One of television's most famous judges has been honored with his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Greg Mathis, the star of the daytime courtroom series Judge Mathis, was bestowed with the honor on May 4, 2022. This follows Mathis appearing on television frequently for more than two decades as the star of Judge Mathis, making him the second-longest reigning judge in a TV court show, behind only Judy Sheindlin. You can watch the video of the ceremony below.
He has been hosting the Daytime Emmy-winning talk show Judge Mathis since 1999 where he presides over various court cases. The series is still going strong after premiering its 23rd season last fall. As explained in the opening segment of Judge Mathis, Mathis had struggled with the law as a young adult before he turned his life around, getting a law degree before moving on to become a district court judge. Per Variety, Mathis explains that telling this story at the top of every episode was the one condition he had for taking on the TV show.
“I can identify better than most judges with the plight of the litigants because I’ve lived the life of almost every litigant that comes before me. My sole objective in life is to be able to inspire the people I left behind to overcome their obstacles.... [I] felt on a national level, if street youth and single mothers would see me every day [I could try to] empower them and inspire them. I felt I could affect more people around the country than I could a local city.”
Judge Mathis executive producer Gretchen Kurtz also says that the series has "power" in what it does with its place on daytime television. As Kurtz puts it, the series can actually provide help to those who need it with the way it takes on genuine cases.
“We’re helping people, not only with lawsuits, but with DNA and trying to figure out who their father is. We’re helping people with drug addictions. These are real Americans coming to us with real everyday problems. A lot of these reality shows show the upper echelon of America; our show shows real America.”
Greg Mathis Stars in a New Reality Show Coming Next Month
Greg Mathis has no plans to end his courtroom show in the near future, but that hasn't kept him from taking on other projects. He is getting ready to debut his reality show, Mathis Family Matters, which follows the extended Mathis family. Mathis, who describes the series as Chrisley Knows Best with "a little more social relevance," notes how he hopes that the content he brings to television will all help be seen as an inspiration for others.
"My objective in entertainment is to provide programming that will be inspirational to the community or the constituents I seek. And that is folks who live in the reality of drugs and crime-infested communities where the education system has failed them and all the other pathologies that we know that leads to a lifestyle of drugs crime and so I like to show that.”
Mathis Family Matters will premiere in Juneteenth on E!.