Anthony Anderson’s Net Worth: How He Built a Multi-Million Dollar Acting Career from Scratch

Anthony Anderson’s net worth is an estimated $25 million. Anthony is an American actor and writer who makes an estimated $9 million a year via multiple income streams.

From being booed off the stage to making millions a year, Anderson’s journey is inspiring for entrepreneurs across the globe.

If you’re curious about how Anthony earns money, his most notable acting roles, and other projects Anthony is working on, we reveal everything you want to know below.

What is Anthony Anderson’s Net Worth?

Anthony Anderson’s net worth is an estimated $25 million.

Anthony’s journey to stardom wasn’t all rosy. He started from scratch and consistently worked hard to build a successful acting career.

Anthony Anderson Early Life

Anthony was born on August 15, 1970, in Compton, California. Anderson was born into a family already working in the show biz. His mother, Doris, worked as a movie extra. Anthony grew up seeing his mom work on sets and appeared in his first TV commercial at age five.

He’s a Hollywood High School Performing Arts Magnet’s Class alumnus. Anthony took his first step into the show biz with a stand-up gig at The Comedy Act Theater. His stage name? “Tasty Tony, the one and only, and if there’s another, he’s a phony.”

The cringe-worthy name was the least of Anthony’s troubles. Anthony had been sitting in the audience on the day of his performance, heckling other comedians. The audience loved the heckling. The problem? It was his turn to take the mic next. He was almost confident he’d get heckled by comedians who performed before him.

Fifteen seconds into the performance, they turned off Anderson’s mic. He tried to keep going without the mic, but they turned off the stage lights. 

Anthony Anderson Becomes an Actor

Anthony never set out to become a comedian like Joe Rogan or Howie Mandel. He always said he was an actor who did a lot of comedy like Jonah Hill, but stand-up was never his calling.

Anderson persisted in his efforts and kept going on stage on Guy Torry’s advice, who was at Anderson’s first show. In 1999, Anthony worked with Guy Torry in an Eddie Murphy film Life.

A few years later, Anderson starred in shows like Hang Time, All About the Andersons, and The Bernie Mac Show. Since then, he has appeared in lead roles and as a guest on TV shows and movies.

What are Some of Anthony Anderson’s Most Notable Roles?

Anthony Anderson has played a part in many popular movies and TV shows. Here are a few of his most notable roles:

1. Tony Brown in The Departed

Anthony played Officer Tony Brown alongside a dazzling star cast that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. He appears holding Leonardo at gunpoint at the police academy graduation during a nail-biting hostage situation.

2. Detective Blaine in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Kevin Bernard in Law & Order

In 2006, Anthony appeared as Lucius Blaine, Detective Elliot Stabler’s partner, in a Special Victims Unit episode. He played a major role in Law & Order as Junior Detective Kevin Bernard between 2008 and 2010 and reappeared as Detective Kevin in season 21.

3. Dre in Black-ish

Anthony Anderson (Dre) starred alongside Tracee Ellis Ross (Rainbow) in Black-ish between 2014 and 2022. Dre is one of Anderson’s most successful roles so far in this eight-season, Emmy-winning ABC sitcom. He was also the executive producer of Black-ish.

4. J.D. in Barbershop

Anderson plays Ricky the barber’s cousin, J.D., in Barbershop (2002). In the movie, Anderson’s character is a thief who steals an ATM. In Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), he plays the same character but has given up crime and opened a food truck.

5. Anthony Anderson in All About the Andersons

Anthony played himself in All About Andersons between 2003 and 2004 and also produced the sitcom. He acted in the show during the early years of his career. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after only 16 episodes.

Other Roles Anthony Anderson Has Played

• Hang Time
• NYPD Blue
• Ally
• Malcolm & Eddie
• K-Ville

Movies:

• Big Momma’s House
• Me, Myself & Irene
• Scary Movie 3
• Scary Movie 4
• Transformers
• Scream 4
• Small Town Crime
• Beats

What Other Projects is Anthony Anderson Working on?

In addition to films and TV shows, Anthony has also worked on other projects to generate additional income and spread awareness about important causes.

Game Show Host

Anthony has hosted To Tell the Truth, a prime-time game show since it started in 2016.

Video Games

Anthony has lent his voice to games like Scarface: The World Is Yours, Def Jam: Icon, Diablo III, and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.

A Novo Nordisk Partner

Anderson has dealt with Type 2 diabetes for a long time. He partnered with Novo Nordisk in 2018 for an awareness campaign, Get Real About Diabetes. Anthony wrote a Type 2 diabetes episode to promote the campaign in his hit comedy sitcom Black-ish.

A Northwestern Mutual Partner

Anthony explains how financial planning was never discussed at the dinner table when he was growing up. He feels everyone should plan their finances for the future. He and his mother, Doris, partnered with Northwestern Mutual in 2021 to spread the message about the importance of financial planning.

FAQs

How much is Anthony Anderson’s Net Worth?

Anthony Anderson’s net worth is an estimated $25 million.

How did Anthony Anderson get his start in the entertainment industry?

Anthony’s mother, Doris, was a movie extra. He grew up watching his mother work on the sets, and by age five, he had appeared in his first TV commercial. After he finished studying, he tried his hand at standup and failed, but he soon started getting roles in TV shows. For example, he played Eddie in the TV show In the House in 1995.

What are some of Anthony Anderson’s most popular movies and TV shows?

Anthony’s most popular TV shows and movies include:

• Burger Shack Employee in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
• Scribbles in Liberty Heights (Anderson’s first move)
• Glen Whitmann in Transformers
• Bryana in The Bernie Mac Show
• Dre Johnson in the Black-ish
• Key in Hustle & Flow
• Junior Detective Kevin Bernard in Law & Order Season 19=8
• Officer Brown in The Departed
• Antown Mitchell in The Shield

What awards has Anthony Anderson won throughout his career?

Anthony Anderson has won the following awards throughout his career according to IMDb:

• Rising Star Award at the Acapulco Black Film Festival (2001)
• WAFCA Award for Barbershop at the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards (2002)
• Black Movie Award for his performance in Hustle & Flow at the Black Movie Awards (2005)
• NBR Award for The Departed (shared with other cast members) at the National Board of Review, USA (2006)
• Satellite Award for The Departed at the Satellite Awards (2006)
• COFCA Award for The Departed (shared with other cast members) at the Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards (2007)
• Black Reel Award for Black-ish at the Black Reel Awards for Television (2022)
• Seven-time winner of the Image Award for Black-ish at the Image Awards (NAACP)

How much does Anthony Anderson make per episode of Black-ish?

Anthony Anderson reportedly earns $400,000 for an episode of Black-ish. A 22-episode season works out to an annual pre-tax income of $8.8 million.

Takeaway

Anthony Anderson is the perfect example of how you can create your own path to success. Anthony came from a modest background and didn’t have a fancy degree. In fact, Anderson graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree very recently, in 2022, from Howard University.

While building his career, Anthony has dealt with challenges like divorce and sexual assault charges. But his determination empowered him to push through hard times and focus on growth.

If you already have persistence, all you need are ideas, capital, and connections to get started. Find everything you need in the Capitalism community. And remember, many of our best success stories come from people who used our free content, so why not check it out? Get started with our free video series that helps you pick the perfect business.