These days, Anthony Anderson is a well-established, consistently in-demand actor, but it's worth noting he didn't immediately head off to Hollywood with stars in his eyes. As Elle noted, Anderson was raised in Compton, California, by his father, who owned several women's shops, and his mother, who worked as a telephone operator. Anderson earned a scholarship to legendary HBCU Howard University but dropped out after he lost it, moving home to find his father had installed a payphone in the living room and put a lock on the refrigerator.

Evidently, the young man wasn't going to get an easy ride ("Go out and get a job," Anderson's mom told him plainly). Their tough love approach really influenced Anderson, and the actor worked hard to build his career from the ground up. He doesn't regret his short-lived college experience, however, telling Melan Magazine, "It taught me how to survive, it taught me how to hustle, it gave me a lot of life lessons that I use to this day in real life and in this industry." Anderson summed up simply, "It's made me the man that I am today."