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Anthony Anderson’s mom, Doris Bowman, is more than just his parent — she’s also his colleague.

The black-ish actor was born to Bowman on Aug. 15, 1970, in Compton, California. Bowman was a telephone operator and Anderson’s stepfather, Sterling Bowman, owned a chain of three clothing stores.

Bowman was also an aspiring actress but shifted her focus to raising her son after welcoming Anderson, a choice the mother-son pair reflected on in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in June 2023.

"Mom, you sacrificed your dream of becoming an actress to raise me, was it all worth it?" Anderson asked Bowman. 

"Yes, baby, it was worth it!" she responded, noting, "I got a house out of it, I got a check every now and then."

Bowman got her big break after appearing in numerous TV shows with her son, most recently hosting FOX's We Are Family game show.

From their six-week European vacation to her supporting the actor as he hosts the 2023 Emmy Awards, here’s everything to know about Anthony Anderson’s mom, Doris Bowman.

She had dreams of being an actress early on

Bowman shared on the Rachael Ray Show in October 2021 that she had wanted to be an actress since she was 17, but when her son came along, she decided to hang up that dream.

“She put her dreams of being an actor on hold to raise an actor, not knowing that’s what she was doing,” Anderson chimed in. “And all these years later, I’m in a position to allow my mother to live her dream and that’s what we’re doing.”

When Ray asked Bowman what it was like to find her fame at 68 years old, Bowman said it was “wonderful,” joking that now she gets a “check.” She added that she was also able to buy her dream home.

She is a mother of two

In addition to Anderson, Bowman is also a mother to her younger son, Derrick Bowman, who is an ICU nurse. In a 2022 episode of HGTV’s Celebrity IOU, Anderson was the guest star alongside hosts Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott. The team had plans to renovate Derrick’s home as a reward for all his hard work on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I’m impressed by the man he’s become,” Anderson said on the show. “He’s on the frontlines saving lives, but his home projects have fallen by the wayside. He can’t keep up with the repairs while he’s working so much. I want to give him and his wife, Joy, the home they deserve.” 

Derrick also made an appearance alongside his mom and Anderson on Celebrity Family Feud in 2015.

She and Anderson traveled across Europe for a TV show

Bowman and Anderson have worked together on numerous shows, including To Tell The Truth, House Haunters and episodes of black-ish. However, she and Anderson took things to the next level when they embarked on a six-week journey across Europe, which was documented in Trippin’ with Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris.

The show, which premiered on E! in June 2023, followed Anderson and Bowman as they traveled through England, France and Italy and enjoyed experiences ranging from walking the runway at African Fashion Week to learning dining etiquette lessons.

In an interview with PEOPLE ahead of the show’s premiere, Anderson joked that his mom was often hard to impress. Though she enjoyed her margherita pizza in Europe, she was displeased with the small portions at the Michelin-star-rated restaurants Anderson took her to.

“There wasn’t enough food on the spoon for my mother to be happy,” Anderson said. “She went to her room and ordered room service.”

“I don’t like oysters and snails,” Bowman chimed in.

Though they enjoyed their trip, the pair both joked they were ready for it to end in their interview with ET.

"Hmm, the rose on our trip, was when the trip was over and could see you go on your way home and I go home, 'cause I'm gonna need six months to recover from this six-week trip with you," Anderson teased.

She is proud of her son — and is not afraid to share it

During their stay in Europe, Anderson told PEOPLE that his mom was not afraid to get male attention — and show off her successful son.

He said the most challenging part of the trip was trying to ward off “all the young men” who expressed interest in his mom.

"That was the embarrassing part," he said. "It was like, 'All right, you tough guys, I’m not going to call you 'Dad,' but that’s my mom!' ... My mom's a big freak, so watch yourself."

And as they were walking around, he said Bowman was only too happy to tell everyone how famous her son was.

“My mother made sure they recognized me,” he said. “She wouldn’t just tell them, she would scream at them. They could be people asking for directions or pointing in my direction at the Eiffel Tower, and my mama would be like, ‘That’s my baby!' "

They host the game show We Are Family

Anderson and his mom were announced to take over FOX’s We Are Family in November 2023 after the original family duo — Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne — could no longer fill the role due to scheduling conflicts.

The series, which premiered in January 2024, is a game show filmed with a live audience of contestants who have to use a series of clues to guess which celebrity a performer is related to before they are revealed.

“I jumped at the opportunity to host We Are Family and can’t wait for you to see all the celebrities, their relatives and the many surprises we have in store this season — and with my mama by my side, you never know what’s going to happen!” Anderson said, per Deadline.

She will join Anderson when he hosts the 2023 Emmy Awards

Ahead of his hosting duties at the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024, Anderson told PEOPLE that his mom would come out to join him on stage.

"I can't host the Emmys without having Mama Doris on the stage with me, so we're finding some smart ways to incorporate her into the show," he said.

The Law & Order actor elaborated that Bowman would replace the music that plays to cut people off while delivering speeches by nudging them off the stage herself.

"As opposed to having playoff music for when people run over on their speech, my mother appears on stage just tapping her wrist and her watch like, 'Speed this s--- up, speed it up, because I want to be out of here by 11,' " he said.

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