As a fan of the Scream horror movie franchise and a veteran of two of the Scary Movie parodies that spoofed it, Anthony Anderson was eager to sign on for Scream 4, which hits theaters Apr. 15.  He plays Deputy Perkins, “a cop who may end up being a victim, and the possibility of me being a victim was interesting because we all know what happens to the Black guy in horror films, and I was excited about that,” laughs Anderson, who figured that as the only person of color in the ensemble cast, he’d stand out.

“I grew up watching movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Friday the 13^th and Halloween,” says the actor, who claims he was in the dark about how the movie ends. “I had no idea who the killers were. I was gone before that,” he explains. We won’t spoil the big twist here, or whether or not Anderson survives to be part of the planned Scream 5 and 6. But in any case, he has plenty of projects to keep him busy.

Anderson has already completed several movies, including playing a gangster in The Power of Few, a track coach in the coming-of-age story Goats, and Jack Black’s boss in the bird watching comedy The Big Year, due in October. “I’ve always considered myself to be the Black Jack Black, so our first day on set I told him that, and he said, ‘I’ve always considered myself to be the white Anthony Anderson,’” he relates. “I knew then we were going to have some fun.”

Anderson is also considering directing a film and has a deal with Fox for a new series, ideally a sitcom. “Shorter hours and a more predictable schedule,” he explains. It would give him more time at home with his wife and kids, an 11-year-old son who wants to be an actor, and a 15-year-old daughter who “plays volleyball and wants to be a celebrity chef to the stars.” Otherwise, Anderson’s goals are simple.  “To have as much fun as I can doing what I love to do,” he says, “and get my golf game down to a single-digit handicap.”

(Photo: Albert L. Ortega/PictureGroup)