August 12, 2024
Dan MacMedan/USA TODAY
Erika Alexander was a Mount Airy teen enrolled in a Freedom Theatre acting program when she earned her first movie role. She graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls before breaking out in 'The Cosby Show' and 'Living Single.'
A Philadelphia city block near the Freedom Theatre will be renamed for the actress who got her big break at the arts center decades ago.
Master Street between Broad and Carlisle streets will become Erika Alexander Way on Sept. 21. The new name honors Alexander, who spent some of her childhood in Philly before landing roles in "The Cosby Show," "Living Single" and, more recently, "American Fiction."
Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr., who sponsored the resolution to rename the street, said in a statement that the move was "a well-deserved recognition of her enduring legacy and a joyful celebration of one of Philadelphia's brightest stars."
Alexander is perhaps best known for her roles as Pam Tucker, the cousin of Clair Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," and Maxine Shaw on "Living Single." But she has also appeared in films ranging from "Déjà Vu" to "Get Out." Last year, she took on a starring role in "American Fiction," which was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards and won best adapted screenplay.
Her career started at the Freedom Theatre, the North Philly performance space founded in 1966. Alexander enrolled in a summer program there in the '80s while she was still a high school student and soon landed a major role. The teen beat out hundreds of other girls to win the part of Joan in "My Little Girl," an independent film shot and set in Philly. After wrapping the movie and graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, she moved to New York. She joined the main cast of "The Cosby Show" a few years later, appearing in its seventh and eighth seasons.
Though Alexander spent her teen years in Mount Airy, she was born in Winslow, Arizona, and lived in Flagstaff, Arizona, as a young child. Winslow also dedicated a street to her in 2023.
The Master Street christening is part of a wider mid-career retrospective for Alexander, spearheaded by her nonprofit Color Farm Impact. The Philadelphia Film Center will host screenings of her films "La Mission" and "American Fiction" on Sept. 20 and 21, respectively, both at 7 p.m. Post-show discussion with Alexander and a special guest will follow each showing, and the actress will also watch a "fan favorite" episode of "Living Single" with the audience, complete with live commentary. She will attend similar events in Brooklyn the following weekend.
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