Khandi Alexander
Khandi Alexander | |
---|---|
![]() Alexander in 2014
|
|
Born | New York City, New York, USA |
September 4, 1957
Occupation | Actress, dancer, choreographer |
Years active | 1985–present |
Khandi Alexander (born September 4, 1957) is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She is best known for the roles of Dr. Alexx Woods in the CBS police procedural series CSI: Miami, as LaDonna Batiste-Williams in HBO drama Treme, and as Catherine Duke in NBC sitcom NewsRadio. She also had a major recurring roles in NBC medical drama ER as Jackie Robbins, sister to Dr. Peter Benton, and as Maya Lewis, Olivia Pope's mother in ABC drama Scandal. Alexander also received critical acclaim for her performance in the HBO miniseries The Corner in 2000.
Contents
Early life
Khandi Alexander was born in New York City, the daughter of Alverina Yavonna (Masters), an opera and jazz singer, and Henry Roland Alexander, who owned a construction company.[1][2][3] She 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 1988–1992, and also appeared as a dancer in Natalie Cole's video for "Pink Cadillac" in 1988.[5]
Career
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. She played the recurring character of Jackie Robbins in 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 the storm 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's drama series Scandal as Kerry Washington's character's evil 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
Film
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Streetwalkin | Star | |
1985 | A Chorus Line | Dancer | |
1987 | Maid to Order | Hooker in Jail | |
1993 | CB4 | Sissy | |
1993 | Joshua Tree | Maralena Turner | |
1993 | Menace II Society | Karen Lawson | |
1993 | What's Love Got to Do with It | Darlene | |
1993 | Shameful Secrets | Rosalie | Television film |
1993 | Poetic Justice | Simone | |
1994 | Sugar Hill | Ella Skuggs | |
1994 | House Party 3 | Janelle | |
1994 | To My Daughter with Love | Harriet | Television film |
1994 | Greedy | Laura Densmore, P.I. | |
1996 | Terminal | Dr. Deborah Levy | Television film |
1996 | No Easy Way | Diana Campbell | |
1998 | There's Something About Mary | Joanie | |
1999 | Thick as Thieves | Janet | |
1999 | Spawn 3: Ultimate Battle | Lakesha / Nurse | Voice |
2002 | Fool Proof | Icarus | |
2002 | Emmett's Mark | Det. Middlestat | |
2002 | Dark Blue | Janelle Holland | |
2004 | Perfect Strangers | Christie Kaplan | |
2006 | Rain | Latishia Arnold | |
2007 | First Born | Dierdre | |
2013 | The-N-word | Ms. Greene | Short film |
2014 | The Assault | Detective Jodi Miller | |
2015 | Bessie | Viola Smith | Television film |
2016 | A Woman, a Part | Leslie |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | FTV | Various | |
1987 | Rags to Riches | The Delights | Episode: "Pilot" |
1988 | Duet | Nurse | Episode: "Special Delivery" |
1989 | A Different World | Theressa Stone | Episode: "Citizen Wayne" |
1995–1998 | NewsRadio | Catherine Duke | Series regular, 59 episodes |
1995–2001 | ER | Jackie Robbins | Recurring role, 29 episodes |
1998 | La Femme Nikita | Terry | Episode: "Soul Sacrifice" |
1999 | Cosby | Karen | Episode: "The Awful Truth" |
1999 | NYPD Blue | Sonya | Episode: "What's Up, Chuck?" |
1999 | Partners | Charlie | TV pilot |
2000 | Rude Awakening | Juanita Wilson | Episode: "Star 80 Proof" |
2000 | The Corner | Denise Francine 'Fran' Boyd | TV miniseries |
2000 | 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" |
2002–2009 | CSI: Miami | Dr. Alexx Woods | Series regular, 145 episodes |
2009 | Better Off Ted | Stella Clifton | Episode: "Battle of the Bulbs" |
2010–2013 | Treme | LaDonna Batiste-Williams | Series regular, 36 episodes |
2012 | Body of Proof | Beverly Travers | Episodes: "Occupational Hazards" and "Identity" |
2013–present | Scandal | Marie Wallace AKA Maya Pope | Recurring role, 15 episodes |
Awards and nominations
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
- ↑ http://www.filmreference.com/film/95/Khandi-Alexander.html
- ↑ Stated on Finding Your Roots, PBS, October 14, 2014
- ↑ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/blog/khandi-alexanders-interactive-family-tree/#
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Khandi Alexander- Biography
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Michael O'Connell, Khandi Alexander on the End of 'Treme' and Rebuilding LaDonna, The Hollywood Reporter, September 23, 2012
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.