Anthony Anderson, the actor and comedian who won acclaim for his performance in the sitcom "Black-ish," will host the 2024 Emmy Awards for the first time on Monday night. Although the upcoming awards show will mark Anderson's debut as master of ceremonies on the Emmys stage, he has led other ceremonies before, including almost a dozen installations of the NAACP Image Awards.
The Television Academy, which is the organization that presents the annual Emmy Awards, introduced Anderson as the ceremony's 2024 host in an announcement last month, where chairman Frank Scherma praised him as "a multi-talented performer and a great friend to the Television Academy."
This year's Emmys ceremony takes place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and will air Monday, Jan. 15, from 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT) on FOX.
The Emmys are normally held held in September, but the ceremony was delayed because of lengthy strikes last summer and fall by members of Hollywood's two major writers and actors unions.
Anthony Anderson to Host 75th Emmy Awards
"With our industry's recent challenges behind us, we can get back to what we love — dressing up and honoring ourselves," said Anderson, referencing the strikes in a statement included with the Academy's hosting announcement.
"And there's no better celebratory moment to bring the creative community together than the milestone 75th Emmy Awards," his statement continued. "When FOX asked me to host this historic telecast, I was over the moon that Taylor Swift was unavailable, and now I can't wait to be part of the biggest night in television."
Who is Anthony Anderson?
Anthony Anderson is an actor and comedian known for roles in a range of popular television series spanning drama and comedy genres. He is also a seasoned host — at awards shows in addition to the ABC game show "To Tell the Truth," which he hosted from 2016 to 2022 — as well as a recurring judge on the cooking competition series "Iron Chef America."
Anderson was born in Compton, California, and began his career as an entertainer doing stand-up comedy. In more recent years, the 53-year-old has looked back on what he called his rough start as a stand-up comic, and often used those anecdotes as fodder for jokes in interviews.
Anthony Anderson's Family and Education
Anthony Anderson has two children, Kira and Nathan, from his previous marriage to Alvina Stewart. They were married from 1999 until last September. Nathan is known for his roles in the Netflix series "Richie Rich" and the guest role on "Black-ish." In fact, Nathan's acceptance into Howard University inspired Anderson to return to school and complete his undergraduate studies. Anderson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in May 2022.
Anderson expressed his gratitude to his son in an Instagram post after his graduation. He mentioned that Nathan's acceptance into the university motivated him to continue his education, as he had to cut short his time there years ago due to financial reasons.
Anthony Anderson's Career
Anthony Anderson is a seasoned Hollywood actor with a career spanning over three decades. He made his debut in 1995 with a role on the LL Cool J sitcom "In the House." However, his breakthrough came in 1999 when he appeared in the Eddie Murphy film "Life."
Since then, Anderson has appeared in various television shows and movies. He has been part of TV crime dramas like "K-Ville" and "Law & Order," as well as the sitcom "Guys with Kids." On the film side, he has acted in movies such as "Me, Myself & Irene," "Kangaroo Jack," "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," "The Departed" (which won an Academy Award), "Transformers," and "Scream 4."
Anthony Anderson, known for his leading role in the hit sitcom "Black-ish," has received critical acclaim and numerous award nominations throughout his career. He has been nominated three times at the Golden Globes and 11 times at the Emmys. "Black-ish," created by Kenya Barris, aired for eight seasons on ABC and concluded in 2022. Anderson also served as an executive producer for the spinoff series "Grown-ish" and "Mixed-ish."
During an interview with CBS News in 2017, Anderson discussed the success of "Black-ish" and how the show incorporates politics and social issues into a comedy series about family. He emphasized that the stories told on the show are organic to the characters and their experiences, rather than being based on current headlines or events. Anderson believes that the authenticity and universality of the show's storytelling is what resonates with audiences worldwide.
