Anthony Anderson was born on August 15, 1970 in Los Angeles, California. He is an American comedian and actor. He is an alumnus of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

Anderson first achieved recognition in the 1995 - 2000 NBC television show Hang Time, and had a breakout part in 1999's Romeo Must Die. Since then, Anderson has starred in a number of films, including Exit Wounds, Barbershop, and Kangaroo Jack. In 2003, he got his own sitcom on The WB, All About the Andersons, co-starring John Amos. The series was cancelled after only one season. In March 2005, Anderson began co-starring in The Shield's fourth season as Antwon Mitchell, an ex-convict who poses as a community leader while still running his old street gang. His performance on "The Shield" earned him much acclaim from critics who had previously dismissed him as a light comedy actor, resulting in him returning to "The Shield" during the show's fifth season for several episodes.

On July 28, 2004, while filming the motion picture Hustle & Flow, Anderson and crew member Wayne Witherspoon were arrested and charged with raping a female visitor to Anderson's trailer. The charges were later dismissed, but Anderson was still under suit for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman on the set of All About the Andersons.

Anderson also starred in the animated family film, Hoodwinked (2005), The Departed (2006) and Transformers (2007).

Filmography

• Transformers (2007)
• Def Jam: Icon (2007)
• "'Til Death" (4 episodes, 2006-2007)
• "K-Ville" (2007)
• Arthur et les Minimoys (2006)
• Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006)
• The Departed (2006)
• The Last Stand (2006)
• "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1 episode, 2006)
• Scary Movie 4 (2006)
• "The Bernie Mac Show" (3 episodes, 2005-2006)
• "The Shield" (14 episodes, 2005-2006)
• "Campus Ladies" (2 episodes, 2006)
• King's Ransom (2005)
• "Veronica Mars" (1 episode, 2005)
• Hustle & Flow (2005)
• Hoodwinked! (2005)
• Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
• Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004)
• My Baby's Daddy (2004)
• Scary Movie 3 (2003)
• "All About the Andersons" (1 episode, 2003)
• Malibu's Most Wanted (2003)
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
• "Mad TV" (1 episode, 2003)
• Kangaroo Jack (2003)
• Barbershop (2002)
• "My Wife and Kids" (2 episodes, 2001)
• Two Can Play That Game (2001)
• Exit Wounds (2001)
• See Spot Run (2001)
• Kingdom Come (2001)
• Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
• Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
• Big Momma's House (2000)
• Romeo Must Die (2000)
• "Ally McBeal" (2 episodes, 2000)
• "Homewood P.I." (1 episode)
• Liberty Heights (1999)
• "Malcolm & Eddie" (1 episode, 1999)
• Trippin' (1999)
• Life (1999)
• "NYPD Blue" (1 episode, 1998)
• "Hang Time" (1995)
• "In the House" (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
• "JAG" (1 episode, 1996)

Awards

• National Board of Review Best Acting by an Ensemble "The Departed" 2006