Almost 50 years ago, the Sundance Film Festival (then named US/Utah Film Festival) was created to highlight the talent of independent filmmakers. Since then, it has grown to become one of the biggest film showcases in the world, and also a place for true connection. With 2026 serving as its final year in Park City, many of the premieres, panels, and events had a bit more gravity to them. One of which was Erika Alexander’s panel at The Impact Lounge, where she discussed her life, career, and the upcoming NBC series, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.
After her conversation with Andscape’s Kelley L. Carter, I was able to speak with Alexander about some of her future endeavors, and honestly, her energy makes you feel like you’ve known her for years. Following a brief discussion—and hilarious—discussion about her ESSENCE cover alongside Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross, the focus shifted to her latest role on The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, the new NBC comedy led by Tracy Morgan. The series follows a disgraced former football star chasing redemption with the help of a documentary crew and the steady hand of his ex-wife, Monica Reese-Dinkins, played by Alexander.
“Being a part of this series was easy for me” she said “It was the invitation to work with Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and Sam Means. They’re brilliant. And of course Tracy Morgan. I love Tracy Morgan. I’ve seen what he’s done in his life. I admire the fact that he’s come back truly from death and continues to go on.” She added that the cast also helped to seal the deal. “It is not just the material. You ask yourself, ‘who am I going to be working with day to day?’ Bobby Moynihan, Daniel Radcliffe, Jaylyn—what’s not to like?”
In the series, Alexander plays Monica, Reggie’s ex-wife who is also his business manager and agent. She explained that her role wasn’t written as a side character orbiting a fallen star. She’s the one who holds everything together, making survival for her family possible. “Monica Reese Dinkins. Don’t come for her. Don’t start none, won’t be none,” Alexander said, half-joking, half-warning. Then she broke it down plainly.
“[Reggie] lost everything. But he didn’t lose a step in terms of business entrepreneurship because he had his wife. She kept him on point, and she’s done really good things with the money he accrued throughout his career. She’s a sports agent, and that means she goes in the room all the time with men. She’s a formidable force, and you’ll see that in the show.”
Last month, the show opened strong, drawing millions of viewers after an NFL playoff lead-in. Alexander believes audiences respond to that mix of heart and chaos, especially with Morgan at the center. “I love Tracy, and working with him now is a treat,” she said. “You don’t ever know what’s going to happen. He comes on the set with a big boombox playing; he’s a real one. He’s from Brooklyn, and he’s so authentic.”
While Alexander has had a decades-long career in film in television, (The Cosby Show, Get Out, Insecure, and American Fiction, just to name a few) there’s one role that people still associate with her; Maxine Shaw from Living Single. She laughed when I mentioned it, like she’s had this conversation a thousand times before. While recognition doesn’t surprise her anymore, what does stay with her is what the character meant to viewers.
Over the years, the impact of her character has been backed up with numbers. Named “The Maxine Shaw Effect,” it states that a significant share of Black women lawyers say Maxine influenced their decision to go to law school. Many more say the character pushed them to speak up at work and pursue leadership roles. Alexander pays attention to that.
“I believe that I’m humbled by it, because It’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “Not that it’s like, ‘oh, give me my props. I’m the one.’ That’s not it. But what did it do? Can we use that power to transform or move some stuff out of the way for the next person?” She sees the so-called “Maxine Shaw Effect” as something practical. If a sitcom lawyer helped real women picture themselves in courtrooms, boardrooms, and positions of authority, then the work did its job.
Mindset still guides how she chooses projects today. Roles have to carry purpose, whether she’s stepping into a network comedy like The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins or building initiatives off screen that mentor the next generation. Playing Monica Reese-Dinkins, a sharp sports agent navigating rooms dominated by men, feels like a natural extension of the strong and powerful women she’s always portrayed.
“All my life, I was told that I was meant to do great things,” Alexander said. “When you achieve something, you feel proud and you feel humble. But then it always goes back to what you know about yourself and your purpose. This is what everyone told me I was supposed to do.”