Anthony Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Anderson
Anderson in 2010
Born	(1970-08-15) August 15, 1970 (age 54) Compton, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Howard University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor comedian host
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Alvina Stewart ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2023)​
Children	2

Anthony Anderson (born August 15, 1970) is a famous American actor, comedian, and television host. He is known for his main roles in TV shows like Andre "Dre" Johnson in the comedy series Black-ish (2014–2022). He also played Marlin Boulet in the drama K-Ville (2007). You might also know him as NYPD Detective Kevin Bernard in the NBC crime drama Law & Order (2008–2010, 2022).

Anthony Anderson has also been in many movies. Some of his big film roles include Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Kangaroo Jack (2003), and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004). He was also in Hustle & Flow (2005), The Departed (2006), Transformers (2007), and Scream 4 (2011).

Currently, Anderson hosts the Fox game show We Are Family. He has also been a judge on Food Network's Iron Chef America. From 2016 to 2022, he hosted the ABC game show To Tell the Truth. In 2024, he hosted the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Early Life and First Steps

Anthony Anderson was born in Compton, California. His mother, Doris, worked as a telephone operator and was also an actress. His stepfather, Sterling Bowman, moved to Los Angeles and opened clothing stores. Anthony has a half-brother named Derrick.

Anderson shared that his first try at stand-up comedy did not go well. But he met his friend and fellow actor Guy Torry there. Guy encouraged him to keep trying. Anthony and Guy later acted together in the movie Life with Eddie Murphy. Anderson went to Hollywood High School and later graduated from Howard University in 2022. He earned a degree in Fine Arts.

His Acting Journey

Anderson in 2006

Anthony Anderson started his TV career with a role in the teen series Hang Time. He also made guest appearances on shows like NYPD Blue and Ally McBeal. In 2002, he lent his voice to the character Ray Ray in the animated series The Proud Family. He returned to voice this character again in 2023 for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

From 2003 to 2004, he starred in his own show, All About the Andersons. He also had main roles in comedy films like Kangaroo Jack (2003) and King's Ransom (2005). He also had a supporting role in Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004).

Becoming More Famous

Anderson took on supporting roles in the drama Hustle & Flow (2005) and the crime film The Departed (2006). He also appeared in Scary Movie 3 (2003) and Scary Movie 4 (2006). In 2008, Anderson joined the cast of the popular NBC crime drama Law & Order. He played Detective Kevin Bernard for three seasons. He came back to the show when it was revived in 2022.

Before Law & Order, Anderson starred in other crime series. These included Fox's K-Ville and FX's The Shield. He also starred in the sitcom Guys with Kids. In 2014, Anderson hosted Eating America with Anthony Anderson. In this show, he visited different towns to explore their food festivals. He was also a frequent judge on Iron Chef America.

Black-ish and Beyond

In 2014, Anderson began his lead role as Andre "Dre" Johnson on the ABC sitcom Black-ish. The show ran for eight seasons until 2022. During this time, Anderson received many awards and nominations for his acting. He was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

He also works as an executive producer for the Black-ish spin-off shows. These include Grown-ish, which started in 2018, and Mixed-ish, which ran from 2019 to 2021. He even made guest appearances as Dre in both series. From 2016 to 2022, he hosted To Tell the Truth on ABC. In 2019, he was a guest on The Masked Singer. He later competed on the show in 2023 as "Rubber Ducky." In 2022, Anderson and his mother, Doris, started filming Anthony Anderson and Mom: European Vacation for the E! network.

New Hosting Roles

In November 2023, it was announced that Anthony Anderson and his mother Doris would host the Fox game show We Are Family. The show premiered on January 3, 2024. In December 2023, Anderson was chosen to host the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Personal Life and Causes

Anthony Anderson was married to Alvina Stewart from 1999 to 2023. They have two children together. Their son, Nathan, starred in the Netflix sitcom Richie Rich. He also made guest appearances on Black-ish.

Anderson has type 2 diabetes and works to raise awareness about the condition. In 2011, he won $250,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He donated his winnings to the Alzheimer's Association. In 2019, a star was named after Anderson in the International Star Registry.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

Anthony Anderson has received many awards and nominations for his work in film and television. He has been recognized for his acting in comedy and drama series.

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Anderson para niños