Anthony Anderson first achieved recognition in the NBC television show Hang Time. He had a breakout role in 1999's Romeo Must Die. Since then, Anderson has starred in a number of films, including Exit Wounds, Barbershop, and Kangaroo Jack.

In 2003, he got his own sitcom on The WB, All About the Andersons, co-starring John Amos. The series was cancelled after only one season. In March 2005, Anderson began co-starring in The Shield's fourth season as Antwon Mitchell, an ex-convict who poses as a community leader while still running his old street gang. His performance on The Shield earned him much acclaim from critics who had previously dismissed him as a light comedy actor, resulting in him returning to The Shield during the show's fifth season for several episodes.

Anderson also starred in the animated family film, Hoodwinked and had a supporting role in The Departed. He will star in the live-action Transformers film, based on the 1980s cartoon Transformers.