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PEOPLE
Los Angeles - Who is Anthony Anderson? Branching out: Anthony
Anderson is playing more serious roles, such as a villain
on FX's The Shield. By Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY
Is he the buffoon who co-starred opposite a drug-sniffing
mutt in See Spot Run, a money-swiping marsupial in Kangaroo
Jack and Frankie Muniz in Agent Cody Banks 2?
Is he the fast-talking fat guy we've seen in urban comedies
such as Big Momma's House, Malibu's Most Wanted and his current
laugher, King's Ransom (opening Friday)?
Or is he the star of last season's quickly canceled WB sitcom,
All About the Andersons, based on his own life as a struggling
actor?
While he's not making apologies for any of those projects,
Anderson is ready to get serious about his career.
"Things are changing," says Anderson, 34. "I've
been training since I was 9 years old to stretch my wings
as an actor dramatically, but have never really been afforded
the opportunity to show that."
Until now. Anderson is a series regular on FX's The Shield
(tonight at 10 ET/PT); he has a role as an aspiring music
producer in the John Singleton-produced drama Hustle and Flow
(opening July 15); and soon begins work with Jack Nicholson,
Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, playing a "good cop"
in Martin Scorsese's police drama The Departed.
"Leo couldn't deliver Mr. Martin Scorsese his Oscar with
The Aviator, but I will go on record to say I will do so in
The Departed," Anderson jokes in his trailer on the set
of The Shield. In his first dramatic TV role, Anderson plays
a militant community leader/drug dealer, who recently shot
to death a 14-year-old girl.
Making the move to serious dramas requires acting chops, which
The Shield's Glenn Close believes he has. "He's a really
good actor," she says. "My daughter knows him from
all the funny movies, like Me, Myself & Irene. And I think
comedy is harder than drama. So if he can do comedy, he should
do well in drama."
Anderson just wrapped a scene in which his character is led
by Michael Chiklis into a police station for interrogation.
The scenario mirrors an embarrassing scandal Anderson overcame
last summer, when he was accused of sexually assaulting a
woman in his trailer on the Memphis set of Hustle and Flow.
The judge threw the case out of court.
"More oftentimes than not, you're automatically (assumed
to be) guilty before innocent," Anderson says.
He says he was treated fairly by the police and was supported
throughout by his wife of 10 years, Alvina, and their children,
Kyra, 9 and Nathan, 5.
"Everyone realized I was the innocent victim of a shakedown,"
Anderson says. "My wife and I have always trusted each
other, and I have to thank her strength."
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