Morris Chestnut's Role In Best Man: A Return?

Yes, Morris Chestnut reprises his role as Lance Sullivan in the Peacock limited series 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters'. The series is a follow-up to the 1999 film 'The Best Man' and its 2013 sequel 'The Best Man Holiday', in which Chestnut also starred. 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' sees the original cast, including Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and Regina Hall, reunite for the first time since the 2013 film. Chestnut described the experience of working with the cast again as similar to a family reunion.

Morris Chestnut reprises his role as Lance Sullivan in the new series

Morris Chestnut is back as Lance Sullivan in the new series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters". Chestnut reprises his role as the professional football player, now retired, who is grieving the death of his wife, Mia Morgan, and struggling to accept his oldest child LJ, who is non-binary.

The series, which premiered on December 22, 2022, on Peacock, is the third instalment of the franchise, following the original 1999 film "The Best Man" and the 2013 sequel, "The Best Man Holiday".

Chestnut said he felt "blessed" to be returning to the character over 20 years after the original film. He told TheGrio:

> "When you start out acting, you just hope to do a project that people will see. But now you're part of a project that you've done now for the third time in the span of 20-plus years … that really never happens."

The actor also said that the cast, which includes Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Melissa De Sousa, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan and Harold Perrineau, felt like a family, and that it was distracting for the directors and producers when they were all on set together.

Chestnut also revealed that he was shocked by some elements of the script, including the amount of nudity required of his character. He said:

> "I was shocked that I was naked all over the place. That was shocking."

Chestnut describes the experience as a family reunion

Morris Chestnut reprises his role as Lance Sullivan in the Peacock limited series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters". The series is a revival of the 1999 film "The Best Man" and its 2013 sequel "The Best Man Holiday", bringing the original cast together for the first time since the latter's release.

Chestnut describes the experience of reuniting with the cast as a family reunion. Speaking to TheGrio, he said:

> "Some of us see each other on different projects or maybe different situations throughout the years but never all of us together at the same time, on the same set. It is somewhat of a family reunion."

Chestnut also highlighted the uniqueness of reprising the same character over 20 years, stating:

> "When you start out acting, you just hope to do a project that people will see. But now you’re part of a project that you’ve done now for the third time in the span of 20-plus years… that really never happens."

Chestnut elaborated on the special bond the cast shares, saying, "It's always like a family when we come together because we genuinely love being around each other. We have a great time with each other." The actor also acknowledged the challenge this posed for the directors and producers, as it was difficult to keep everyone focused when the cast was together on set.

Chestnut's co-star Regina Hall echoed his sentiments, expressing her excitement about reuniting with the cast and the meaningfulness of the fans' support for the franchise over the years.

The series sees Lance at a low point, grieving the death of his wife

The series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" sees Lance Sullivan, played by Morris Chestnut, at a low point in his life. In the series, Lance is grieving and searching for who he is following the death of his wife, Mia Morgan, from cancer. To cope with his grief, Lance has casual sexual encounters with random women. This behaviour is a regression to his old self, as Lance had previously been a player who only settled down after meeting and marrying Mia.

Lance is also dealing with another significant change in his life: his oldest child, LJ, comes out as non-binary and begins using they/them pronouns. Lance initially struggles to accept LJ's identity and confiscates the clothes they want to wear. However, by the end of the series, Lance has a change of heart and prays to God to help him accept LJ for who they are.

Throughout the series, Lance goes through a journey of self-discovery and eventually finds wholeness again. He starts coaching for the NFL team he used to play for, the New York Giants, and becomes engaged to a woman he admired throughout the series.

The series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" is a follow-up to the 1999 film "The Best Man" and its 2013 sequel, "The Best Man Holiday." It premiered on Peacock in December 2022 and brought together the original cast, including Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Melissa De Sousa, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, and Harold Perrineau.

Lance's oldest child, LJ, comes out as non-binary

Morris Chestnut reprises his role as Lance Sullivan in the Peacock limited series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters". The series sees the return of the original cast, including Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Melissa De Sousa, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, and Harold Perrineau.

In the series, Lance is at a low point in his life. He has retired from professional football and is grieving the death of his wife, Mia, who passed away from cancer. To cope with his grief, Lance has casual encounters with random women. However, he eventually begins to take responsibility for his life and makes positive changes. He starts coaching for the NFL team he used to play for and even gets engaged to a woman he has admired throughout the series.

One of the significant challenges Lance faces in "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" is coming to terms with his oldest child LJ's identity as a non-binary individual. Initially, Lance struggles to accept LJ's preferred clothing choices and pronouns, resorting to confiscating their clothes and praying for God to change them. However, by the end of the series, Lance has a change of heart. He realizes that he needs to take responsibility and stop blaming LJ for his problems. Lance ultimately prays for God to help him accept LJ for who they are, demonstrating his growth and evolving understanding.

"The Best Man: The Final Chapters" explores Lance's journey of self-discovery and adjustment as he navigates grief, family dynamics, and learning to accept and support his oldest child, LJ, in their identity. Chestnut's portrayal of Lance's response to LJ's coming out as non-binary adds a layer of complexity to the character and showcases the character's progression over the years.

Chestnut has played Lance Sullivan since 1999

In the 1999 film "The Best Man", Morris Chestnut first played the role of Lance Sullivan, a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. The film earned positive reviews from the press and did well at the box office. Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance.

Chestnut reprised the role in the 2013 sequel film "The Best Man Holiday", where his character is a Jesus-loving family man enjoying his wife, kids, and football. In preparation for the role, Chestnut had to get into shape, drawing on his experience as a fitness trainer to co-author a health and fitness book called "The Cut".

Most recently, Chestnut played Lance Sullivan again in the 2022 Peacock limited series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters". The series sees Lance at a low point, searching for who he is following the death of his wife from cancer and his retirement from professional football. Lance tries to cope by hooking up with random women, but eventually starts coaching for the NFL team he once played for and gets engaged. Chestnut has shared that it was a unique "blessing" to revisit the same character for over 20 years and that the cast has formed a special bond, likening filming to a family reunion.

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