“I’ve auditioned, but more often than not, people have sought me out.”
Welcome to Look Back At It, a column where some of the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and reflect on the roles that made them stars. In this installment, Erika Alexander breaks down her career—from Living Single and Get Out to her most recent film, the Oscar-nominated American Fiction.
Many of Erika Alexander’s most iconic roles began with her receiving a phone call. “I’ve been grateful because a lot of people have asked for me in particular,” she says. “I always find that those are the best collaborations. I’ve auditioned, no doubt, but more often than not, people have sought me out.”
It’s easy to see why. Since the late ’80s, Alexander has made an indelible mark on the big and small screens. Take, for example, her starring role in the sitcom Living Single as Maxine Shaw (Attorney at Law). The show celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2023 and is still inspiring the masses, particularly Black women who were inspired to pursue careers in law because of her character. And then there’s her memorable role as Detective Latoya in Jordan Peele’s 2017 Oscar-winning film Get Out. Though she only has one scene, it was so great that it has now amassed over 1 million views on YouTube.
For this column, as we made our way through one iconic role after another, Alexander beamed with pride at the career she’s had thus far. “I think it’s a fantastic idea to go through all of these [projects]. I feel happy. I’ve realized that there were a whole lot more roles that were really meant for me than not. Often we audition and those are the ones that get away. But when somebody invites you and asks you to play, it’s a whole other feeling around it. So I’m grateful for all of those. I also feel like I’m a good luck charm because most of these things ended up being huge. So if you want to win, call Erika.”
Pam in The Cosby Show (1990-1992)
“I had been acting for 10 years before this, so when The Cosby Show found me, I was very much seen as a dramatic actress. This was my first real foray into comedy. I’m told that Camille Cosby saw me off-Broadway in ‘The Forbidden City’ and said that Mr. Cosby should go and see this girl in it. And I was the girl she was talking about. Not too long after that, I got a call saying, ‘Could you be at Mr. Cosby’s house in an hour?’ I showed up from Brooklyn and the casting director was there and he explained to me that he was creating a new character and her name would be Cousin Pam. He made up the role right in front of me. That’s how I got it.
“It was an amazing opportunity because I think I would’ve stayed on the dramatic course if not for that detour. It was partly because I didn’t understand the construct of having an audience and camera at the same time. I didn’t know who to play to. Turns out it’s both; it’s a dance. So by the time I got to Living Single, I was confident.”
Maxine in Living Single (1993-1998)
“So I had a series before Living Single called Going to Extremes. Again, back to drama. That ended after one season and I went to Los Angeles for pilot season and auditioned for several shows. One of them was Living Single and the other was something called M.A.N.T.I.S. I wanted to do the other one because it was science fiction and I wanted to be the Black Lois Lane. But I didn’t get it and ended up getting Living Single, which turned out to be the first primetime show created by an African American woman [Yvette Lee Bowser]. It was number one when it debuted in Black and Latino households, and it stayed that way for its entire run.
“And now there’s something called the Maxine Shaw Effect. There are all these Black women—like Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, and Marilyn Mosby—who said that they went into their leadership, political, or executive positions because of the influence and inspiration of Maxine Shaw. So a lot of props go to Yvette who wrote the role. And just as Living Single was influential, were were very much influenced by those who came before. My character was preceded by the great Phylicia Rashad, and you can see the influence of Whoopi Goldberg, too, in my braids. You can also see A Different World. All of those things were necessary so that we could be.”