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) and Get Out (2017). 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 After graduating from high school, Alexander enrolled in a six-week acting class at the New Freedom Theatre. During the fifth week, Alexander got a major role in her first film. Alexander made her film debut appearing in the independent drama My Little Girl in 1986. In 1989, Alexander played the role of Hidimbi in Peter Brook's miniseries adaptation of The Mahabharata. She got her big break starring opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the 1990 civil rights epic drama film The Long Walk Home. Alexander performed in the play The Forbidden City with Gloria Foster, who then talked about her with her friend, Camille Cosby, wife of Bill Cosby. She later was cast as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show starring from 1990 to series finale in 1992. Alexander later 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. In 1993, Alexander began starring as the acid-tongued attorney Maxine Shaw in the Fox sitcom Living Single, a role she played for five years to 1998. For this role, she won two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 1996 and 1998. She appeared in Toni Braxton's music video for "You're Makin' Me High" in 1996. In 1998, she starred opposite Cicely Tyson in the CBS miniseries Mama Flora's Family with her former Living Single co-star Queen Latifah. based on novel by Alex Haley, and well as appeared in the drama film 54. In 2001, she starred in the comedy film 30 Years to Life receiving Black Reel Award for Best Independent Actress for her performance.