In 2001, Chestnut starred in the "The Brothers," solidifying both his acting talent and sex symbol status and in 2002, he joined Steven Seagal and Ja Rule for the surprise hit action crime feature "Half Past Dead." The actor continued to demonstrate his versatility, appearing in dramas like "Confidence" (2003), comedies like "Breakin' All the Rules" (2004) and horror-thrillers like "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (2004). A minor role the realistic, but mundane “Ladder 49” (2004) was followed by a slightly more pivotal role in the sci-fi thriller, “The Cave” (2005), in which he played a cave explorer who helps lead a pair of biologists into an elaborate cave system beneath the newly discovered ruins of a 13th century Romanian abbey. But instead of discovering an new ecosystem, as the biologists had hoped, the group finds a new species of unique and unwelcoming beings formed by the isolated environment. A clichéd storyline, unknown cast and lack of aggressive advertising ensured a $6 million opening weekend.