Doris Hancox Bio, Career, Net Worth
Who is Doris Hancox?
Doris Hancox is a famous American actress and television personality. Also known as Doris Bowman or Mama Doris, Doris Hancox rose to fame following her work as a co-host of the ABC reboot of To Tell The Truth.
Likewise, Mama Doris has also appeared in many popular films and TV shows such as Black-ish, Common Bond, and Celebrity Family Feud. In addition, she is the mother of All About the Andersons actor Anthony Anderson.
Let’s find out more about Doris Hancox.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Doris Day Hancox |
| Also Known As | Mama Doris, Doris Bowman |
| Birthday | July 12, 1954 |
| Age | 68 years old |
| Sun sign | Cancer |
| Traits | Positive: Intuitive, practical, and creative Negative: Arrogant, fixated, and selfish |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Currently living | Bellflower, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | No information |
| Grandparents | No information |
| Siblings | No information |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Sterling Bowman |
| Children | Anthony Anderson |
| Grand Children | Kyra Anderson, Nathan Anderson |
| Education | Jordan High School, Compton Community College |
| Profession | Actress and TV personality |
| Net worth | USD 1 million |
| Social Media | Instagram |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches |
| Eyes Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Black |
Interesting Facts
- Doris Hancox is the mother of Golden Globe Awards-nominated actor Anthony Anderson.
- Mama Doris was a teen mom. She gave birth to Anthony Anderson at 18 when she was a high school senior.
- In the past, Doris worked as a telephone operator. She became an actress and TV personality later in her life.
- Mama Doris gained popularity after her appearance on Celebrity Family Feud. When Steve Harvey asked the Andersons to “name something a new magician might pull a rabbit out of.” Doris hilariously answered, “His nuts!”. This left host Steve Harvey speechless and the audience in splits.
- Doris is a self-proclaimed bingo addict. She once famously talked about her love for the game and her son’s upbringing and said,
Early life
Although Doris Hancox was born in Chicago, Illinois, she and her family moved to California when Doris was a little girl. Thus, the majority of Doris’ childhood was spent in sunny California.
Doris Hancox was born on July 12, 1954. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Her full name is Doris Day Hancox.
Since Doris was born on July 12, her horoscope is Cancer. Cancerians are known for their intuitive, practical, and creative personalities. However, they can sometimes be arrogant, fixated, and selfish.
Not much is known about Doris Hancox’s parents and siblings. Regardless, Doris grew up in an average family and had a good upbringing.
Doris Hancox stands tall at 5 feet and 9 inches. She has brown eyes and black-colored hair. Moreover, Doris can often be seen sporting stylish and colorful outfits that perfectly complement her persona.
The TV show host is frequently wearing bright-colored clothes, fashionable headscarves, and eye-catching jewelry. Furthermore, Doris Hancox usually wears prescription glasses to aid her vision.
Not much information is available regarding Doris Hancox’s religious affiliation. Further confusing curious fans, Anthony Anderson recalled a meeting with Prince and said,
“He cornered me at the elevator in his house one day, trying to convert me to be a Jehovah’s Witness. Oh my god, he was 2 inches away from my face and I made the mistake of looking him in his eyes.”
Doris Hancox is an American citizen. Likewise, she belongs to African-American ethnic background.
Educational Background
Doris Hancox is a well-educated woman. She finished her high school education at Jordon High School, Los Angeles, California.
Following her high school graduation, Mama Doris enrolled at Compton Community College. The community college is located in Compton, California, USA.
Career
Every since Doris Hancox was a teenager, she has been interested in becoming an actor. However, her dreams only came to fruition much later in her life.
Mama Doris gave birth to her son Anthony Anderson at quite a young age. A single mother, She had to work hard to make ends meet.
Initially, she took up the telephone operator job to support her family. However, she had to make many sacrifices to properly raise her kids and ensure that all their needs were met.
Fortunately, Doris’ son Anthony proved to be quite lucky for her. Anthony started gaining popularity after starring in the hit ABC series Black-ish. This became Doris Hancox’s ticket to the world of Entertainment.
Doris Hancox entrance into the entertainment industry
Mama Doris made her television debut on Celebrity Family Feud in 2015. Many people appreciated Hancox’s stage presence and her sense of humor.
Even before her appearance on Celebrity Family Feud, Mama Doris had already made her movie debut. In 2008, Doris had a role in the short film “Common Bond.” Likewise, in 2010, she appeared in the movie “The Truth,” where she played the role of Flossie.
However, Doris did not achieve the fame that she expected with these movies. Following her successful Celebrity Family Feud appearance, Doris began getting many other lucrative offers.
In 2016, Doris appeared on Access Hollywood, Extra with Billy Bush, and The Insider. The following year, she made several appearances on many TV shows, including The Talk, Access Daily, Hollywood Today Live, Good Morning America, Animal Nation with Anthony Anderson, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Extra with Billy Bush.
Doris Hancox made frequent appearances on Entertainment Tonight from 2017 to 2020. Additionally, she grew in popularity after her role as a co-host of the American television panel show “To Tell the Truth.”
Doris Hancox T-Mobile
Similarly, Doris Hancox was also a part of T-Mobile’s Super Bowl 2020 ad. She appeared in the ad along with her actor son, Anthony Anderson. Likewise, the 60-second-long ad aired during the fourth quarter of the 2020 Super Bowl.
Anderson and Hancox show everyone how they make the most of the commercial’s new nationwide 5G connectivity. In addition, the ad features Doris, who makes the switch from Verizon to T-Mobile.
Mama Doris calls Anthony multiple times to show that T-Mobile’s 5G network is accessible anywhere. This includes the park, the aquarium, the parking garage, the beach, the elevator, and the movie theaters.
Mama Doris on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Making an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Anthony Anderson jokingly told the late-night talk show host that Mama Doris has acted like a real celebrity since becoming famous. However, she apparently came late to a taping.
Likewise, she even brought her entourage to the set. Moreover, it seems that Mama Doris is aware of her new celebrity lifestyle.
She admitted to Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts that she loves being a star every minute. She said,
“You know, nice cars and people fussing over you, I love it. I love it. I ain’t lying. Love it. I wake up and get to work two hours early because I don’t want to miss anything.”
Talking about her working methods, she further said,
“No scripts. I have no scripts, ever. None. What comes up, comes out. That’s my slogan. Whatever comes up, comes out. And, that’s all I have been doing. Being me.”
Doris Hancox To Tell The Truth
Doris was the co-host of the game show, To Tell the Truth from 2016 to 2021. Moreover, Mama Doris’s son Anthony Anderson is the game show host.
Many fans have appreciated the hilarious banter between the mother-son duo. Likewise, Doris developed a significant fan following post her work as the co-host of, To Tell The Truth, due to her humorous personality.
Many of the show’s loyal fans were disappointed when the Common Bond actress was absent from some, To Tell the Truth episodes. Many audiences even voiced their disappointment on Twitter.
A Twitter user wrote,
“I only want to go on @TellTruthABC if #mamadoris is also there. @anthonyanderson where’s your mama?!? She good?”.
Likewise, another user expressed,
“We miss you on TTTT, Mama Doris! When we saw you weren’t there, my hubby said, “It’s only 1/2 the show without Mama.” America needs you!”
Fortunately, Doris Hancox’s absence from the show was only temporary. Although she never clarified the reason behind her hiatus from the hit game show, Doris later posted a short clip of her recent appearance on the show and captioned it,
“I’m back this week on the Queen’s Throne and the laughs won’t stop! Tune in tonight 8/7c.”
Mama Doris Relationships and Dating History
Doris Hancox was previously in a relationship with a mystery man who happens to be Anthony Anderson’s father. However, the couple broke up for unknown reasons right after Anthony’s birth.
After suffering heartbreak, Doris found love again with a businessman named Sterling Bowman. In fact, Doris Hancox and Sterling Bowman further solidified their love by marrying each other.
Sterling Bowman was not just a loving husband to Doris but also a doting father to Anthony Anderson. Anthony, who has no relationship with his paternal father, considers Sterling Bowman his dad.
In an interview with People Magazine in June 2015, Anthony Anderson talked about his stepfather and said,
“He was the only father I knew or cared about. He raised me as any father would, with love, patience, understanding, and discipline. I’m grateful because he taught me what it took to be a man. He wasn’t perfect, which made him even more of my hero.”
Furthermore, the Black-ish actor credits Sterling Bowman for teaching him to become an adult. Reminiscing the unique way Sterling taught him adulting, Anderson recalled the incidents after returning home from college.
When Anderson came back home, Bowman asked Anderson to pay the rent. Moreover, he pulled out the phone jacks, padlocked the entertainment system, and installed a pay phone in the family room while only allowing Anderson to use the refrigerator.
Anderson said,
“Since all of the appliances in the kitchen were electric, he removed the fuse from the fuse box for the kitchen appliances and put a padlock on the fuse box until he returned home from work every day.”
Doris Hancox Children
Doris Hancox is the mother of The Bernie Mac Show actor Anthony Anderson. She gave birth to Anthony when she was only 18 years old.
During this time, Doris Bowman was a high school senior. Despite being a teen mother, Doris prioritized her education and her son’s upbringing.
In an interview, Anthony Anderson revealed the sacrifices that Doris made to raise him properly. He said,
“First and foremost – my mother wanted to be an actress, that’s what she was going to be in life but my mother was a single mother at the age of 18, a senior in high school, and she put her dreams of being an actor on hold to raise an actor.”
Moreover, Doris herself is aware of her sacrifices. The actress, in an interview with Us Weekly, said,
“I inspired his whole career — he doesn’t give me enough credit. People say I’m funnier than he is!”
Apart from Anthony, Doris has two other children. Not much is known about them; however, according to some reports, her other son, Sterling, died in 2002. She also has a stepson named Derrick Bowman.
Anthony Anderson discussed his mother’s not-so-ordinary parenting style during his 2014 appearance on Conan and that his mother has always been “a little left of center.” The Emmy Award-nominated actor said that Mama Doris would give him and his siblings Vagisil instead of Neosporin after they got cuts and bruises.
The revelation surprised not only the audience but also Conan O’Brien himself. Anthony Anderson further confirmed the effectiveness of the remedy. He said,
“But I always wondered why my mother had so much in the cabinet because we didn’t get hurt that often.”
Doris Hancox Net Worth
As of 2021, Doris Hancox’s net worth is approximately $1 million. She has made impressive earnings as an actress and television personality throughout her career. Owing to such astonishing net worth, there is no doubt that Mama Doris leads quite a lavish lifestyle.
Furthermore, her son, Anthony Anderson, has an even more remarkable net worth. The Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London actor is estimated to have a net worth of around $25 million.
Related: Read the full biography of Ewan McGregor’s Daughter, Clara McGregor
Doris Hancox and Barack Obama
Many people would not want to miss out on the opportunity to meet former US president Barack Obama. However, Doris Hancox chose to skip a meeting with President Obama so she wouldn’t have to miss playing bingo.
The hilarious incident was revealed by Doris’ son Anthony Anderson when he hosted Dear Mama, a Mother’s Day special episode that aired on VH1 in May 2016. Anderson said he had brought himself up for 37 years since Doris often left him alone to play bingo.
Likewise, when the Black-ish actor was invited to meet President Obama earlier that year, he also extended the invitation to his mother. Nevertheless, Doris decided to skip the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her regular bingo game.
He recalled the incident and said,
“She’s like, ‘Hmmm… Well, I already paid my $300 to go to Vegas, but let me see if I can transfer this into the other girls’ name.’ Not even a second later, she’s like, ‘You know what, I’m not going to be able to transfer everything into the girl’s name, it’s in my name. So why don’t you call the president, tell him I’ll be there in August and it’s going to be me plus six.”
Doris Hancox Social Media
On Instagram, Doris Hancox is active under the username “theofficialmamadoris.” Seven thousand twelve people follow the actress, and she has made about 30 posts until now.
Doris mostly posts pictures and videos of her work on her Instagram account. While she sometimes uploads photos with her son Anthony Anderson, Doris mostly refrains from posting too much about her personal life.
Doris Hancox is quite active on Twitter as well. Her username is “@DaRealMamaDoris,” and 264 followers follow her.
In addition to Instagram and Twitter, Doris Hancox also has an active presence on Facebook. However, unlike Instagram, her Facebook account seems to have a much more relaxed and personal feel. Mama Doris frequently posts photos with her son, grandkids, close friends, and family members.
