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Khandi Alexander

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Khandi Alexander
Alexander in 2014
Born
Harriet Rene Alexander[1]

(1957-09-04) September 4, 1957 (age 67)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • choreographer
  • actress
Years active1985–present

Harriet Rene "Khandi" Alexander (born September 4, 1957[1]) is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She began her career as a dancer in the 1980s, and was a choreographer for Whitney Houston's world tours from 1988 to 1992.

During the 1990s, Alexander appeared in a number of films, including CB4 (1993), What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), Sugar Hill (1994), and There's Something About Mary (1998). She starred as Catherine Duke in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio from 1995 to 1998. She also had a major recurring role in the NBC medical drama ER (1995–2001) as Jackie Robbins, sister to Dr. Peter Benton. Alexander also received critical acclaim for her leading performance in the HBO miniseries The Corner in 2000.

From 2002 to 2009, Alexander starred as Dr. Alexx Woods in the CBS police procedural series CSI: Miami. From 2010 to 2013, she starred as LaDonna Batiste-Williams in the HBO drama Treme. Later in 2013, she joined the cast of the ABC drama Scandal as Maya Lewis, Olivia Pope's mother, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2015. Alexander also received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for playing Bessie Smith's sister Viola in the 2015 HBO film Bessie.

Early life

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Khandi Alexander was born in Jacksonville, Florida,[1] the daughter of Alverina Yavonna (Masters), an opera and jazz singer, and Henry Roland Alexander, who owned a construction company.[2][3] She was raised in Queens, New York,[1] and was educated at Queensborough Community College.[4] She appeared on Broadway, starring in Chicago, Bob Fosse's Dancin', and Dreamgirls.[4] She was a choreographer for Whitney Houston's world tour from 1988 to 1992, and also appeared as a dancer in Natalie Cole's video for "Pink Cadillac" in 1988.[5]

Career

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Alexander in 2013

Alexander began her acting career in the late 1980s. She made her television debut on the 1985 sketch-comedy show FTV.[4] Since the early 1990s, Alexander has concentrated on film and TV, playing supporting roles in several movies, including CB4, Joshua Tree, What's Love Got to Do with It, Poetic Justice, and Sugar Hill.

In 1995, Alexander was cast as Catherine Duke on the NBC comedy series NewsRadio. She stayed with the show until season 4, episode 7, "Catherine Moves On", then returned for a final appearance in the season 5 premiere episode, "Bill Moves On" to memorialize Phil Hartman. She played the recurring character of Jackie Robbins in the medical drama series ER. Alexander has made a number of guest appearances on other television shows, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NYPD Blue, Third Watch, Cosby, Better off Ted, La Femme Nikita, and Body of Proof.

In 2000, Alexander won critical acclaim for her performance as Fran Boyd, a mother addicted to drugs in the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries The Corner.[5][6][7] She later appeared in the films Emmett's Mark and Dark Blue, and starred opposite Rob Lowe in the Lifetime television movie Perfect Strangers. In 2002 through 2008, she portrayed the character of Alexx Woods, a medical examiner in the CBS police drama CSI: Miami. Alexander left CSI: Miami shortly before the end of the 2007–2008 season. Her final appearance aired on May 5, 2008. On February 2, 2009, she returned to the role of Alexx Woods for a guest appearance in the episode "Smoke Gets In Your CSI's".[8] She returned again as Alexx Woods in guest appearances in the episodes "Out of Time" on September 21, 2009, and "Bad Seed" on October 19, 2009.

In fall 2008, Alexander was cast as a lead character in the HBO drama pilot Treme, that premiered on April 11, 2010.[8] She played a bar owner in a neighborhood of New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina. She received critical acclaim for her performance in the show.[9][10] Alexander starred in the award-winning HBO television series by David Simon from 2010 to 2013.[11] The series ended after four seasons.[12] She later was cast in Shonda Rhimes' drama series Scandal as Maya Lewis, Kerry Washington's character Olivia Pope's mother.[13][14][15] In 2015, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance.[16]

In 2014, Alexander was cast as older sister of Queen Latifah's title character in the HBO Film Bessie about iconic blues singer Bessie Smith.[17][18] She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries.[19]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Notes
1985 Streetwalkin' Star
A Chorus Line Dancer
1987 Maid to Order Hooker in Jail
1993 CB4 Sissy
Joshua Tree Maralena Turner
Menace II Society Karen Lawson
What's Love Got to Do with It Darlene
Poetic Justice Simone
1994 Sugar Hill Ella Skuggs
House Party 3 Janelle
Greedy Laura Densmore, P.I.
1996 No Easy Way Diana Campbell
1998 There's Something About Mary Joanie
1999 Thick as Thieves Janet
2002 Fool Proof Icarus
Emmett's Mark Detective Middlestat
Dark Blue Janelle Holland
2006 Rain Latishia Arnold
2007 First Born Dierdre
2013 The-N-word Ms. Greene Short
2016 A Woman, a Part Leslie
Pushing Dead Dot
Patriots Day Veronica the Interrogator [20]
2018 Fahrenheit 451 Toni Morrison

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 FTV Various Characters TV series
1987 Rags to Riches The Delights Episode: "Pilot"
1988 Duet Nurse Episode: "Special Delivery"
1989 A Different World Theressa Stone Episode: "Citizen Wayne"
1992 The Edge Various Characters Episode: "Episode #1.11"
1993 Shameful Secrets Rosalie TV movie
1994 To My Daughter with Love Harriet TV movie
1995–98 NewsRadio Catherine Duke Main cast (season 1–4), guest (season 5)
1995–2001 ER Jackie Robbins Recurring cast (season 1–8)
1996 Terminal Dr. Deborah Levy TV movie
1998 La Femme Nikita Terry Episode: "Soul Sacrifice"
1999 Cosby Karen Episode: "The Awful Truth"
NYPD Blue Sonya Episode: "What's Up, Chuck?"
Spawn 3: Ultimate Battle Lakesha / Nurse (voice) Episode: "Seed of the Hellspawn"
X-Chromosome Yolanda (voice) TV series
Partners Charlie TV movie
2000 Rude Awakening Juanita Wilson Episode: "Star 80 Proof"
The Corner Denise Francine 'Fran' Boyd Main cast
Third Watch Beverly Saunders Episode: "History"
2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sgt. Karen Smythe Episode: "Paranoia"
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Alexx Woods Episode: "Cross Jurisdictions"
2002–09 CSI: Miami Dr. Alexx Woods Main cast (season 1–6), guest (season 7–8)
2003 Life's a Bitch Yolanda Episode: "Pilot"
2004 Perfect Strangers Christie Kaplan TV movie
2009 Better Off Ted Stella Clifton Episode: "Battle of the Bulbs"
2010–13 Treme LaDonna Batiste-Williams Main cast
2012 Body of Proof Beverly Travers Episode: "Occupational Hazards" & "Identity"
2013–18 Scandal Maya Pope Recurring cast (season 3-4 & 6–7)
2014 The Assault Detective Jodi Miller TV movie
2015 Bessie Viola Smith TV movie
BoJack Horseman Police Chief / Farmer's Wife (voice) Episode: "Chickens"
2019 A Black Lady Sketch Show Narrator Episode: "Why Are Her Pies Wet, Lord?"
SEAL Team Ambassador Nicole Marsden Episode: "All Along the Watchtower: Part 1 & 2"
2021 What We Do in the Shadows Contessa Carmilla De Mornay Episode: "A Farewell"

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
1993 "Heaven Knows" Luther Vandross

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series NewsRadio Nominated
2000 Online Film & Television Association Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries The Corner Nominated
2001 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated
Black Reel Awards Best Actress Won
2002 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Nominated
2003 DVD Exclusive Awards Best Actress Emmett's Mark Nominated
2005 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series CSI: Miami Won
2006 Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2011 Vision Award Best Performance - Drama Treme Won
2012 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2013 Nominated
2014 Nominated
Vision Award Best Performance - Drama Nominated
2015 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Scandal Won
Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Bessie Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Scandal Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (January 28, 2016). Finding Your Roots, season 2: The Official Companion to the PBS Series. UNC Press Books. ISBN 9781469626192.
  2. ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, PBS, October 14, 2014
  3. ^ "Khandi Alexander's Interactive Family Tree - Finding Your Roots - PBS". Finding Your Roots. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Khandi Alexander Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Khandi Alexander". Yahoo Movies. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  6. ^ Fretts, Bruce (December 22, 2000). "Khandi Alexander". EW.com. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  7. ^ Als, Hilton. "The Talk of the Town: The Small Screen Making "The Corner" Real". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Exclusive: Khandi Alexander Pays CSI: Miami a Visit - Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. December 1, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  9. ^ "Cheers & Jeers: Treme's Khandi (Alexander) is Dandy - Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  10. ^ "'Treme': Khandi Alexander, as LaDonna Batiste-Williams, has no time for your problems - latimes.com". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. April 25, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  11. ^ Michael O'Connell, Khandi Alexander on the End of 'Treme' and Rebuilding LaDonna, The Hollywood Reporter, September 23, 2012
  12. ^ "'Treme' Season 4: Final episodes bring hope and struggle to New Orleans - Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  13. ^ "'Scandal' Casts 'Treme' Star to Play Olivia's Mother (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  14. ^ "Khandi Alexander Will Play Olivia Pope's Mother On 'Scandal' | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  15. ^ Slezak, Michael. "Scandal Season 3: Khandi Alexander Cast as Olivia's Mother — Is She Alive?". TVLine. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  16. ^ Variety Staff. "Emmy Award Nominations 2015 – Full List: 67th Primetime Emmy Nominees - Variety". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  17. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Mo'Nique & Khandi Alexander Join HBO Films' Bessie Smith Biopic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  18. ^ "Mo'Nique & Khandi Alexander Join Queen Latifah In Bessie Smith Biopic|Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  19. ^ Pedersen, Erik. "Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominations 2015". Deadline. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  20. ^ Pedersen, Erik. "'Supergirl's Melissa Benoist Joins 'Patriots Day' As Wife Boston Marathon Bomber - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
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