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Why Anthony Anderson’s Mom Is His Funniest Costar Ever (Exclusive)

Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson and his mom, Doris Hancox

Mama knows best! Black-ish star Anthony Anderson has had his share of funny costars. But one in particular could be his funniest (and maybe most challenging) yet — his mom, Doris Hancox, who returns as the scorekeeper in season two of classic game show reboot To Tell the Truth. Anderson, who hosts the ABC series, tells Us Weekly exclusively that having his mom on set poses a whole new set of challenges. 

“I have a laundry list [of complaints]!” he says. “First of all, my mother thinks the show is all about her!” Anderson laughs of his mom’s scene-stealing antics.

Related: Biggest Celebrity Family Feuds of All Time

For Hancox, the gig is a breeze. “It’s fun!” she exclaims. “I don’t have any complaints. None!” Anderson tells Us that he was surprised when “Mama Doris” was asked to come on board, and insists that it was absolutely not his idea. “I did not want her on the show.” he says. “We were actually on Celebrity Family Feud and the question to us was, ‘If there was a naked magician on stage, where would he pull a rabbit out of?’ And my mother screamed, ‘His nuts!’ And it brought the house down, and probably cost us the game — we lost to the Braxton family.” 

The comedian says he was ready to do post-show damage control. “The producers came to us after, and said, ‘Hey Anthony, we want to talk to you about your mother.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry, I told you she was a live wire! I’m so sorry, I’ll talk to her about this.’ And they said, ‘No, we love her and want to talk to you about bringing her on To Tell the Truth to work with you!’ And that’s how she was brought onto our show.”

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Hancox says she was born to be famous. Unimpressed with her Golden Globe-nominated son, she quips, “I inspired his whole career — he doesn’t give me enough credit. People say I’m funnier than he is!” (Laughs Anderson, “Nobody’s ever said that.”) Boasting that she was “a star of the stage in high school,” Anderson jokes, “There was Hattie McDaniel, Diahann Carroll, Eartha Kitt, and then there was Mama! All the greats!”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars and Their Moms

Another added bonus from being on TV? Mama Doris is hoping the show lands her a date! Anderson’s mom says she’s “single and looking” and is taking applications! Mama says her demands are reasonable. “He’s got to be tall … and not a couch potato. And he’s got to have a job and put gas in my car!”

To Tell the Truth season 2 premieres Sunday, January 1 on ABC at 9 p.m. ET.

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