Morris Chestnut read some of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes stories before starring in “Watson,” created by Craig Sweeny. But there’s power in reclaiming iconic characters, he states.
Previously, Sweeney was an executive producer on “Elementary” – with Lucy Liu as Watson.
“It can be political. We are in times where things that normally wouldn’t be political have turned political. You can’t ignore that. It was ambitious to do everything we’ve done on this show, and I’m glad we never steered away from anything. We jumped right in,” he says.
“Just like all these actors who want to play James Bond, you need to make it your own, but you also don’t want to mess it up. When you’re just trying to be different from everybody else, what remains of that character? Luckily, we had more creative license because (a) it’s a modern-day retelling of the story, and (b) it focuses on just Watson and no Holmes.”
His Watson, still reeling from Holmes’s death at the hands of Moriarty, opens the Holmes Clinic to treat those suffering from unusual issues. His powers of deduction are undeniable – but sometimes, he’s as fragile as the people he treats.
“There’s always going to be a weakness in everything and every person. We reveal things that make him go: ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ And he’ll apologize for it,” adds Chestnut, speaking to Variety at Monte-Carlo Television Festival where the show opened this year’s edition.
“When you’re playing an iconic character, you’re always going to be subject to some type of criticism or judgment, so you just hope to do them justice. Also, there’s something liberating about playing a ‘sidekick.’ If you think about it, most sidekicks steal the show.”
“Watson” was inspired by a real-life counterpart – “He’s a world-renowned geneticist. He can literally look at a person and tell where they’re from, what type of ailments they have, what type of foods they need to be eating.” But Chestnut is no stranger to medical professions. Also thanks to his stint on “Nurse Jackie.”
“I do love playing doctors,” he laughs.
“You’ll never see a proper medical movie anymore because of all these great dramas: ‘ER,’ ‘House,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ You can’t do it! But even though they share the same occupation, there are nuances that make these characters so different. I also played a doctor in ‘The Resident.’ He’s one of my favorite characters of all time. His only goal was to make money: he would put a patient through surgery they didn’t need. It was all very twisted. People still say to me: ‘I hated him, he was so mean’. I love it.”
But Watson, while short-sighted when it comes to people closest to him, is no villain.
And pass along his knowledge to younger co-workers, surprised to find out they’re not just supposed to be doctors – they also need to become detectives. Fast.
“He knows a lot about people, science and medicine, but he’s not arrogant. I hope it doesn’t come off like he’s a know-it-all, because he genuinely wants to help.”
“With so much content on streaming, cable, networks, it’s really hard to distinguish yourself nowadays. We use the Sherlock Holmes mythology without Sherlock Holmes, so we still needed an element of who he was. ‘Watson’ is a medical show with an investigative spine,” explains Chestnut.
The show has already been renewed for a second season, and its lead is ready for more.
“In this industry, there are infinitely more failures than there are successes. But no matter how many times we fail, we keep trying to find something the audience responds to. I’d definitely want to continue,” he says.
And will the lonely hero also find his very own Watson in the series?
“Everyone he’s brought into the clinic is there for a very specific reason,” teases Morris.
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