Kevin Anderson, a name that rings a bell with most theatre fans, is one of the few Hollywood actors even more known for his performances on Broadway. But Anderson has another side to his personality that only few would expect: his passion for gambling.
A Golden Globe nominee for his role as a priest in the television series Nothing Sacred, Anderson’s true home has always been the stage. He is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and has consistently delivered powerful performances. His portrayal of Biff Loman in the 1999 Death of a Salesman revival earned him a Drama Desk nomination and turned him into one of Broadway’s heavyweights.
Anderson was always known for his ability to take on even the most complex characters, like in Orpheus Descending (1989) and Sunset Boulevard (1994). However, his most notable roles were those of Andy Dufresne in the stage adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption, which many consider the best film of the last century.
From Broadway Stage to Gambling Table
But Anderson can’t be found in The Hamptons or Beverly Hills when the curtain falls. Instead, he frequents the gambling tables in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, something he doesn’t see as a hobby but a true passion that he approaches with the same intensity as acting.
In several interviews, Anderson mentioned that he sees many parallels between acting and gambling. He then discussed the calculated risks one must take to succeed by balancing strategy, skill, and luck and how the thrill of winning is similar to the thrill of opening night on Broadway.
And it is not only Kevin Anderson who recognises these parallels. Broadway Gaming, the largest online gambling operator in the United Kingdom, chose the famous theatre as its name and even resembled the New York City skyline in its logo.
Kevin Anderson in The Gambler
Interestingly, Anderson’s passion for gambling has occasionally merged into his professional life as an actor. In 2005, he starred in the stage adaptation of the movie The Gambler (with Mark Wahlberg) at a regional theatre in New York. Anderson mentioned in an interview that this role felt natural to him, given his real-life experience at the casino.
But despite his enthusiasm for gambling, Anderson has repeatedly said that gambling is a hobby and has never been more to him. This is important, considering there are many examples in the celebrity world where this statement wouldn’t be true.
Ben Affleck, for example, is said to have lost a six-figure amount at the blackjack table, and he is reportedly banned from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas for attempting to count cards. Charles Barkley is another celebrity famous for not treating gambling as a hobby. Barkley estimates that he lost over 10 million dollars in gambling, once losing 2.5 million in two hours.
Future Performances
After 2014, things quieted down around Kevin Anderson. He appeared as Mr. Baxter in Heaven Is For Real and took a break from acting for nearly a decade. To the surprise of many, he appeared in one episode of the TV Mini-Series Justified: City Primeval in 2023.
As things stand right now, Kevin Anderson will appear in three productions in the near future, including Darkness Awaits, The Change-Up Kid, and First String 2, where he will play Chaim Gershowitz.
