Episode 145 - Chatting With Actress Anne-Marie Johnson About Hollywood, Fame, & Her New Film "The Addiction Of Hope" - Part 1

In Part 1 of this lively two-episode deep dive, host Tony Miros sits down with the always captivating Anne-Marie Johnson to explore her remarkable journey from a starstruck L.A. kid to a celebrated actress with decades of iconic credits.

Anne-Marie takes us back to her days at John Marshall High School—where, yes, they were literally filming the carnival scenes of “Grease” while she was taking her class photo. Inspired by comedy giants Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball, she grew up devouring black-and-white movies and dreaming of working in films. After enrolling in UCLA’s acting program, she found herself competing on TV game shows to gain on-camera experience—and to win. And it worked: she booked her first job opposite Robert Urich, landed her SAG card, and quickly stepped into her first sitcom role on “Diff’rent Strokes”.

From there, her career took off. She shares hilarious and heartfelt stories from “Hill Street Blues” (including the night an entire watch party was ruined by a pre-emption), her three joyous years on “What’s Happening Now!!”, and her surprising mentorship under Shirley Hemphill. She opens up about the thrill of working on “Hollywood Shuffle” and the heartbreak of learning she’d been edited out of “The Five Heartbeats”—at the premiere, no less.

And then there’s the moment that changed everything: leaving “In the Heat of the Night” after six seasons—despite Carroll O’Connor’s protests—to join “In Living Color.” Anne-Marie reveals how Tommy Davidson convinced her to make the leap, what it was like shifting from drama to sketch comedy, and why working alongside Jim Carrey was both exhilarating and emotionally challenging.

ANNE MARIE JOHNSON

Los Angeles–born actress Anne-Marie Johnson began honing her craft early, graduating from John Marshall High School and later earning her B.A. in Acting and Theatre from UCLA. She made her first on-camera appearances as a contestant on several game shows, including “Card Sharks,” “Child’s Play,” and the pilot of “Body Language,” before landing her first major role as Aileen Lewis on NBC’s “Double Trouble.” Guest spots on “Diff’rent Strokes,” “Hill Street Blues,” and a three-season run as Nadine on “What’s Happening Now!!” followed, along with standout comedic turns in the cult classics “Hollywood Shuffle” and “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”

Johnson became widely known for her role as Althea Tibbs on the long-running drama “In the Heat of the Night” (1988–1993), during which she also appeared in films such as “Robot Jox,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “True Identity,” and “Strictly Business.” After leaving the series, she joined the final season of “In Living Color,” delivering sharp celebrity impressions of Oprah Winfrey, Mary Tyler Moore, and Whitney Houston. Her career continued with memorable roles on “Melrose Place” and “JAG,” along with guest appearances on a wide range of popular series including “Ally McBeal,” “Girlfriends,” “CSI,” “NCIS,” “Living Single,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Beyond her acting accomplishments, Johnson served as First National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2005 to 2010 and continued building an impressive list of credits with roles in NBC’s “The InBetween,” OWN’s “Cherish the Day,” and ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” She now stars in the powerful new film “The Addiction of Hope,” directed by her husband Martin A. Gottlieb, playing in selected theaters.

Tickets For “The Addition of Hope” - https://www.laemmle.com/film/addiction-hope

Film Website - https://www.theaddictionofhopefilm.com 

Film Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theaddictionofhope/ 

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