We are here with Erika Alexander and she is the moment! You Might Know Her From American Fiction, Get Out, Earth Mama, Black Lightning, Insecure, The Long Walk Home, Mama Flora’s Family, The Cosby Show, 54, Wu Tang: an American Saga, and Living Single. We got to talk to Erika about sporting her signature NRAY locks while she’s on the awards circuit for her Indie Spirit-nominated performance in American Fiction. We also covered a potential Living Single reunion, the beautiful moment Cicely Tyson gave her on set, and her meta cameo on Issa Rae’s Insecure. All that plus, genre work in Get Out, her Harvey Weinstein story, and her multi-hyphenate work as a writer, producer, and director. Get into Erika Alexander, the artist. 

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Discussed this week:

Amen starring Anna Maria Horsford (her episode of YMKHF) 

Damian deep in Barbra’s (audio) book, My Name is Barbra

Who else is on the Barbra tier of singer/actor/arTISTE? Aka larger than life but also relatable.

Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Beyonce, Lady Gaga?!?

What about Cher, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Brandy? Jennifer Hudson? Emma Stone? If Jennifer Lawrence could sing? WHOOPI GOLDBERG coulda 

Real audio tracks of Jennifer Lopez singing

In What’s Up Doc, Barbra is sexy and weird

Truth or Dare is an incredible documentary. Is Madonna on the list?! 

Madonna: should we watch Swept Away

Anne is an Madonna as Evita (1996) apologist

Nominated for best supporting actress Indie Spirit Award for American Fiction

Has used the stylist Debra Hare-Bey and her yarn locs (NRAY locs) since before Living Single 

Worked with Whoopi Goldberg in The Long Walk Home (1990)

The C.R.O.W.N. Act was a big legislative win for Black women

Earth Mama starring Tia Nomore and directed by former volleyball player, Savanah LeafErika was discovered in an acting program to play opposite James Earl Jones in My Little GirlErika played young Cicely Tyson in Mama Flora’s Family and one of the producers threatened her  Felt like 4th wheel as Maxine Shaw on Living Single

Worked closely with Hillary Clinton as her surrogate while working on Queen Sugar when she got Get Out

Yvette Lee Bowser cast Erika and Les Moonves went to bat for her 

End of Living Single left bad taste in her mouth bc wasn’t able to shake Maxine 

Did a meta bit on Insecure (had already agreed to do Awkward Black Girl when it was on YouTube)

Played cousin Pam on seasons 7 & 8 of The Cosby Show. Had great scene with Charmaine played by Karen Malina White

Go watch Malina White in Dahmer

Appears in Toni Braxton’s “You’re Making Me High” with Vivica A. Fox and Tisha Campbell Produced the documentaries, Finding Tamika, Good Trouble

Erika’s Buffy comic with Joss Whedon

Erika’s spec script for Mad Men (Don Draper meets a black ad man)

Erika testified in front of Congress on the importance of diversifying the entertainment industry Fathers and Sons with Jeff Goldblum

Was Ciel who ran coat check in 54 (1998)

Salma Hayek told her she needed to ask why they moved her trailer and of course it’s Harvey Weinstein

Porn star, Ron Jeremy asked Erika if she wanted to party

Her brother worked at Studio 54!

Plays Perenna on the CW DC series, Black Lightning

Oh no, Anne went basic and bought an Owala water bottle

Anne riding bikes and Damian making hemp milk from scratch now