Black-ish star, Anthony Anderson, has opened up about the hilarious reason why his onscreen wife, Tracee Ellis Ross, originally disliked him. Black-ish is an American sitcom that first premiered on ABC in September of 2014. The series follows Dre Johnson as he struggles to maintain his cultural identity while he and his wife raise their children in an upper-class white neighborhood. The series has run for 7 seasons so far, and Black-ish will premiere its 8th and final season on January 4, 2022. Throughout its run, Black-ish has gained critical acclaim and has maintained a loyal fanbase that praises the show for its premise and its depth when it comes to covering current events.
Much of the show”s success is attributed to the two lead stars, Anderson and Ross, who play husband and wife, Dre and Rainbow, in the series. Ross’ performance received such high praise that she even took home a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role. Meanwhile, together, the two stars share an undeniable chemistry onscreen and effectively convey the triumphs and struggles of marriage and raising children. However, the two Black-ish stars’ bond hasn’t always been quite so affectionate.
In an interview with Parade, Anderson discussed why Ross disliked him for many years before Black-ish premiered. The angst arose when Anderson made a distasteful fart joke while hosting the Vibe Awards with Ross in 2005. While the audience enjoyed it, Ross was quite offended by Anderson, more than he knew at the time. When they worked together again in 2011, Ross would leave the stage every time Anderson came on. Originally, he thought it was because she admired him and was giving him her set, but it was actually because she didn’t want to be around him. Fortunately, the two made amends halfway through the first season of Black-ish and share a supportive friendship now. Check out Anderson’s statement below:
I knew Tracee prior to Black-ish. 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. 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! She really didn’t start liking me until we were midway through the first season of Black-ish, 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.
Anderson’s recounting of his and Ross’s fraught early relationship is made all the more amusing by the fact that Ross previously told the story from her perspective. One can see from Ross’ perspective how offended she was, but now can also quite humorously see from Anderson’s perspective that he was oblivious to the whole thing. He even mistook Ross’ offense as admiration for him, and it wasn’t until looking back that he recognized she was actually avoiding him. However, fortunately, the two are now able to laugh over the ill-received fart joke and are the best of friends. As Anderson explained, the two have had the opportunity to grow and learn together, giving them a particularly special bond.
While Anderson and Ross’ story is quite humorous, it also shows the price that one can pay for an ill-timed joke. While a fart joke is pretty innocent humor, it was, perhaps, a bit too childish for two adults hosting an awards show. However, Ross didn’t let Anderson get away with it and taught him quite a strong lesson on making jokes at others’ expense. In fact, she taught him that lesson for almost 10 years before the two made up. Their bond today is now a sweet testimony that friendship can still blossom from even the rockiest of starts. More of Anderson and Ross’ antics can be caught on Black-ish season 8 in the New Year, and viewers can marvel at how far the two have come since that fateful fart joke in 2005.
More: Black-ish: 10 Funniest Running Gags, Ranked
Source: Parade
Share Share Tweet Email 0 Comment Related Topics TV News About The Author Rachel Ulatowski (190 Articles Published)
Rachel Ulatowski is a Freelance Movie/TV News Writer for Screen Rant. She works to bring readers the latest news on the shows and movies that are important to them. Rachel especially enjoys writing about celebrity news and sharing the thoughts, struggles, and perspective of some Hollywood’s biggest stars. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, and watching anything Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, or Star Wars.
More From Rachel Ulatowski