Erika Alexander

Erika Rose Alexander (born November 19, 1969) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1990–1992), and Maxine Shaw on the FOX sitcom Living Single (1993–1998).[1] She has won numerous awards for her work on Living Single, including two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.[2]
== Career ==
Alexander got her big break as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. She later starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg in the 1990 civil rights epic The Long Walk Home. Perhaps her most memorable role was the acid-tongued attorney Maxine Shaw on the FOX sitcom Living Single, a role she played for five years.[3] She is the co-creator and co-writer of Concrete Park, a science-fiction graphic novel with Tony Puryear.[4][5][6]
In 1992, she appeared in the short-lived sitcom Going to Extremes, which centered on a group of American students at a medical school on a fictitious Caribbean island named Jantique. In 2002, she played probation officer Dee Mulhern in the Showtime series Street Time, which ran for two seasons. In international cinema, Alexander played the role of Hidimbi in Peter Brook's adaptation of The Mahabharata. She also played a young Flora in the TV miniseries Mama Flora's Family.
Her voice is featured on The Bible Experience. She appeared in Toni Braxton's music video for "You're Makin' Me High". In 2009, she appeared in Criminal Minds in the Season 4 episode, "The Big Wheel", as Detective Lynne Henderson, who requests the BAU's help in investigating a serial killer in Buffalo, New York. She also appeared in the 2009 film La Mission opposite Benjamin Bratt. In 2011, she appeared in season 7, episode 13 of House M.D. where she played the character Ms. Fields.
Alexander has starred in season 2 of the Amazon original drama, Bosch, as Constance Irving. In 2017 she played Detective Latoya in the critically acclaimed horror film Get Out.[7]
== Personal life ==
Alexander was born in Winslow, Arizona and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona until the age of 11, when her and her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[8] She is one of six children born to Shaun Alexander and Sammie Alexander, a school teacher and children's book author.
She was married to artist/screenwriter Tony Puryear. She actively campaigned for Hillary Clinton and toured college campuses with Chelsea Clinton, during the 2008 Democratic Party primary.[9]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1986	My Little Girl 	Joan 	
1989	The Mahabharata 	Madri, Hidimbaa 	
1990	The Long Walk Home 	Selma Cotter 	
1991	He Said, She Said 	Rita 	
1992	Fathers & Sons 	Venell 	
1998	54 	Ciel 	
2001	30 Years to Life 	Joy 	
2002	Love Liza 	Brenda 	
2002	Full Frontal 	Lucy 	
2004	Tricks 	Laurel 	
2006	Déjà Vu 	Shanti 	
2009	La Mission 	Lena 	
2014	Elsa & Fred 	Laverne 	
2014	Secrets of the Magic City	Ms. Fletcher 	
2016	Brave New Jersey 	Helen Holbrook 	
2017	Get Out 	Detective Latoya	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1986 	George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation	Oney 	TV film
1989 	The Mahabharata 	Madri / Hidimbi 	TV miniseries
1990 	Common Ground 	Cassandra Twymon 	TV film
1990 	The Last Best Year 	Amy 	TV film
1990 	Law & Order 	Doris Carver 	Episode: "Poison Ivy"
1990–1992	The Cosby Show 	Pam Tucker 	Main role (21 episodes)
1992–1993	Going to Extremes 	Cheryl Carter 	Main role (17 episodes)
1993–1998	Living Single 	Maxine "Max" Felice Shaw 	Main role (118 episodes)
1998 	Mama Flora's Family 	Young Flora 	TV miniseries
1999 	KnitWits Revisited 	Amina 	TV film
2001 	Judging Amy 	Fran Winston 	Recurring role (7 episodes)
2001 	The Zeta Project 	Agent Rush (voice) 	Episodes: "Ro's Reunion", "Absolute Zero"
2002–2003	Street Time 	Dee Mulhern 	Main role (20 episodes)
2004 	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 	Kema Mabuda 	Episode: "Ritual"
2004 	LAX 	Allison 	Episode: "Thanksgiving"
2005 	Half & Half 	Maxine Shaw 	Episode: "The Big Performance Anxiety Episode"
2005 	7th Heaven 	Lynn Miles 	Episode: "Leaps of Faith"
2006 	Sixty Minute Man 	Jane 	TV film
2006 	In Justice 	Alyssa Hill 	Episode: "The Ten Percenter"
2006 	Heist 	Saundra Johnson 	Recurring role (4 episodes)
2006 	ER 	Vatima Abika 	Episode: "No Place to Hide"
2007 	Side Order of Life 	Colette 	Episode: "Pilot"
2007 	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 	A.D.A. Kirkson 	Episode: "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp"
2007 	Numb3rs 	U.S. Marshal Tricia Yaegger 	Episode: "In Security"
2007 	CSI: Miami 	Tanya Thorpe 	Episode: "Guerillas in the Mist"
2009 	Criminal Minds 	Det. Lynne Henderson 	Episode: "The Big Wheel"
2010 	In Plain Sight 	Theresa Simmons 	Recurring role (4 episodes)
2011 	House 	Ms. Fields 	Episode: "Two Stories"
2012 	Suburgatory 	Gloria 	Episode: "The Motherload"
2012 	Suits 	Sarah Leighton 	Episode: "Discovery"
2012–2015	Last Man Standing 	Carol Larabee 	Recurring role (10 episodes)
2013 	Low Winter Sun 	Louise "LC" Cullen 	Recurring role (4 episodes)
2014 	Let's Stay Together 	Blanche 	Recurring role (3 episodes)
2014 	NCIS: New Orleans 	Navy Commander Louanne Bates	Episode: "Carrier"
2015 	Grey's Anatomy 	Johanna McKay 	Episode: "Crazy Love"
2016–2017	Bosch 	Connie Irving 	Recurring Role (10 episodes)
2016 	Recovery Road 	Trish's Mother 	1 episode
2016 	Queen Sugar 	LeAnne 	Guest Role (2 episodes)
2017 	Beyond 	Tess Shoemaker 	Recurring Role (6 episodes)
2018 	Black Lightning 	Perenna 	Recurring Role