In Morris Chestnut, R&B is therapeutic

When Morris Chestnut first heard about “Watson,” a new CBS medical mystery set within Sherlock Holmes Mythology, he was interested. However, he was even more excited when he read the script by Craig Swinney, the creator of the show and one of the writers behind the other Sherlock CBS series “Primary School.”

“He has so many crazy, creative ideas,” said Chestnut, 56. “So I rushed to it. I said, 'I have to do that.' ”

“Watson” is where Chestnut character Dr. John Watson reconstructs his life six months after the death of his dear friend and partner Sherlock Holmes. Holmes left Watson with a farewell gift: a Pittsburgh clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders.

“He's treating patients and while he's treating those patients he has to treat himself,” Chestnut said.

Studying to become a doctor is stressful, but it requires a certain level of sacrifice, especially for NFL addicts.

“When I'm on a show, I literally have to choose one game on Sunday,” Chestnut said of learning medical terminology that flows like honey from Watson's mouth. “I'm looking at the script during the commercial break.”

“But the guys who play, they make a living, and I have to make mine,” he said on a video call from New York, before gym membership and pickup basketball games. We're talking about. His favorite food group: dessert.

These are excerpts from the conversation.

Meditation first thing in the morning

I go to bed early and wake up very early. And it's good to have that quiet time with yourself before the day begins. I do a lot of work before people wake up. It is essential to who I am as a person.

3 gym memberships

My regular gym is not open until 5am, so I have memberships at a gym that is open 24 hours a day. Then there's another gym I go to to play basketball. I have three memberships that are all useful for my purposes.

Pickup Game

When I get on the treadmill, when I get on the staircase supervision, it's my discipline that pushes me forward. When I play basketball, I just have fun. I'm wandering around with everyone. I'm confused with everyone. I get aerobic exercise without feeling like work.

NFL season

It's my favorite time. On Sundays, I literally watch football from 10am to 8pm. Before I loved girls as a child, soccer was my first love. I played Pop Warner. I was sitting at home watching Howard Cosel in “Monday Night Football.” I call myself a soccer loser.

R&B

Not only do I love it, it's settling on me – it's also therapeutic. That helps in my work. Because it triggers thoughts, memories, and emotions. It was a very rewarding industry and music played a major factor in the future. I was singing myself towards myself.

Dessert

I have huge, huge sweet teeth, and when I'm working and knowing I'm going to make a shirtless scene, I'm more disciplined about my diet. Most people choose restaurants as appetizers. I choose a restaurant with lava cakes.

Crime TV

My wife and I have very different viewing preferences. But one thing we both love to watch together is the crime docusaries. I'm sure you've seen all versions of “Forensic Files.” And we're always looking at “Dateline.” I don't like things that don't have a conclusion. You can't invest an hour or two because there is no payoff.

Sweatsuits for various occasions

I love being comfortable. If I'm not on set, my daily life requires a sweatsuit when I go to the gym. The sweatsuit is a little higher for when you're running errands. And I have a higher suit like this when I'm doing interviews or traveling by plane.

Learn the “second” language

It's very intense to do an hour of drama, especially a character like Watson. He has to spew a lot of medical terminology. You can say the words perfectly before lunch. But sometimes we go out late at night, and that's basically a different language for me.

Family time, allowed screen

My kids are 27 and 26 years old. They are thinking about their lives and what they want to do for the next 10 years. So we need to balance it. My son is also an Eagles fan, so we'll watch it together. My daughter, she's a more horror movie fan, so we'll watch them together. On her birthday, she called me and said, “I want to see a movie.” That's why I think, “I don't remember that there were no horror movies out.” And of course, it was “evil.”