LACHSA alumni prove that LACHSA is worth every investment. This month’s featured alum, Anthony Anderson, lives the motto “born to create” every day.
Anderson came back to his creative home recently to host the LACHSA Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Gala. He was part of the inaugural class at LACHSA–one of the first students to ever attend the school. He recounted begging his mother to let him audition from a flyer he saw on a wall. She said yes and he auditioned. While his time at LACHSA was short, he started getting professional acting roles right away and had to transfer before graduation.
At the Gala, Anderson spoke about how LACHSA made a huge impact on his young life. He credits LACHSA with providing the creative foundation for his career, as it offered him both rigorous training and the freedom to create immersed in this public high school filled with young artists, many of whom attended the Gala just to say hi and to reconnect. In talking about hosting the 40th Anniversary Gala, he said:
“I am thrilled to return to my Los Angeles home at LACHSA where I was accepted in the school’s first year as a young student artist. Four decades later, the impact of LACHSA has shaped and influenced the lives of artists and audiences across the world, including my own professional work, and I am honored to do my part to celebrate this special milestone in LACHSA’s history.”
His journey from those formative years at LACHSA to becoming an Emmy-nominated actor and producer is a testament to the power of LACHSA’s arts education.
Born in Compton, California in 1970, Anderson started working in the entertainment business at a young age. He can be seen in such films as Barbershop, The Departed, and Transformers, as well as on TV in his Emmy-nominated role on Black-ish which ran for 9 seasons and generated several spin-offs. He is also known for hosting shows like To Tell the Truth, and guest hosting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Anderson was also honored to be asked to host the 2024 Emmy Awards show.
Although he has received many accolades in his extensive career, the one award that is especially meaningful to him is the one that was given to him at the LACHSA Foundation 40th Anniversary Gala by Principal, Dr. Tina Vartanian, and Assistant Principal Sue Freitag the very first — The LACHSA Legend Award. The award honors a LACHSA Legend who not only achieves professional success but also betters their community. He is indeed a legend and an inspiration.
Follow Anthony Anderson and all of his creative achievements on his socials at Facebook or Instagram.
