'Law & Order' star Anderson enjoys image
Anthony Anderson knows a thing or two about image.
His own has been transformed in recent years, turning him from a primarily comedic talent to a dramatic actor now in his third season of co-starring in NBC's enduring series "Law & Order." His weekly portrayal of New York police detective Kevin Bernard has made him a nominee again in the NAACP Image Awards.
Fox televises the ceremony's 41st edition Feb. 26 from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.
"It's my third year being up for outstanding actor in a drama series," says Anderson, who earned the first of those nominations for "K-Ville," a New Orleans-set Fox show. "I have yet to win, and for some reason, I feel really good about it this year. I don't know why — I've felt good about it every other year, too — but I'm just feeling really lucky."
Anderson says one other factor might lead him to the podium.
"I would hope that I could trip my buddy Hill Harper (a rival nominee, for CBS' 'CSI: NY'), he can get a sprained ankle, and they can just omit him from the category. He's won for a couple of years running ... but unfortunately, that (mishap) won't happen."
Competing against Anderson and Harper are LL Cool J ("NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS), Laurence Fishburne ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS) and Taye Diggs ("Private Practice," ABC). Beyond television, the NAACP Image Awards also encompass prizes for work in motion pictures, recordings and literature.
Anderson appreciates being among such a variety of nominees, this time ranging from Morgan Freeman ("Invictus") and movie newcomer Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire") to musicians Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, whose hit duet "Empire State of Mind" is up for outstanding song. On the literary front, professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (host and producer of the current PBS miniseries "Faces of America") is in the running for his nonfiction work "In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past."
"It's an exciting night," Anderson says, "especially when you're in the company you're in. To have the talent that has been invited and nominated in our community, it's just amazing to rub shoulders and converse with them throughout the night. Just the energy in the room is exhilarating.
"I normally take my wife," Anderson adds, "but I think I may take my daughter this year. She's 13, and she gets a kick out of things like that, so I think she'll be my date. And my good-luck charm."
In a real sense, Anderson feels lucky already in having established himself on "Law & Order," for which S. Epatha Merkerson — alias the show's Lt. Anita Van Buren — also is an NAACP Image Award nominee (for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series). Anderson takes great pride in the series having been "on the air for two decades, tying 'Gunsmoke' as the longest-running one-hour drama in television history.
"For me to be one of the faces to represent that, especially at an award show like this, is what I feel is a great accomplishment. When I was just a kid in Compton (Calif.), I had the dream of growing up to do this, and it lets me know I'm on the right track, doing what I set out to do."
It didn't take long for Anderson to find his footing on "Law & Order," he says.
"That's a testament to the producers and the writers for giving the show and the characters such rich things to do. It's a well-oiled machine, and I found my place in it rather quickly because of that. We were able to keep going without missing a step when Jesse (L. Martin) decided to leave the show."
That's also a tribute, Anderson maintains, to his current on-screen partner, Jeremy Sisto.
"This is our second full season together, and we've established a great relationship on and off the set. I can honestly say he is a personal friend of mine, and that translates on film. People believe that relationship, because what we're giving them is coming from a real place."
Anderson isn't shy about his pleasure that "Law & Order" is about to return to its customary broadcast time, closing NBC's prime-time lineup on Mondays starting March 1.
"Tonally, the show plays better at that hour," he reasons.
"This is definitely not an 8 o'clock show; that's the family television hour, and this isn't your traditional family show, just by the nature of what it portrays.
"We're all excited to be back at a later hour and on a night when we know people will be home watching. (Executive producer) Dick Wolf has always said he doesn't care what day the show is on, just as long as it's on the air — and on the air at 10 o'clock. And I think the rest of us all have that sense as well."
