris Chestnut was born on New Year’s Day 1969 in Cerritos, California, where he was a student-athlete in high school, en route to majoring in finance and drama at California State University. He made his big screen debut opposite Ice Cube in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, and subsequently enjoyed his breakout role as the groom-to-be in Malcolm Lee’s The Best Man.

The handsome heartthrob has been a much-in-demand leading man ever since, starring in hits like The Call, Think Like a Man, Identity Thief, The Brothers, Not Easily Broken, Kick Ass 2, Two Can Play That Game, Breakin’ All the Rules, The Perfect Holiday, Half Past Dead, Like Mike, Ladder 94 and The Game Plan. A dedicated family man away from work, Morris and his wife, Pam, live in suburban L.A. with their son, Grant, and daughter, Paige.

Here, he talks about reprising the memorable role of Lance Sullivan in the eagerly-anticipated sequel, The Best Man Holiday.

Kam Williams: Hey Morris, thanks for another interview.

Morris Chestnut: No problem, no problem, Kam. Thank YOU, again.

KW: I loved the film. It was like attending a reunion with a whole lot of folks I hadn’t seen in a longtime.

MC: Oh, that’s great!

KW: I’m going to mix my questions for you in with some sent in by fans.

MC: Perfect!

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What did it mean to you to reunite with the cast to shoot this sequel?

MC: It was just wonderful coming together again after all these years, especially since we’d had such a great experience before. It gave me a good feeling inside to reunite, almost like family. We’d accomplished so much the first time, and it was pretty much the same with the sequel.

KW: Chalyn Toon asks: Does Lance trust Harper around Mia knowing their past? Does Lance and Mia's relationship suffer from his being haunted by the images of what happened between his wife and best friend?

MC: That’s interesting. Lance definitely trusts Mia. And I’ve always been that type of person. You really don’t have to worry about your spouse, as long as you trust him or her. If you trust your spouse or whoever you’re in a relationship with, everybody else doesn’t matter.

KW: How did you feel about the arc of your character this go-round?

MC: I was really excited about how all the characters were layered and had depth to them. Malcolm [director Malcolm Lee] wrote a really great script. As for Lance’s arc, I think this is one of the best roles I’ve ever had in a movie.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from the film?

MC: There are so many messages, because the film has a number of storylines. One thing I love about making an ensemble film like this is that you can have ten people come away from it with ten different messages.

KW: Director Rel Dowdell asks: Would you consider your role in The Best Man or in Boyz n the Hood to be your signature role, since both are iconic?

MC: [Chuckles] Wow! Thank you, Rel, I appreciate that. I‘d like to think that they both are. Boyz n the Hood definitely put me on the map and really brought me into the game. Hopefully, this one does the same thing, twenty-something years later, because I feel very strongly about it. It’s a great, emotional role in a great movie overall.

KW: Patricia says: You have been in the movie business for decades. What advice do you have for aspiring actors who want to achieve longevity?

MC: I would say focus on your craft. Nowadays, a lot of people come to quote-unquote Hollywood thinking that all they just have to be different or do something outlandish or have a huge personality to become a star. But I think that if you just focus on the craft, you’ll have a better chance at longevity.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

MC: Woo! That’s a good question. I read so many scripts, that I don’t do that much leisurely reading of books. But the last, good, feature film script I read was The Best Man Holiday.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

MC: I don’t really cook, but I like to eat sweets. When I go to a restaurant, I’ll read the dessert menu before I even look at the entrees. I love sweets, especially chocolate. Hot, hot, warm chocolate fudge... caramel… chocolate chip cookies… all those kinds of desserts. Now I’m getting hungry. [Chuckles]

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

MC: It would definitely be the sweets. I try to keep in shape and I always have to check myself. Whenever I binge eat, sweets are the one temptation.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

MC: That’s a great question. What was Sanaa’s answer to that?

KW: It’s been so long ago, I can’t remember. Sorry.

MC: Well, I’m excited by my family, sports and desserts. [Chuckles]

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

MC: Nothing special… just me. [LOL]

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

MC: I love Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, John Varvatos and others along that line.

KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?

MC: Signing on to do The Best Man Holiday.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

MC: Instantly? For this movie to have instant box office success and make over $100 million.

KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?

MC: With my family. I like that question, too.

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

MC: I’d have to think about that one. There are so many to choose from.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

MC: One Christmas, my brother and I woke up at about 2 in the morning. These dirt bikes were there under the tree, so we went outside and started riding them around our tiny backyard in the middle of the night.

KW: The Anthony Mackie question: Isthere anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?

MC: I never made any promises like that to myself, because I didn’t pursue acting to become famous. I was actually just trying to make a living.

KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question:How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?

MC: Wow, that’s great! To be honest, it taught me that it’s always about how you recover from that type of situation. It taught me that I could recover from anything and still be okay.

KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?

MC: I’m probably just a little bit more animated, but other than that I’m pretty much the same person.

KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

MC: Hmmm… [Chuckles] that’s a good one. I’d say the ability to fly.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

MC: Perseverance. They don’t give up. They just continue to strive for what they want.

KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?

MC: Professional athlete. Basketball.

KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who’d it be?

MC: Dr. Martin Luther King.

KW: The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?

MC: Yes, Mahogany.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?

MC: Children’s Miracle Network.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

MC: Just as someone who has always done right by others.

KW: Morris, can you come up with a generic question I can ask other celebrities?

MC: [LOL] I can’t think of one, but I wish I had a list of the ones you just asked me, because I need to think about all of them some more.

KW: I’ll send you a copy of it. Thanks again for the time, Morris, and best of luck with the film. And if you think of a Morris Chestnut question, let me know.

MC: I will definitely do that. Thank you so much, Kam.

To see a trailer for The Best Man Holiday, visit

Dear Mr. Watterson
Film Review by Kam Williams

The comic strip Calvin & Hobbes enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity soon after first appearing in newspapers on November 18, 1985. Drawn and written by Bill Watterson, it was voted Best Syndicated Cartoon 7 years in a row over the course of a decade-long run which also twice netted its talented author the coveted Cartoonist of the Year award.

The reclusive Watterson so cherished his privacy that he shied away from the spotlight despite constant clamor for him to cash in on his success. But he had no trouble resisting the temptation to license his characters to product manufacturers ostensibly out of a fear that mass merchandising might cheapen his comic.

Moreover, in 1995, Watterson stopped publishing the column on his own terms the day he decided it was time, and quietly slipped back into obscurity. This was easy to achieve, since he still lived in tiny Chagrin Falls, the idyllic Ohio town where he’d been raised from the age of 6.

Directed by Joel Allen Schroeder, Dear Mr. Watterson is a reverential retrospective which seeks to flesh out its inscrutable, impossible to find subject. The film features a flurry of accolades from colleagues and fans, including the widow of Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts.

Again and again, the contributors roll out superlatives, uniformly expressing their admiration of the enigmatic Watterson in glowing detail, whether appraising his rich artwork or deeply philosophical storytelling which helped shape a whole generation of impressionable young minds. Conspicuous in his absence, the only person missing from the movie is the Watterson himself, an inveterate introvert who, of course, didn’t participate in the project.

Nevertheless, this illuminating documentary does manage to paint a compelling picture of a modest genius who used his beloved, kid-friendly cartoon to convey the timeless message that there’s magic in everyday life, provided you’re young enough at heart to look for it.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: Gravitas Ventures

To see a trailer for Dear Mr. Watterson, visit

Go for Sisters
Film Review by Kam Williams

Bernice Stokes (LisaGay Hamilton) is a parole officer in Los Angeles where her job routinely places her in close proximity with the dregs of society. She normally has no reason to associate with such miscreants after hours, being very straitlaced and coming from a solid, middle class background.

However, everything changes the day the single-mom’s only child (McKinley Belcher, III) suddenly vanishes without a trace. Rodney, an Iraq War veteran hadn’t been the same since serving overseas.

Bernice was aware that he’d been hanging out with some unsavory characters recently, including a suspected drug dealer who was just murdered. Desperate to find her son, she strikes an unspoken bargain with Fontayne Scott (Yolonda Ross), a new client who has just flunked a urine test.

Rather than report Fontayne to her superior, Bernice enlists the streetwise addict’s assistance in the search. Complicating matters a bit is the fact that the two had been close friends back in high school. So, while unearthing clues pointing to Tijuana, the former BFFs are afforded an opportunity to deconstruct the events leading to their falling out over a boy they both wanted.

Besides Fontayne’s help, Bernice also retains the services of Freddy Suarez (Edward James Olmos), a disgraced, LAPD detective whose investigative experience and fluent Spanish are likely to come in handy south of the border. Packing a guitar and singing in the car, the unlikely trio heads for Mexico, posing as a musical group in order to not arouse suspicion.

Written and directed by two-time, academy Award-nominee John Sayles (for Passion Fish and Lone Star), Go for Sisters is a deliberately-paced crime drama which benefits as much from absorbing character development as from the intrigue surrounding solving the underlying whodunit. Credit charismatic Edward James Olmos for keeping the movie compelling, although Yolonda Ross and LisaGay Hamilton manage to fold their own opposite the Oscar-nominated thespian (for Stand and Deliver).

A dangerous border town as no country for old men or middle-aged sisters either.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 122 minutes

Distributor: Variance Films

Last Vegas
Film Review by Kam Williams

Billy (Michael Douglas), Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline), inseparable since growing up in Flatbush back in the Fifties, have managed to remain close over the years despite the demands of families and careers. That’s why, when never-married Billy finally decides to tie the knot, the others agree to throw him a bawdy bachelor party in Las Vegas, hoping to rekindle a little of the macho magic of their glory days.

But even before arriving in Sin City, the long-in-the-tooth senior citizens are forced to face up to the fact that they’re no spring chickens. After all, Archie is still recovering from a mild stroke, and has to tell his son (Michael Ealy) he’s attending a church retreat to sneak out of the house.

Meanwhile, Sam, who suffers from a futile case of erectile dysfunction, packs Viagra and condoms for the trip with his frustrated wife’s (Joanna Gleason) blessing. And recently-widowed Paddy has entirely lost his zest for life since the passing of his childhood sweetheart (Olivia Stuck).

Even groom-to-be Billy seems to be having second thoughts about walking down the aisle with a woman half his age (Bre Blair), especially after his head is turned at first sight by the hotel’s sultry, lounge singer (Mary Steenburgen). Consequently, the reassembled Rat Pack’s highly-anticipated reunion turns out to be less a licentious last hurrah than a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane. For the guys end up spending more of their time reminiscing and teasing each other than in pursuit of potential sexual conquests.

Directed by Dan Turtletaub (National Treasure 1, 2 and 3), Last Vegas is a laff-a-minute comedy, with most of the humor coming at the expense of members of this self-effacing quartet as they grudgingly make concessions to old age. They remain good sports, whether being the butt of jokes about hair transplants, hair color, medications, looking old or mistakenly flirting with transvestites.

Not surprisingly, the principal cast (featuring four Academy Award-winners in Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline) has no trouble generating a convincing sense of camaraderie onscreen. What is more remarkable is how another Oscar-winner, Mary Steenburgen, makes the most of her support role, upstaging he male co-stars by exhibiting an endearing vulnerability in a most memorable performance.

The Hangover, geezer style!

Excellent (3.5 stars)

PG-13 for profanity and sexuality

Running time: 105 minutes

Distributor: CBS Films

Jeremy Lin
The “Linsanity” Interview
with Kam Williams

Oh, the Linsanity!

Jeremy Lin was born in Los Angeles, California on August 23, 1988 to Taiwanese immigrant parents. Encouraged by his father, he developed a love of basketball at an early age.

Raised in a Christian family, Jeremy’s faith guided and supported him as he chased his hoop dream of playing basketball in the NBA. Known for his relentless work off court and on, the young phenom led his Palo Alto high school team to a state title against nationally-ranked Mater Dei, an overwhelming favorite.

Despite his All-State level play, however, no Division 1 college recruited Jeremy. So, he enrolled at Harvard University, which does not offer athletic scholarships.

Undrafted by the NBA out of college, he nevertheless impressed scouts in the summer league going up against the No. 1 draft pick. He was eventually signed—but later cut—by the Golden State Warriors.

A brief stint in Houston ended unceremoniously on Christmas Day, 2011. Jeremy was subsequently picked up by the New York Knicks. In early 2012, on the verge of being cut again, he rose to prominence as a starter, unlikely team leader and improbable NBA sensation.

“Linsanity” was born! He’s been the Houston Rockets’ starting point guard since landing a three-year, $25 million deal. Whether facing racial taunts as a child, or being underestimated on the court, Jeremy Lin consistently points to his faith as his means of dealing with both disappointment and success.

Here, he talks about Linsanity, the new documentary chronicling both his commitment to Christ and his meteoric rise to superstardom.

Kam Williams: Hi Jeremy, thanks for the interview.

Jeremy Lin: My pleasure, Kam.

KW: Why did you allow a film crew to shoot this documentary, especially since they started following you around while you were still at Harvard, well before you became an overnight NBA sensation? Did you have a hunch about how your story was going to turn out?

JL: I agreed to film after my rookie year in Golden State. I was more used to cameras and felt that my journey to the NBA was a story worth sharing. Little did we know how much bigger the platform and documentary would become after Linsanity. 

KW: I know you were raised by a father who loved basketball and a mother who encouraged you to pursue your dream. But would you nevertheless say that they put even more of an emphasis on faith, family and academics?

JL: Absolutely! Faith, family, academics and then sports was the order of priorities in my family. My parents really stuck to these principles when raising me and my two brothers. As long as we took care of everything, they let us play as much basketball as we wanted.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Thanks for your wonderful stint with the Knicks. We fans miss you. I wish I were with management and could have kept you here. What’s the difference between playing for a New York team and playing for the Rockets, a Texas team?

JL: The biggest difference is the change in culture in terms of the city. New York is fast paced, with enthusiastic fans and lots of media attention. Houston's slower paced and there's more of a southern culture to the city. But both cities have unbelievable food. 

KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?

JL: My best career decision was probably not giving up when I wanted to. God as well as my family and friends were there for me during my toughest times. 

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

JL: First, get to know who Jesus Christ is, or at least explore a relationship with Him. Second, have fun! Third, pursue your passion wholeheartedly. Never let someone else tell you what you aren't capable of.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Jeremy, and best of luck with the film and in the upcoming season.

JL: Thank you, Kam.

To see a trailer for Linsanity, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14ooGPJZBs   

To find out whether Linsanity is playing in a theater near you, visit:  http://www.linsanitythemovie.com/screening/