Morris Chestnut talks The Call, Kick-Ass 2, The Best Man HolidayBy Wilson Morales
March 8, 2013
Coming out on March 15 is the suspenseful thriller The Call, which stars Oscar winner Halle Berry.
Directed by Brad Anderson, the film also stars Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund, Michael Imperioli, David Otunga, and Justina Machado.
Emergency Call Center Operator Jordan (Halle Berry) takes a call from a teenage girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin), who has been abducted and carried away in the trunk of a car. The kidnapping plays out in real time as Jordan and Casey work together to track down the killer in this high stakes thriller.
For Chestnut, who was recently seen in the hit comedy film, ‘Identity Thief,’ he gets to play another law enforcement officer in this film. With upcoming roles in ‘Kick-Ass 2’ and ‘The Best Man Holiday,’ as well as a season arc on the Showtime series, ‘Nurse Jackie,’ the California native is in high demand these days.
Blackfilm.com recently caught up with Chestnut as he spoke about his role in The Call and his upcoming projects.
How would you describe the character that you are playing?
Morris Chestnut: I play a patrol officer and he’s somewhat of a rock to Halle Berry’s character, who’s going through a very emotional time in her life. She has to deal with a kidnapper and a stressful time at her job.
What attracted you to the film?
MC: I wanted to be involved in a good thriller. When I read the script, it was something that I couldn’t just put down. I went in and met with director and Halle Berry was attached to it, so that was a huge attraction.
How was working with Halle Berry?
MC: Halle was great. She is one of the most genuine down-to-earth people that I have ever met. For her to have her status across the world is truly impressive.
You also get to work with David Otunga. Had you seen him wrestle before?
MC: I had never seen him wrestle but I heard he was a wrestler and I didn’t know what to expect when I met him. He was the coolest dude and we really vibed. We talked about sports, Chicago, basketball, and working out. We really have similar interests.
What makes The Call different from other thrillers?
MC: Well, this film in particular, and I haven’t a lot of films that may be similar, is a very real movie. The way the director shot it, it feels so real that people may think that this may happen. We don’t have CGI, explosions, or 35 minute car chases. We just have very good extremely suspenseful storytelling.
Did you do any research playing a cop?
MC: I rode along with one of the LAPD units and went throughout the city to se what was going on and get the perspective of a police officer.
Along with Identity Thief, Kick-Ass 2, and The Best Man holiday, what’s happening that you are getting a lot of work these days?
MC: It’s good to still be here and still be working in the industry. Sometimes, it’s just timing. There’s no blueprint to success in this industry. Sometimes you don’t know where things come from.
With Kick-Ass 2 coming up and you coming in replacing Omari Hardwick, what’s going to be different?
MC: He’s more actively involved, in terms of taking care of Chloe Moretz’s character. Nic Cage is her father and Hit Girl’s father dies in the first film, so in this film, I had made a promise to him to take care of his daughter. I’m her guardian and I have an active role in protecting her.
How excited are you to reprise your role in The Best Man Holiday?
MC: Very excited. Everybody’s coming back. I couldn’t be more excited about that movie. Malcolm Lee wrote a great script. We start shooting in April.
What do you want to happen with this film?
MC: We are going to have to raise the bar. With the first film, we set a standard for ourselves. It was a good movie and people enjoyed it. We are going to try to raise the bar with this one with more comedy, more emotion and more of everything on a lot of different levels. I can say that my character Lance is in the mist of a milestone. He’s on the verge of a milestone in his career. The plot is centered on that milestone happening to him.
When you are not doing films, what keeps you grounded?
MC: My family. I’m also doing a season on a show called Nurse Jackie, which I’m very excited about. I like to bounce back between film and TV. It’s a good role, and a great group of people, and I’m excited about that.
What’s a good reason to see The Call?
MC: The Call is a very suspenseful edge-of-your-seat joy ride that people will enjoy.
The Call clip – Michael Foster´s House (Berry, Chestnut, Otunga, Machado)
