Erika Alexander

Erika Rose Alexander (born November 19, 1969) is an American actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur and activist 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). She has won numerous awards for her work on Living Single, including two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Her film credits include The Long Walk Home (1990), 30 Years to Life (2001), Déjà Vu (2006), Get Out (2017), American Refugee (2021), Earth Mama (2023) and American Fiction (2023). Early life Alexander was born in Winslow, Arizona and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona until the age of eleven, when she and her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is one of six children born to Robert and Sammie Alexander, a school teacher and children's book author. Alexander graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls. Acting career Alexander was discovered at 14, by independent film company Merchant Ivory while attending the fifth week of a six-week summer acting class at the New Freedom Theatre. The role of Joan in 1986's My Little Girl, was Alexander's first major film. In 1989, Alexander played Madri/Hidimbaa in Peter Brook's nine-hour epic play adaptation of The Mahabharata. Later she starred opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the 1990 civil rights epic drama film The Long Walk Home. Alexander was cast in Public Theater impresario Joseph Papp's last play he directed,The Forbidden City by Bill Gunn, starring Gloria Foster, Frankie Faison and Akili Prince. Later, she was cast as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, starring on the vastly popular series from 1990 to the show's finale in 1992. Next, Alexander went to star in the ABC comedy-drama series Going to Extremes, which centered on a group of American students at a medical school on a fictitious Caribbean island named Jantique. The series was canceled after one season in 1993.