NBC has filled its slate with a few new shows this Fall and one of them stars Anthony Anderson in the Jimmy Fallon produced ‘Guys With Kids” about yes, guys with kids.
“The ‘Guys with Kids‘ script fell into my lap. I read it. It came from Jimmy. They offered it to me. It was great. I could see where this show could go. Everything jumped off the page at me. And I just felt it was a no-brainer.”
That’s Anthony Anderson, who plays a stay-at-home dad and can relate because his super-supportive high-school sweetheart turned wife of many years has been the stay-at-home parent able to let him fly with his very demanding and thus far extremely successful career including his many memorable roles in many movies and most recently his leading one in ‘Law & Order.’
Anthony said more over the phone on my media call..
“I have to thank her for letting me use her car to go to my first audition.” Laughing he continued. “And what she does as a stay-at a home mom just like all of the other stay-at-home mom and dads across the country is invaluable and unquantifiable. I applaud her for putting her career and her life on hold to help out our life.”
“My daughter Kyra is 16 years old, junior in high school now, plays volleyball, has a boyfriend that I have to deal with now as a father. Never thought those days would happen, and he happens to be the quarterback on the football team. And my son is 12 years old and when I tell you the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, truer words have not been spoken. I just took him on an audition yesterday. Four or five years ago he pointed to my wife and said Mom, I want to be an actor.” And he’s actually pretty good at it and he’s come close on a few things. One day he’ll get a job.”
No doubt he will.
How did this idea come about?
Said Charlie Grandy, one of the shows Executive Producers.. “Jimmy and his producing partner Amy Ozols. “I think it was Jimmy’s brother-in-law who had a young kid and Jimmy always saw him out and about with his kid going to a bar, going to a ballgame and he just always had a kid in a Baby Bjorn.” And Jimmy just saw this more and more around New York with the involved dads and he said there’s a show about this.”
Also, adding to the cast is feisty Tempest Bledsoe (pictured), who is best known for her childhood role as Vanessa Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom ‘The Cosby Show.’
Series premiere Wednesday, September 26 from 8:30-9pm ET on NBC.