Anthony Anderson says he's going to 'push the envelope' as Emmys host

The countdown to the 75th Emmy Awards is on! The awards show will air live on Fox on Monday, Jan. 15 with actor Anthony Anderson tackling hosting duties.

Last month, Fox and the Television Academy announced that Anderson would be hosting the long-awaited show, which was originally slated to air last September before it was postponed to January 2024 due to the writers' and actors' strikes.

“With our industry’s recent challenges behind us, we can get back to what we love — dressing up and honoring ourselves. And there’s no better celebratory moment to bring the creative community together than the milestone 75th Emmy Awards,” the actor said in a statement.

Anderson is an industry veteran who's known for his TV and film roles. Recent previous hosts include Kenan Thompson, Cedric the Entertainer and Jimmy Kimmel.

As we await his Emmys opening monologue, here's a little bit about Anderson and what he's said about hosting the awards show.

Who is Anthony Anderson?

Anderson is known for starring on the hit sitcom “black-ish” alongside Tracee Ellis Ross. The show had a successful run on ABC for eight seasons and inspired two spinoff series.

Throughout his career, Anderson has also starred in several films, including “Kangaroo Jack,” “Scary Movie 3” and “Barbershop.” The actor has also appeared in many TV shows, including “Law & Order,” “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” and “Sonic Leap."

Most recently, Anderson has appeared on two TV shows with his mother Doris Bowman. The duo teamed up for an E! reality series called “Trippin’ with Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris,” which followed their European travels. They also host a game show called "We Are Family," which premiered in January 2024.

Anderson is a father to two children, Kyra Anderson, 28, and Nathan Anderson, 24, whom he shares with his ex-wife Alvina Stewart. The couple was married between ​1999 and 2023.​

His selection as Emmys host has provoked controversy

Following the announcement, online commentators revived Anderson's history of criminal allegations.

In 2018, the LAPD confirmed an "open investigation" into Anderson. Anderson's rep issued a statement to Deadline and other publications saying, “It’s unfortunate that anyone can file a police report whether it is true or false. The authorities have not contacted Anthony or any of his representatives about this matter. Anthony unequivocally disputes the claim.”

Anderson was not charged and, according to documents filed by the L.A. district attorney's office, the case was dropped. Anderson had no comment when NBC News reached out at the time.

He faced another charge in 2004 after a woman, then an extra on the set of "Hustle & Flow," said Anderson and assistant director Wayne Witherspoon raped her in a trailer on set. Anderson's defense argued that the 25-year-old woman accused Anderson in an attempt to get money, per AP. Charges against both men were dropped, with the judge saying the case was "suspicious."

What has Anderson said about hosting the Emmys?

When he was initially announced as the host of the Emmys, Anderson addressed the news with a wink.

“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,” he said in a statement to the Television Academy.

Leading up to his hosting duties, Anderson spoke with People and said he plans to have a special guest join him on stage: his mom, Doris Bowman.

“I can’t host the Emmys without having Mama Doris on the stage with me, so we’re finding some smart ways to incorporate her into the show,” he said.

Bowman will have an important comedic role in the show.

“As opposed to having playoff music for when people run over on their speech, my mother appears on stage just tapping her wrist and her watch like, ‘Speed this s--- up, speed it up, because I want to be out of here by 11,’” he said. “So we’re going to see what kind of fun we can have without stepping on anyone’s toes, because we know people have points to make, thank-yous to make and mission statements to make during an acceptance speech.”

While talking with Entertainment Tonight about his hosting role, Anderson said he's excited to play such an important role in the awards show.

"It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and, you know, it happened when it was supposed to happen,” he said. “I wanted it to happen years ago, but everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. So I’m really excited.”

Hosting an awards show can open you to criticism. But that's not something Anderson is too concerned about.

“I’ve been known to be a habitual line-crosser. I didn’t get this far in my career and achieve what I’ve achieved by playing it safe. We’re going to push the envelope and have fun, but we’re going to do it in a very respectful way. You’ll have to tune in to see," he said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com