Anthony Anderson is a force to be reckoned with in the TV world, where he has made a name for himself as Andre “Dre” Johnson, the successful advertising executive who will go above and beyond to maintain his Blackness so that his kids will not forget their heritage in ABC sitcom Black-ish. The Golden Globe-winning show, which ended its seventh season earlier in 2021, is about a family man who struggles to maintain a sense of identity while raising his kids in a largely white, affluent neighborhood. Anderson is the star and executive producer of the show, and his performance as the anxious and sometimes paranoid patriarch of the family earned him his third Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical TV series.
For Anderson, the show is an opportunity to tackle subjects and situations that impact the African American community from the point of view of three generations living under one roof; many stories are taken from his personal experiences.
“The pilot episode was taken straight from my life,” Anderson recalled of the storyline, which included a conversation with Dre’s teenage son about his not feeling full Black. “Not only was my real-life son the only ‘chocolate drop’ in his classroom, he was the only chocolate drop in his grade for three years. And having that conversation I understand where my son was coming from, seeing family members who still live in the inner city, looking at the news and hearing what’s going on with young Black men that’s not affecting him.”
Balancing serious issues with laughs, Black-ish seldom dwells on specifics, but rather approaches the issues by looking at how Andre talks to the children about difficult topics and presenting a separate viewpoint for each character. Anderson contributed to the authenticity of the show, which debuted in 2014 and is considered the reason for its success. Through misunderstandings and squabbles, the Johnsons are not afraid to speak their minds and face off over subjects ranging from family issues to current events, shining a light on various subjects from systemic racism, police brutality, and the global pandemic.
At 51, Anderson is also a successful television producer. He co-hosts the hit game show, To Tell the Truth with his mother Doris and has also served as executive producer on the Black-ish spinoffs, Mixed-ish and Grown-ish. The actor recently announced that he will return to drama, reprising his role as NYPD Detective Kevin Bernard in NBC’s long-running series Law & Order.
Anderson has come a long way since he first gained attention as one of Jim Carrey’s sons in Me, Myself, and Irene, and has since appeared in over 20 films including Michael Bay’s blockbuster Transformers, and in Martin Scorsese’s Golden Globe-winning movie, The Departed. On the small screen, Anderson has appeared in the police drama The Shield, and created and starred in the hit sitcom All About the Andersons.
Created by Kenya Barris, Black-ish has been renewed for the eighth, and final season, and made news this year by announcing that former First Lady Michelle Obama will guest-star in the upcoming year, wrapping up the show on a high note.