Anthony Anderson recently sat down for an interview with Good Morning America and he described how it feels to be part of the hugely successful primetime sitcom “Black-ish” on ABC.
Anderson, who began his career doing small roles in films “Barbershop” and “Two Can Play That Game,” has climbed up the Hollywood ladder and serves as a writer and lead actor for the increasingly popular show.
He told GMA that it’s amazing to be part of a series that toes the line between drama and comedy, while putting a real message out there for young and old fans alike.
“First, I’d like to commend our writers, they are the reason we are able to do that,” he told ABC News on Wednesday. “And have something to say about social commentary, about what’s going on in these communities and in this world.”
In four seasons, the show has tackled police brutality, institutional racism, racial profiling, teen drinking and sex, as well as the lasting effects of the recent presidential election and more. For those efforts Anderson, who plays Dre, his co-star Tracee Ellis Ross (Rainbow) and the show itself have received Emmy nods.
In one episode “Lemons,” the show gives fans a look into the mental state and reasoning of someone who not only voted for Barack Obama, but also Donald Trump years later. There’s judgment from this person’s co-workers, who don’t support the current president, but she’s allowed to speak her mind and have a “fair” platform to explain her pick, Anderson said.
“We deal with universal issues, universal themes, that isn’t just subject to just one group of people,” the 46-year-old added. “The stories that we are telling just happen to be told by an African-American family … a lot of people feel disenfranchised and left behind or not thought of.”
“Black-ish” has a spin-off in the works that will likely deal with some of the same issues, but on new territory and from a new perspective.
“College-ish” will star Yara Shahidi, who plays Anderson’s daughter on the show (Zoey), as she makes her way through life away from home for the first time.
