He had two years of military service in Korea, where he served in a broadcasting post that he compared to the film Good Morning, Vietnam.

After two years at Actors Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky, Anderson headed to Washington, D.C., to join the Arena Stage.

In the early 1970s, Anderson was a member of the board of directors of Actors Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan, in addition to acting with the group.

He appeared in Michael Bay's movies The Rock and Armageddon; in both films, he played the role of the US president.

His TV guest appearances include The Practice, The X-Files, and "Judge Vandelay" in the Seinfeld episode "The Finale".