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Philly's own 'Living Single' lady has new TV role

Erika Alexander, who played Max on "Living Single," now appears in "Low Winter Sun."

Erika Alexander has a role on "Low Winter Sun," but most people know her as Max from "Living Single." (Photo Credit: Kim Simms/AMC)
Erika Alexander has a role on "Low Winter Sun," but most people know her as Max from "Living Single." (Photo Credit: Kim Simms/AMC)Read more

ERIKA ALEXANDER still shudders at the thought of SEPTA.

Alexander, who first gained prominence playing Cousin Pam on "The Cosby Show" and later Max on the much-loved "Living Single," does not have fond memories of commuting from her home in East Mount Airy home to Girls High.

"I was like Scarlett O'Hara. As God as my witness, I will never ride SEPTA again!" Alexander said, joking that her desire to own a car and avoid public transportation helped motivate her acting career. "I shiver. I would see a SEPTA bus go by in a movie and literally react. I'm sorry SEPTA, but I did my time. It was a tour of duty like 'Nam."

Alexander has been popping up on TV screens more recently, on AMC's new cop drama "Low Winter Sun" (Sundays, 10 p.m.) and reoccurring on Tim Allen's "Last Man Standing." On "Sun," Alexander plays strong-willed Officer Louise Cullen, opposite corrupt police officers led by Mark Strong, who reprised his role from the original British series, and Lennie James of "The Walking Dead."

The show shoots in Detroit, where Alexander jokes that her "Living Single" past means she's treated like Michelle Obama. People of all stripes still recognize her from the Queen Latifah-led sitcom.

"Once I was in an Jewish neighborhood, and I walked up to a place to ask for directions. Two men were in there, dressed in full black with the coats and the hats. This Orthodox man was like 'Max! It's you!' " Alexander said, affecting an old world accent. "It's a wonderful compliment to know that people will still call me Max."

Gang-related

"Evil" Jared Hasselhoff was just trying to give a fan an autograph last month when he got his band, the Bloodhound Gang, banned from Russia by wiping himself with that nation's flag.

At every show, the bassist told me, the band, which formed at Temple, honors the country they are in by displaying its flag.

Despite playing the Ukraine, the band displayed the Russian flag because the promoter said a lot of Russian fans would be in attendance. "We got to the point where we honor the audience and I brought out the flag, and the crowd booed. That's not the type of boos we're used to," Hasselhoff said. "There was one Russian fan who asked for the flag. A lot of time, I'll shove stuff down my pants. So I did that because I didn't have time to sign it."

Despite his fan-friendly efforts, the Bloodhound Gang were still deported from Russia upon arriving and not-so-politely asked to never return.

"We're not a political band; we're not Rage Against the Machine. We're just a bunch of vodka-drinking drunks. I thought Russians would respect that," Hasselhoff said.

Despite the deportation issues ("We went to Temple. We thought this band would be over in two weeks. We never thought 20 years later, we'd be causing international incidents in Russia"), Hasselhoff said the tour went relatively well. The Bloodhound Gang's recent jaunt proved to Hasselhoff and the rest of the band that they might be ready to record again.

"We don't hate each other," Hasselhoff said. "We've mellowed with age. It helps that we don't drink half a case of vodka a night."

But before the band makes any moves, Hasselhoff will reunite with Bloodphart, another Temple-formed band of old buddies, for a show at Bam Margera's The Note (142 E. Market St., West Chester) tomorrow night.

'Dress' up

Philly's own Mackenzie Hughes will be on TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" tomorrow at 9 p.m. Hughes, who is getting married at the Hotel Monaco, will get the dress-up treatment from the guys and gal at Kleinfeld Bridal in New York.

OUT AND ABOUT

* Noise band Wolf Eyes, who played Johnny Brenda's on Tuesday, stopped by FDR Skatepark in South Philly before heading down to Baltimore for their next show.

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