Anthony Anderson in "K-Ville"

We most often think of talented actor Anthony Anderson as a laugh-generating sidekick. He was Jerry O'Connell's funny pal in Kangaroo Jack and brought forth chuckles as a freaked out computer geek in the recent blockbuster Transformers. But, Anthony has visited dark, serious realms in TV's "Law and Order" and "The Shield". This Fall on Fox TV, the actor will star as Marlin Boulet, a cop in ravaged, post-Katrina New Orleans in the new series "K-Ville".

We caught up with Anthony at a TV press event in Beverly Hills recently and asked him about his new show, the responsibility of depicting the citizens of New Orleans in a truthful light, what he hopes the show will accomplish and what it's like shooting in the devastated Big Easy in his new series.

TeenTelevision: Why should teens watch "K-Ville"?

Anthony: Maybe to be shown something that they aren't being shown in school or in the news or through government agencies. Hopefully, what we do is a true depiction. We stay true to the city of New Orleans and what they're going through.

TeenTelevision: Having seen this firsthand, what do you think is the misconception? What is not being shown?

Anthony: It's not that they are not showing anything, it's what they're not doing; the lack of support. I'm not in government. I'm not a city official but to be in New Orleans and to see communities wiped out still two years later and nothing replanted, as in homes or schools or stores or restaurants or what not. It's disheartening to see and you really can't fathom waking up one morning and all of Beverly Hills being gone and, two years later, Beverly Hills not being rebuilt.

TeenTelevision: Does that make you angry?

Anthony: It makes me sad. Anger, I don't know who I would direct my anger at. What it does, it makes me want to work and do what I can to help this situation and make it better. That's all I can do.

TeenTelevision: Is it fun to play a bad-ass on television?

Anthony: It is fun. I go back to when I was on "The Shield" on FX opposite Glenn Close and Michael Chiklis for a year. That was some of the most fun that I've had working in my career so far. One, it was a departure from the comedic side of me. I had a lot of things to prove, not only to myself but to the viewing public to let them know, 'wait a minute', there's so much more I can do as an actor other than make you laugh and that's what I enjoyed about it most.

TeenTelevision: What is the New Orleans PD number one problem in dealing with criminals currently?

Anthony: We ride along with SWAT. There are 50 SWAT members and they are operating out of basically, oversized FEMA trailers with no bathrooms, no running water in their offices. They literally have to leave their facility and go across the street to a restaurant or to hotel and use restrooms there. That's how this office is operating. The police station that they used was under water and hasn't been rebuilt or refurbished yet along with numerous amounts of vehicles but they are doing the best that they can.

TeenTelevision: Were you with them on any scary assignments?

Anthony: To ride along with SWAT at two o'clock in the morning while they are serving high risk warrants in one of the worst projects in our nation is pretty hairy. It's scary at times but I did that and we saw this. You have to realize that they are dealing with people who have no place to go and no place to call home so it's survival of the fittest. That's why I say, with my character Boulet, you can't operate by the books down there when you are dealing with individuals like that. You have to do what you can to make it work for you and that's what they're doing, all within the law and it may not work anyplace else but it works for them.

TeenTelevision: Are you guys using actual New Orleans accents? Because it's very distinctive.

Anthony: We want what we do on screen to be a true depiction of the people of New Orleans. We've all seen movies and TV shows where they depict the New Orleans accent as Southern and not right. That's the first thing that the residents of New Orleans came to us with, 'I hope you're not goin' with those bullsh*t accents for us in this television show' and I hope that we're not. I do my work as an actor and sit down and talk with them and get it the best I can. We're part of that fabric now and the people of New Orleans have been receptive and responsive to what we've done; all on the positive.

TeenTelevision: Boulet is pretty tough but you want him to be sympathetic to audiences. How do you balance that?

Anthony: You show the humanity and you are vulnerable. It's not about just being a badass. You have to have true human emotions that people can identify with and understand. That way they'll ride with you wherever you want to take them be it good or bad. That's what I try to do.

TeenTelevision: Have you met anyone down there whose story you want to tell on the show?

Anthony: Every person you come in contact with down in New Orleans, you want to tell their story. We have one of our teamsters. His name is Trigger. He spent four and a half days in the water because he's an only child doing this for his mother. He had his own production company and had nine days of batteries and numerous video tapes to record this. He got two boats and went and broke into one of the stores and got [rubbing] alcohol, food and clothing and filled one of the boats up. I'm watching the footage of him walking and swimming through this infested water with gas and oil and dead animals and dead people to get to his mother so he could take care of her. Once he got to her, he commandeered a city bus and drove from New Orleans to Texas and picked up people along the way, all for his mother. If that's not a story you want to tell, you tell me what is and that's one of a thousand.

TeenTelevision: Amazing. So, is this show going to be sad or will there be some humor?

Anthony: Oh, you're definitely going to see that. I don't know what the arc of the show is yet. We just started so I don't know what our producers and writers have in store for us yet but I'm pretty sure that it will run that range. You will see a range of emotion in it.

TeenTelevision: Do you feel that, with the show, you can bring some nationwide attention to what's still going on there?

Anthony: That's what I hope. I hope the show shines a light on something that's needed a light for a long time. I hope we bring awareness back to New Orleans. How quickly we forget with all that's going on in the world. There is still unfinished business and work that needs to be finished in the city of New Orleans and state of Louisiana.

"K-Ville" premieres on Sept. 17th on FOX. Check your local listings.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.