BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " ERIKA ALEXANDER " IS AN ACTRESS BEST KNOWN FOR HER ROLES AS PAM TUCKERON THE NBC SITCOM THE CROSBY SHOW : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

BLACK            SOCIAL         HISTORY                                                                                                                                            Erika Alexander

BLACK              SOCIAL          HISTORY

Erika Alexander
Alexander at Comic-Con, 2012.
Born	Erika Rose Alexander November 19, 1969 (age 44) Winslow, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1983–present
Spouse(s)	Tony Puryear (m.1997)

Erika Alexander (born Erika Rose Alexander; November 19, 1969) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Pam Tuckeron the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1990-1992), and as the strong-willed attorney Maxine Shaw on the FOX sitcom Living Single(1993-1998). She has won numerous awards for her work on Living Single, including two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.

Career

Alexander got her big break as Pam Tucker on the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. She later starred alongsideWhoopi Goldberg in the 1990 civil rights epic The Long Walk Home. Perhaps her most memorable role was as acid-tongued attorney Maxine 'Max' Shaw on the FOX sitcom Living Single, a role she played for five years. She is the co-creator and co-writer of 'Concrete Park,' a science-fiction graphic novel.^[1]

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, which ran for two seasons. In international cinema, Alexander played the role of Hidimbi in Peter Brook's adaptation ofThe Mahabharata. She also played a young Flora in the TV miniseries Mama Flora's Family.

Her voice is featured on The Bible Experience. She shares her birthday with Living Single co-star TC Carson and also 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 killerin 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.

Personal life

Alexander was born in Winslow, Arizona. She is married to artist/screenwriter Tony Puryear. She is one of six children born to Rev. Robert Alexander and school teacher and children's book author, Sammie Alexander. She actively campaigned for Hillary Clinton and toured college campuses with Chelsea Clinton, during the 2008 Democratic primary.

Filmography

Film[edit]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	My Little Girl	Joan
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
2013	Elsa & Fred	Laverne	Post-production
2014	The Magic City	Ms. Fletcher	Post-production

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	Regular role (21 episodes)
1992-1993	Going to Extremes	Cheryl Carter	Main role (17 episodes)
1993-1998	Living Single	Maxine Felice "Max" Shaw	Main role (117 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	Last Man Standing	Carol	Episode: "High Expectations"
2013	Last Man Standing	Carol	Episode: "The Help"
2013	Low Winter Sun	Louise "LC" Cullen	Recurring role (4 episodes)