‘Reasonable Doubt’s’ Morris Chestnut on Playing Titular Role in ‘Watson’: ‘It’s a Culmination of My Career’
The world premiere of Paramount Global’s “Watson” raised the curtain on this year’s Mipcom in Cannes. The series, set to premiere on Jan 26 on the CBS Television Network, sees “Reasonable Doubt” star Morris Chestnut as the iconic Dr. John Watson in a Sherlock Holmes spin focusing on Watson’s medical career.
“Watson” follows the titular character after the death of Holmes as he resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic specialized in rare disorders. The series is described as “a medical show with a strong investigative spine, featuring a modern version of one of history’s greatest detectives as he turns his attention from solving crimes to solving medical mysteries.”
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“Watson” is produced by CBS Studios and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Craig Sweeny (returning to the world of Sherlock after serving as a writer and executive producer on CBS’s “Elementary”) wrote the premiere episode and serves as showrunner and executive producer with Chestnut also taking an executive producer role. Additional executive producers include Sallie Patrick; Larry Teng; Sh?ron Moalem; Aaron Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment; and Brian Morewitz. Larry Teng also directed the first two episodes.
Cast-wise, Chestnut is joined by Eve Harlow (“The Night Agent”), Rochelle Aytes (“Mistresses”), Peter Mark Kendall (“Kaleidoscope”), Ritchie Coster (“Tulsa King”), and Inga Schlingmann (“So Help Me Todd”).
“It’s a huge responsibility but I have a lot of excitement for the opportunity because this is an iconic mythology,” Chestnut told Variety ahead of the MIPCOM premiere. “I knew I was in good hands after meeting Craig because he respects the mythology with every ounce of his being. He is writing some great storylines and the approach has been with great respect.”
Chestnut first came to prominence in 1991 in John Singleton’s “Boyz in the Hood” and went on to appear in films such as “G.I. Jane,” “The Game Plan,” “The Call” and “The Best Man” series. On television, Morris had roles in “Rosewood” and “Goliath” and earned four NAACP Image Awards including one win for his role as yet another doctor, Dr. Ike Prentiss, on Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie.”
While in preparation to take on the role of the doctor, Chestnut read some of the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as watching some other screen versions of the character, but what attracted him to “Watson” is the fact the focus isn’t entirely on Holmes, something he “had never seen before.”
“He doesn’t break the rules but he takes chances and it could go either way,” he added of his Watson. “In the second episode, he’s already getting called into HR. But the one thing I love about the character is that [what he does] never for himself, always for the patients and with their wellbeing in mind.”
The most daunting aspect of the role for Chestnut was not the heaviness of the legacy, but the medical procedure element of the show. The actor is no stranger to playing doctors, having done so in both “The Resident” and “Nurse Jackie,” but emphasizes the intensity of such roles.
“The medical and scientific aspects of it have to be very precise. When you play the titular character on a network television show, you really don’t have the time to digest and understand everything and you have to rattle off medical terms as if it was second nature. That’s the daunting part about this role.”
“As an actor, we take our experiences and put them in a toolbox. For me, this role is a culmination of my career,” the actor continued while reflecting on his career up until now. “I did a show for Fox five years ago [“Rosewood”] and it was my first time playing the titular character and facing the challenges that presents. Now, I have that experience. As an actor, I feel like I am getting better each time. That’s what excites me.”
As for what die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans can expect from the series, Chestnut highlights how “Watson” is a “fresh take” but also preserves some of the most well-known elements of the original detective story. “It’s set in Pittsburgh so we don’t really have foggy London, but it can be dark and rainy sometimes. We still have the trench coats, but they have a little bit of color to them now.”
In Cannes for the series’s world premiere, the actor is looking forward to sharing “Watson” with audiences. “I believe in everything Craig has written and all the actors we have on the show who have done a tremendous job. Of course it’s a little nerve-wracking to see how people will respond to it, but we have a great team in Craig, Larry, CBS and Paramount. We’re on their hands and I have 100% trust in what they do. They have it down to a science and I’m happy to be a part of the team.”
After its January premiere, “Watson” will begin airing in its regular time beginning Sunday, Feb. 16 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT).
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