Anthony Anderson
Anderson in July 2006
Born	Anthony Alexandre Anderson August 15, 1970 (1970-08-15) (age 39) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Alvina Anderson (1995-present)

Anthony Alexandre Anderson (born August 15, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The Shield and Law & Order. He has also had supporting roles in films such as Transformers, The Departed, and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.

Early life

Anderson was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Dora, a telephone operator and actress; his stepfather, Sterling Bowman, owns a chain of clothing stores.¹ Anderson is an alumnus of the Hollywood High School Performing Arts Magnet Class of 1988 and Howard University. He trained with actors such as Avery Brooks, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis.²

Career

Since his film debut in Liberty Heights, Anderson has been performing as an actor, often in comedic roles, for many years. His television work includes many one-off and guest roles on major series such as NYPD Blue, Malcolm & Eddie, In the House, and Ally McBeal. Recurring roles were on several series such as Til Death and The Bernie Mac Show. He was the central character in the series All About the Andersons, which lasted for one season on the WB.

Among his most prominent feature films are: Kangaroo Jack, My Baby's Daddy, Hustle & Flow, and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.

Anderson joined the cast of the long-running NBC crime drama television series, Law & Order in 2008. He previously starred in two other crime series, Fox's K-ville (as one of the lead characters) and Fox's cable channel FX's The Shield.

Directorial work

In 2009, Anderson directed a one-minute short film featuring his Law & Order co-star, Jeremy Sisto. The short was made for the Responsibility Project, a joint initiative of NBC and Liberty Mutual Group. The short aired during the Law & Order episode "Reality Bites" on October 16, 2009.

Personal life

In 1995, he married his college sweetheart, Alvina. The couple have two children. They currently live in Hancock Park, Los Angeles.

Controversy

On July 28, 2004, Anderson was charged with aggravated rape of a woman who police say was assaulted after being lured into a production trailer on a Memphis, Tennessee movie set. According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Anderson and Wayne Witherspoon attacked the woman, who was a movie extra. The woman told police that Witherspoon forcibly removed her clothes once she was inside the trailer. She told investigators that Anderson, who was already in the trailer at the time, joined the assault, according to a graphic criminal complaint. The woman told police that Anderson and Witherspoon "both assaulted her with their hands and took pictures of her while she was nude." A witness told officers that he heard the woman screaming and managed to unlock the trailer's door. At that point, the naked woman ran from the vehicle, which was parked on the grounds of the Shelby County Corrections Center, where scenes from director Craig Brewer's Hustle & Flow were being shot.³ However, on October 5, 2004, a judge dismissed the charges of rape by actor/comedian Anthony Anderson and said that testimony by the accuser was some of the most "suspicious" he has ever heard. Judge Anthony Johnson said the accuser's testimony fell short of producing the probable cause needed to support the charge.⁴

On September 16, 2004, Anderson and Warner Bros. Television were named in a $900,000 suit by a woman who claimed Anderson made suggestive comments, grabbed her genitalia and sexually assaulted her in his dressing room on the All About The Andersons set.⁵

Filmography

Television

References

External links

• Anthony Anderson at the Internet Movie Database
• Anthony Anderson at Allmovie