And Erika Alexander brought the laughs left and right on not one, but two hit shows.
“I was very much seen as a dramatic actress,” she recalled toEllein 2024.
“[‘The Cosby Show’] was my first real foray into comedy.
She shared a similar sentiment in a 2023 conversation withHarper’s Bazaar.
“I didn’t think I was funny,” she said.
Pivoting from drama to comedy is just one of the many career changes she has undergone.
This is the transformation of Erika Alexander.
As one of six children born to Robert and Sammie Alexander, Erika experienced humble beginnings.
“And we dumpster dived.
We lived, we were the working poor.
And so for many years, that’s how it was.”
We get a quarter or 50 cents,” she shared.
“My brothers, they were stronger, they would shovel snow.
And when they got it, a $20 bill was mythological.”
Her mother saw this as an opportunity for her children to pursue extracurricular activities that aligned with their interests.
One summer, a 14-year-old Alexander was sent to the New Freedom Theatre to do a six-week acting program.
After the film, Alexander then joined the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and appeared in a number of historical miniseries.
“I also was playing roles of a foster child, a prostitute, and a slave.
“There were no ingenues when I was growing up in this space.”
And I was the girl she was talking about.”
“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.
Although she played Cousin Pam for only two seasons, she quickly became a fan favorite.
They kept saying, ‘Oh, we’ll find a place for you.'”
When Alexander tried out for the part, Bowser knew she had found her Maxine.
“I missed out on a lot of work,” she said.
“[The roles] would’ve pushed my career forward.”
After “Living Single,” Alexander did not take on another sitcom or a blockbuster comedy film.
After negotiating a better deal, Alexander agreed to take the role.
The filming process was grueling for Alexander, and she’d experienced her first panic attack on set.
However, Tyson one of her idols was there to show her support during this tough time.
“So that was one of the worst moments.
But it was also the key to regaining and finding myself.”
(As for the $100 million movie?
Why, that would be the 1996 actioner “Eraser.")
This idea was met with apprehension, doubt, and rejection.
She quietly tied the knot with accomplished screenwriter Tony Puryear on September 27, 1997.
By 2017, the two called it quits after 20 years of marriage.
Evidently, they recognized they’d become better creative colleagues and friends than romantic partners.
Being in a relationship wasn’t something at the forefront of Alexander’s mind.
“I really felt very complete as a woman.
But I do believe in companionship, love, trust, and romance.
That’s a beautiful thing,” she said.
“But it doesn’t determine who I am.”
In an interview withKQED, Alexander spoke about how this company came to be.
“I was Hillary Clinton’s most traveled surrogate for 2007 and 2016.
“Our goal was to represent underestimated, marginalized voices.”
“And also to be a part of your extended family.
… Congratulations class of 2023.”
There, the community honored her and her family with a week filled with activities dedicated to her homecoming.
The intersection of Aspinwall and Donnelley is now Erika Alexander Way.
On a 2024 episode of"The Drew Barrymore Show,“Alexander reflected on the special tribute.
So I’m glad to be welcomed home and I was very honored to do it.”
Erika Alexander’s performance in American Fiction won acclaim
Erika Alexander continues to stay busy.
Her most notable role during that period was without question Coraline in “American Fiction.”
“I got a call that Cord Jefferson was interested in me playing the part in his new film.
He explained his vision and my part in it,” she explained.
“I’m so happy.
I am,” she stated.
