Morris Chestnut Explains Why That 'Boyz N The Hood' Shooting Scene Was So 'Nerve-Wracking' To Film

In the decades since "Boyz n the Hood" hit theaters, Chestnut and the rest of his co-stars have gone on to cement their spots in Hollywood. Chestnut now stars in Fox's "Rosewood,"  Cuba Gooding Jr. is channeling O.J. Simpson's past in "American Crime Story," and Ice Cube left N.W.A to became a solo artist before more recently producing the box-office hit "Straight Outta Compton." "Boyz n the Hood" also helped to jumpstart the careers of Angela Bassett and Regina King -- not to mention Singleton himself, who earned an Oscar nomination for directing. But at the time, Chestnut had no idea what the film or the cast would become.

"John [Singleton] was, like, 19 years old. We were both the same age, and no one really knew Cuba [Gooding Jr.] at the time. He had done some television work," Chestnut said. "[Laurence] Fishburne was on, like, 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' and no one knew Angela [Bassett]. And, of course, [Ice] Cube was with N.W.A, but he was a rapper. He wasn't an actor."

Once the film entered the cultural zeitgeist, Chestnut said he experienced a "whirlwind" that "changed his life." In fact, people still recognize the actor for his breakthrough role.

"Not a day goes by that someone doesn't yell out 'Ricky!' when I'm walking down the street," he said, referring to the moment before his character is fatally shot in the film. "People still feel for that movie. It still resonates." 

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Morris Chestnut here . 

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