Erika Alexander and the cast of ‘Living Single’.Photo:Jason Mendez/Getty; Courtesy Everett CollectionErika Alexandermay be open to revisitingLiving Singlemore than three decades after it first premiered: “We’ll see,” the 54-year-old tells PEOPLE.The fan-favorite sitcom ran on Fox from 1993 to 1998 and focused on the lives of a group of young Black friends in New York City.Alexander played quick-witted public defender Maxine. Her costars includedQueen Latifah(who wrote and sang the theme song) as magazine publisher Khadijah,Kim Colesas Khadijah’s cousin and aspiring actress Synclaire,Kim Fieldsas fashion buyer Regine,; T.C. Carson as slick finance guy Kyle and John Henton as building handyman Obie.Though Alexander no longer sees her costars every day at work, they keep in touch via “a big group text,” she says. “It’s changed. We didn’t have one for years, and then suddenly someone made it.”Erika Alexander, Queen Latifah, Kim Fields and Kim Coles on ‘Living Single’.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett CollectionOne topic of conversation among the former costars: somehow reviving the show.“There was a little bit of talk, for sure,” says Alexander, who was previously hesitant to get on board, saying she was trying to be “pragmatic.”“I’m very identified with that show. The minute I put on those braids, especially,” she explains. “I haven’t yet aged out of that face. I didn’t know if I wanted to do it, because I thought I’m not going to be able to transcend it. I’m a person who would love to do it. I’m not trying to push it away. I had to look at my career and say, had it been more successful in different spaces than I might embrace it more.”“And yet I’ve even grown past that [thinking] a bit, so we’ll see,” she continues. “I always thought it’d be great animated. Everybody has such unique voices.”In 2017, Latifah toldAndy CohenonWatch What Happens LivethataLiving Singlerelaunch was in the works.“It’s not there yet, but hopefully we can get it happening,” she said at the time.She also noted the similarities toFriends, which premiered on NBC a year afterLiving Single’s debut.“We knew we had already been doing that,” she said. “It was one of those things where there was a guy called Warren Littlefield, who used to run NBC, and they asked him, ‘When all the new shows came out, if there was any show you could have, which one would it be?’ And he saidLiving Single… And then he createdFriends.”EverettBack in 2022, Fields alsoweighed in on rebooting the series.“I think you have to be really careful with reboots because if you don’t get it right, you are messing with people’s beloved characters,” she said during an appearance onToday.In the years sinceLiving Singlewent off the air, Alexander has appeared in several other series and movies, including the Prime Video noir dramaBosch, the sitcomLast Man Standingand the Oscar-winning horror filmGet Out.She’s currently starring in director Cord Jefferson’s new satireAmerican Fictionas Coraline, an attorney embarking on a romance with writer Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright). Unbeknownst to his new girlfriend, Ellison, under a pseudonym, has written a novel that becomes a smash success. The book becomes a flashpoint in their relationship.Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.Claire FolgerAlexander is also producing a documentary on the late actressDiahann Carroll,Between Starshine and Clay: The Hidden Diary of Diahann Carroll.“It’s all hands on deck because believe it or not, it’s very hard to get anything like this made. It’s hard to get it funded. It’s just hard and it will continue to be hard. So we are up against those type of obstacles,” says Alexander, who is producing the film withVenusandSerena Williamsand Carroll’s daughter, Suzanne Kay, among others. “I’m excited about it, though.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Living Singleis available to stream on Max, andAmerican Fictionis in theaters now.
Erika Alexander and the cast of ‘Living Single’.Photo:Jason Mendez/Getty; Courtesy Everett Collection
Jason Mendez/Getty; Courtesy Everett Collection
Erika Alexandermay be open to revisitingLiving Singlemore than three decades after it first premiered: “We’ll see,” the 54-year-old tells PEOPLE.The fan-favorite sitcom ran on Fox from 1993 to 1998 and focused on the lives of a group of young Black friends in New York City.Alexander played quick-witted public defender Maxine. Her costars includedQueen Latifah(who wrote and sang the theme song) as magazine publisher Khadijah,Kim Colesas Khadijah’s cousin and aspiring actress Synclaire,Kim Fieldsas fashion buyer Regine,; T.C. Carson as slick finance guy Kyle and John Henton as building handyman Obie.Though Alexander no longer sees her costars every day at work, they keep in touch via “a big group text,” she says. “It’s changed. We didn’t have one for years, and then suddenly someone made it.”Erika Alexander, Queen Latifah, Kim Fields and Kim Coles on ‘Living Single’.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett CollectionOne topic of conversation among the former costars: somehow reviving the show.“There was a little bit of talk, for sure,” says Alexander, who was previously hesitant to get on board, saying she was trying to be “pragmatic.”“I’m very identified with that show. The minute I put on those braids, especially,” she explains. “I haven’t yet aged out of that face. I didn’t know if I wanted to do it, because I thought I’m not going to be able to transcend it. I’m a person who would love to do it. I’m not trying to push it away. I had to look at my career and say, had it been more successful in different spaces than I might embrace it more.”“And yet I’ve even grown past that [thinking] a bit, so we’ll see,” she continues. “I always thought it’d be great animated. Everybody has such unique voices.”In 2017, Latifah toldAndy CohenonWatch What Happens LivethataLiving Singlerelaunch was in the works.“It’s not there yet, but hopefully we can get it happening,” she said at the time.She also noted the similarities toFriends, which premiered on NBC a year afterLiving Single’s debut.“We knew we had already been doing that,” she said. “It was one of those things where there was a guy called Warren Littlefield, who used to run NBC, and they asked him, ‘When all the new shows came out, if there was any show you could have, which one would it be?’ And he saidLiving Single… And then he createdFriends.”EverettBack in 2022, Fields alsoweighed in on rebooting the series.“I think you have to be really careful with reboots because if you don’t get it right, you are messing with people’s beloved characters,” she said during an appearance onToday.In the years sinceLiving Singlewent off the air, Alexander has appeared in several other series and movies, including the Prime Video noir dramaBosch, the sitcomLast Man Standingand the Oscar-winning horror filmGet Out.She’s currently starring in director Cord Jefferson’s new satireAmerican Fictionas Coraline, an attorney embarking on a romance with writer Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright). Unbeknownst to his new girlfriend, Ellison, under a pseudonym, has written a novel that becomes a smash success. The book becomes a flashpoint in their relationship.Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.Claire FolgerAlexander is also producing a documentary on the late actressDiahann Carroll,Between Starshine and Clay: The Hidden Diary of Diahann Carroll.“It’s all hands on deck because believe it or not, it’s very hard to get anything like this made. It’s hard to get it funded. It’s just hard and it will continue to be hard. So we are up against those type of obstacles,” says Alexander, who is producing the film withVenusandSerena Williamsand Carroll’s daughter, Suzanne Kay, among others. “I’m excited about it, though.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Living Singleis available to stream on Max, andAmerican Fictionis in theaters now.
Erika Alexandermay be open to revisitingLiving Singlemore than three decades after it first premiered: “We’ll see,” the 54-year-old tells PEOPLE.
The fan-favorite sitcom ran on Fox from 1993 to 1998 and focused on the lives of a group of young Black friends in New York City.
Alexander played quick-witted public defender Maxine. Her costars includedQueen Latifah(who wrote and sang the theme song) as magazine publisher Khadijah,Kim Colesas Khadijah’s cousin and aspiring actress Synclaire,Kim Fieldsas fashion buyer Regine,; T.C. Carson as slick finance guy Kyle and John Henton as building handyman Obie.
Though Alexander no longer sees her costars every day at work, they keep in touch via “a big group text,” she says. “It’s changed. We didn’t have one for years, and then suddenly someone made it.”
Erika Alexander, Queen Latifah, Kim Fields and Kim Coles on ‘Living Single’.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection
Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection
One topic of conversation among the former costars: somehow reviving the show.
“There was a little bit of talk, for sure,” says Alexander, who was previously hesitant to get on board, saying she was trying to be “pragmatic.”
“I’m very identified with that show. The minute I put on those braids, especially,” she explains. “I haven’t yet aged out of that face. I didn’t know if I wanted to do it, because I thought I’m not going to be able to transcend it. I’m a person who would love to do it. I’m not trying to push it away. I had to look at my career and say, had it been more successful in different spaces than I might embrace it more.”
“And yet I’ve even grown past that [thinking] a bit, so we’ll see,” she continues. “I always thought it’d be great animated. Everybody has such unique voices.”
In 2017, Latifah toldAndy CohenonWatch What Happens LivethataLiving Singlerelaunch was in the works.
“It’s not there yet, but hopefully we can get it happening,” she said at the time.
She also noted the similarities toFriends, which premiered on NBC a year afterLiving Single’s debut.
“We knew we had already been doing that,” she said. “It was one of those things where there was a guy called Warren Littlefield, who used to run NBC, and they asked him, ‘When all the new shows came out, if there was any show you could have, which one would it be?’ And he saidLiving Single… And then he createdFriends.”
Everett
Back in 2022, Fields alsoweighed in on rebooting the series.
“I think you have to be really careful with reboots because if you don’t get it right, you are messing with people’s beloved characters,” she said during an appearance onToday.
In the years sinceLiving Singlewent off the air, Alexander has appeared in several other series and movies, including the Prime Video noir dramaBosch, the sitcomLast Man Standingand the Oscar-winning horror filmGet Out.
She’s currently starring in director Cord Jefferson’s new satireAmerican Fictionas Coraline, an attorney embarking on a romance with writer Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright). Unbeknownst to his new girlfriend, Ellison, under a pseudonym, has written a novel that becomes a smash success. The book becomes a flashpoint in their relationship.
Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.Claire Folger
Claire Folger
Alexander is also producing a documentary on the late actressDiahann Carroll,Between Starshine and Clay: The Hidden Diary of Diahann Carroll.
“It’s all hands on deck because believe it or not, it’s very hard to get anything like this made. It’s hard to get it funded. It’s just hard and it will continue to be hard. So we are up against those type of obstacles,” says Alexander, who is producing the film withVenusandSerena Williamsand Carroll’s daughter, Suzanne Kay, among others. “I’m excited about it, though.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Living Singleis available to stream on Max, andAmerican Fictionis in theaters now.
source: people.com
