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Anthony Anderson admits Tracee Ellis Ross was not a fan.
Black-ish is coming to a close at the end of the show’s current and 8th season. Co-stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross have spent their time as the heads of the Johnson family. Their chemistry throughout the 8 years on the sets of Black-ish has led them to several awards, including Tracee’s first and only Golden Globe. It wasn’t until Anthony Anderson’s recent interview with Parade Magazine, Anthony revealed that Tracee really didn’t like him prior to Black-ish. Its difficult to see these two not getting along with each other, but its true.
“I knew Tracee prior to Black-ish,” Anderson said. “We laugh about this now, but Tracee didn’t like me for maybe 10 years! We hosted the Vibe Awards [in 2005]. As we were walking onto the stage, there was a loud sound over the speaker, and I said, “Tracee? Did you fart?” The audience loved it, but what I did not know is how offended Tracee was by that comment.”
You’d be amazed at what you can find on the Internet, because there is actual footage of the 2005 Vibe Awards.
The clip below shows Anthony apologizing to Tracee right after commercials. Tracee shruggs off the impromtu fart joke, but now, we all know she was not pleased with it. Its unfortunate that he had to do this on the fly, a more personal apology probably would’ve sufficed.
2005 Vibe Awards – Anthony Apologizes to Tracee
Anthony didn’t know for years that Tracee didn’t like him.
It wasn’t until working with Tracee again during the short lived BET family comedy, Reed Between The Lines, that he noticed something different.
“I remember I did an episode of her show Reed Between the Lines [in 2011] and all of my scenes were with Tracee. And when it came time for my close-up, she would leave the stage like, ‘The stage is Anthony’s!’ I thought Tracee was just showing me the utmost respect as an actor. I was like ‘Oh, my God, I’ve never been treated like this before! I was a guest star on her show, and she was just giving me her set!’ Well, looking back on it, she didn’t want to be around me!”
Tracee left Reed Between the Lines after one season in 2012. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and Anthony Anthony share the same manager. After connecting one day, Kenya and Anthony knew what kind of show they wanted to work on. Black-ish first appeared on ABC’s development slate in October of 2013.
Tracee Ellis Ross later found that out once she signed on to be the female lead of the show. In February of 2014, there was no escaping the tension, Anthony Anderson was already signed as the leading man of Black-ish.
“She really didn’t start liking me until we were midway through the first season of Black-ish,” Anthony continued, “and so we laugh about it now. But today, there’s nothing that I would not do for Tracee. We work the same, we learn the same, we are there for one another, and we have the ability to work with such fearlessness when we’re together, because we know that we will never allow the other to fall.”
That sentiment of love for one another seems to stand true to this day.
ABC – Anthony & Tracee’s Audition Tape Reaction
Dre and Rainbow Johnson may not share the same screen together ever again.
But after nearly 20 years of knowing each other, I’m sure Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson will work with each other again.
Black-ish’s last season begins January 4th, don’t get too sentimental.
