'' Premiere Party Anderson made his television debut on January 13, 1984, on
Rodney Dangerfield's
Young Comedians Special on
HBO.
1980s Anderson made his first movie appearance alongside
Dabney Coleman in the movie
Cloak and Dagger as taxi driver #2 (released July 13, 1984), a small role with one line. On November 20, 1984, Anderson made his network debut as a comedian on
The Tonight Show. In late 1985, Anderson was cast as Lou Appleton alongside
Bronson Pinchot on the pilot episode of
Perfect Strangers for
ABC (which was known in this early stage as
The Greenhorn). When the show was picked up, Anderson was replaced by
Mark Linn-Baker in the role of Appleton (whose first name was then changed from Lou to Larry) as the producers did not think the chemistry between Anderson and Pinchot was quite right. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC. Anderson had a small role in the singing-telegram scene in ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', as well as appearing in a comedy special on
Showtime. Anderson also played a role in
John Landis' film
Coming to America, which starred
Eddie Murphy and
Arsenio Hall, a role which he reprised in the
2021 sequel. Murphy requested Anderson be hired for
Coming To America after producers wanted a white actor in the otherwise African-American cast; Murphy described his friend Anderson as "the funniest white guy around". Anderson also starred in the 1988 camp comedy
The Wrong Guys, based on a story by
John Hughes. In 1989, Anderson guest-starred on the first episode of
The Muppets television segment of
The Jim Henson Hour.
1990s In 1995, Anderson created and produced a Saturday-morning animated series for
Fox called
Life with Louie. The series was based on his childhood with 10 siblings, a sweet-hearted mother and a loud, war-crazed father. It also detailed how Anderson was bullied for his weight, and how he used comedy to deal with the teasing. The show was a three-year hit on Fox, and won two
Daytime Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program. Anderson created and starred in
The Louie Show for
CBS. The show had him playing a psychotherapist in
Duluth, Minnesota. The show ran six episodes before it was canceled. Anderson landed the role of host of the new version of
Family Feud in 1999. In 2001, Anderson organized a 9/11-themed tournament week of
Family Feud between the
FDNY and the
NYPD, putting up $75,000 toward both organizations for recovery from the
September 11 attacks. Anderson was let go from the show in 2002 and was replaced by
Richard Karn.
2000s In 2000, Anderson appeared as a panelist on an episode of
To Tell the Truth hosted by
John O'Hurley, and in 2001, he appeared on an episode of
Weakest Link, winning $31,000. Anderson made appearances on network television in
Scrubs,
Grace Under Fire,
Touched by an Angel (Then Sings My Soul, November 28, 1999), and
Chicago Hope. He guest starred on the
Adult Swim cameo-filled show
Tom Goes to the Mayor.? Anderson played in the
2006 World Series of Poker Main Event in
Las Vegas,
Nevada.
2010s Anderson filmed a standup special entitled
Louie Anderson: Big Baby Boomer. In it, he poked fun at his bad habits, pesky family members, and aging body. In 2013, Anderson appeared in the
ABC reality television series
Splash. After practicing several dives into a swimming pool then nearly drowning, he needed help getting out from co-star football player
Ndamukong Suh. Anderson signed on as the promotional spokesperson for his home state's
Land O'Lakes Sweet Cream butter brand. He appeared in radio jingles, web ads, and television commercials promoting the product. From 2016 to 2019, Anderson played the part of Christine Baskets on the
FX comedy series
Baskets. Anderson won the
2016 Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. Anderson was a regular panelist on the TV game show
Funny You Should Ask from September 2017 until the show went on hiatus in 2020. == Stand-up style ==