Primetime Emmy Tally: Two
How He Got the Gold: As director for The Simpsons, named Outstanding Short Format Animated Program in 1997 and 2001.
Now for the Noms: Anderson has been nominated 12 times as a director and producer of The Simpsons.
Perfect Attendance: "I attend every awards show when we’re nominated. Win or lose, it’s a wonderful evening, and it makes you feel a part of the larger entertainment industry. There are so many amazing animated shows these days — to be singled out for an award is a great honor."
Room for More: "I keep both Emmys in my studio on a shelf where I can occasionally catch sight of them as I work. It’s a reminder that the pursuit of excellence has many rewards. There’s more room on the shelf, too, and I’m an optimist."
Twin Wins: "We work really hard on every Simpsons episode, so directing the one that gets nominated is a bit of luck. In both cases when I won, I thought the episodes were exceptional, so being recognized with a statue felt like a tremendous validation."
Animated Anomaly: "A phenomenon like The Simpsons is unpredictable. The audience and culture have changed so much over the last three decades. The Simpsons has stayed current and popular because it holds a cracked mirror up to us flawed humans and makes us laugh at ourselves."
Still Surprising: "I have the wisdom of working on hundreds of episodes, but every time I think I have it down to a science, a script comes along that asks us to animate the most bizarre and wonderful things. Those challenges are part of the fun. I love all the characters in Springfield, and making an audience laugh with them gives me the most intoxicating feeling."
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This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 5, 2019.
