Anthony Anderson Biography (4)
Upcoming, Anderson plays the lead role opposite Jet Li and DMX in blockbuster producer Joel Silver's next action film for Warner Bros. Pictures, Cradle 2 the Grave; joins Jamie Kennedy in the Warner Bros. Pictures comedy Malibu's Most Wanted; and stars with Eddie Griffin in Miramax Films My Baby's Mama. In addition, comedy maestro Bob Simonds has tapped Anderson to executive produce a starring vehicle for himself that Simonds will shepherd at Disney. Anderson was most recently seen in the comedy hit, Barbershop, opposite Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer.
Anderson is well prepared for the attention. Raised near Los Angeles, he is the son of a career film extra and her entrepreneur husband. As a toddler he accompanied his mother to several film sets and by the time he was four he knew acting was his destiny. While attending the High School for the Performing Arts, Anderson earned first place in the NAACP's ACTSO Awards by performing the classic monologue from The Great White Hope. His dedication and talent earned him a dramatic arts scholarship to Howard University. Then he headed home for Hollywood.
In early 1996, Anderson landed his first gig as a series regular in NBC's long-running kids' series Hang Time. That was followed by guest star turns in primetime shows JAG and NYPD Blue. His breakout feature film roles include Life, with Eddie Murphy; Big Momma's House, with Martin Lawrence; Me, Myself and Irene, with Jim Carrey; and Romeo Must Die, with Jet Li. He also starred in Fox Searchlight's Kingdom Come and Warner Bros. Pictures' Exit Wounds. David E. Kelley was so impressed with Anderson that he tailor-made a two-episode arc for him on the hit series Ally McBeal.
Anderson is married to his college sweetheart and is a father of two. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.
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