We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The ageless beauty has one of the most positive streams of thoughts you can find online. The interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity. She Doesn't Have a Spouse but Was in a Relationship with Andrei Nikolajevic, Does Jack Dylan Grazer Have a Disability? You clomped across the stage like you had just got off a horse. Both of them had had failed pilots that were authored by white writers prior to this experience, and so they were both on the same page this time around. And they felt like I could also bring that to the table. We were good stewards of the opportunity that was put in front of us and we didnt really think about how big a hit it was at the time, Lee Bowser said. Advertisement. Besides Overton, the other main source of comic relief on "Living Single" came by way of Synclaire, played by Kim Coles. But Ceci, whos now doing wardrobe for Dear White People, the show helmed by Lee Bowser mentee Justin Simien, wrangled seasons worth of looks for characters of all different stylistic leanings and body types. Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, Kim Coles, John Henton, and Mel Jackson in Living Single (1993) Shes sharp, shes clean. Cress Williams, Terrence Scooter Williams: I distinctly remember that the rapper Young MC was in the waiting room auditioning. Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, Terrence 'T.C.' Carson, Kim Coles, and John Henton in Living Single (1993) The show also explored a number of relevant issues of the time, with an approach that was far less didactic than shows like A Different World. Carson. As a result, the network could not go ahead without the famous comedian in their next season, despite the accident. Starring Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, T.C. Alexander: Believe it or not, that hairstyle informed the character a lot, because it had movement, it had shape, and its certainly pulling fromwho?Whoopi Goldberg. And I was like, Well, you know, this is the girl that created the show and if shes laughing, this is my target audience right here. Thankfully, he realized the extent of what he had done, calling the mishap so stupid., John Henton at the "First Ever" BET Comedy Awards, September 2004 | Source: Getty Images. Shes not feminine in the soft, pink, lace kind of a way. The actor was even on set filming for The Hughleys six weeks after the tragic car accident. She stars alongside Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes on the Netflix comedy series The Upshaws. Kim Coles boyfriend, husband list. Weve just had a great relationship; hes a terrific collaborator. So now being in an environment where I was a contributor to the craft of creating a character, it was fantastic. Much has been made in recent years about how "Friends" might never have existed without "Living Single,"with the two shows having a very similar setup. A lot of times, African Americans are portrayed in one light and we dont get to show the rainbow. "You know, being challenged and just telling a story that we can bring home to peoples houses, bringing it right into your living room and having people connect with it, see you on the streets and naming their kids after you.". The show didnt peddle an aspirational respectability so much as it reflected multiple strains of black life. Being the actor who played Khadijah's love interest (a notable music producer), Cress Williams is also well known for his participation in the era-defining Beverly Hills, 90210 as D'Shawn Hadell. "She really is someone who jumps into everything with excellence and jumps into everything, as I said before,with knowing fully who she is," Coles added. This is not a good tie. In 1993, the race for Sunday night ratings was a tight one critics agreed that the big contenders were CBS' Murder, She Wrote and NBC's seaQuest DSV, but out of left field came a sitcom deemed underdog: Fox's Living Single. That was one of the things Queen Latifah said: Can you grow a beard? But Living Singles cast and crew alike were up for the challenge, and found an unexpected family in the process. He also appeared in numerous films between 1997 and 2015, most notably the iconic movie "Soul Food." Warner Bros Comedy Contents - IMDb Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, Kim Coles, John Henton, and Mel Jackson in Living Single (1993) John Henton's rise to fame happened by chance he was discovered in 1991 by a comedy executive for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He would go on to be a main or recurring cast member on multiple shows, including "E.R.," "Veronica Mars," "Grey's Anatomy," "Friday Night Lights," and "Hart of Dixie." But I knew right away that she was Max. The actresses starred on the hit Fox sitcom Living Single during its five-season run. So it was almost like I was Cecis paper doll, and again that made it really fun, going to the wardrobe fittings every week to see all that she had pulled, even with the wigs, too. Kyle was initially Overton's roommate, and in a lot of ways, the two were complete opposites. Williams: Even back then, I loved the fact that the romance between me and Queen [Latifahs character, Khadijah] started from a friendship first. What is the net worth of Kim Coles? Kim Fields, Now Earlier this month Fields, 44, announced that she was pregnant. You know, because [as a recurring guest] I was there quite a bit and whenever I was there, I felt like part of the group. Created by Yvette Lee Bowser and starring Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Kim Fields, Erika Alexander, T.C. I think thats where some of the country came from too, so that helped out. Kim Coles was previously married to Reggie Mckiver (2015 - 2019) and Aton Edwards (1985 - 1995). We definitely enhanced it as we started to learn peoples strengths and weakness, but the Kyle and Max thing was there from the pilot, Lee Bowser said. And she sent me to modeling school, a modeling school called Black Glamour, where I actually won the best walker and went to John Robert Powers modeling school and won their best walker. Its a transcending chemistry. Erika Alexander - IMDb So I got a call arranged with [Lee Bowser], and she liked my idea very much, and she said, The only thing is, Im working on a new project. Besides, who could ever replace the talent above? when I was 5 years old. John Henton on January 6, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images. Before playing the role of a successful magazine founder in NYC, Queen Latifah was known for her musical talent. The series followed the lives of six friends living in a Brooklyn brownstone and featured Queen Latifah,. It makes me laugh, because it was so T.C. And that was sort of the impetus of the idea: We wanna do a show with a bunch of women, how they feel about men. Kim Fields says she has a development deal with Lifetime and just directed an episode of Insecure, which featured Alexander acting in KevYn, the Insecure Season 3 show-within-a-show that harkens back to Living Single. I remember there was an article that was written that said we were an Emmy-worthy couple, an Emmy-worthy image. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Like I just remember seeing him and going, Oh snap, that guys gonna be a star! Inside John "Overton" Henton's Life & Romance With Kim Fields The show received stellar ratings and TV Guide selected Henton's character as one . And they had also let me know that because [Latifah] obviously was coming from her amazing rap career, [Coles] was in the midst of her career as a stand-up comic and sketch comedy with In Living Color, and [Henton] was a stand-up comic, and T.C. including Kim, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, John Henton, and T.C. Im from Arizona, so I came in looking like I just hitchhiked there. Gateway Episodes: Living Single's "Love Thy Neighbor" and "Mystery Date." I really did not know what a tremendous actor she was, both comedically and dramatically. It was really powerful, and I think it still stands today," Kim Coles said in an interview with Entertainment . The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Geoffrey Cleans Up. Fields: That chemistry is beyond real. Evil. But she is. Its interesting because theres certain aspects of certain characters that weve seenweve seen Clair Huxtable, weve seen the black lawyer, but she was a mom, Lee Bowser said. The Hughleys was Hentons biggest claim to fame after Living Single went off the air. He was a main cast member on the sitcom "DAG" and also had multi-episode stints on "In The House," "The Parkers," and "The Division." For Carson, the experience offered an opportunity to reiterate what he most wanted viewers to take away from the character of Kyle Barker: That black men are complicated individuals. 1 album in the country, and I was listening to her album as Im going to audition for her show, so it was kind of surreal. So I'm not surprised that she is graduating to iconic even this early in her career, I believe she's just getting started," theLiving Singlealum shared. He just had this weird way of saying everybody just thought that was crazy, but he was right all the time, so hes just the wisest of the show. That or hair and makeup. Starring Queen Latifah (Khadijah), Kim Coles (Synclaire), Erika Alexander (Maxine), John Henton (Overton), T.C. Thats my recurring theme. Whoopi Goldberg, who was known for being funny and kind of flat. The Ohio native's journey into comedy began in 1991 after he won the "Johnny Walker National Comedy Search.". Let us know if we missed anything. from a fellow capricorn. Since its sudden cancellation in 1998, the Living Single cast has gone on to lead some impressive careers, which we will take a deeper look at here, starting with hip-hops First Lady.. Regine got her Prince Charming, the handsome entrepreneur Dexter Knight (Don Franklin). One of the reasons Im in show business is because my mother saw me go across the stage in eighth grade to pick up a surprise award at a graduation, and she said, Erika, I was so embarrassed! Tripp was part of a storyline during that season with another new character named Roni DeSantos (played by Idalis DeLeon), a DJ who had a history with Tripp. Sometimes I would take the mudcloth and be like, Oooh T.C., I wanna dye this burgundy! None of it is by accident. 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Living Single, the popular sitcom that made its debut 25 years ago on this day in 1993, was powered behind the performances of lead actress Queen Latifah, veteran actress Kim Fields, comedienne Kim Coles, and The Cosby Show alum, Erika Alexander. in 1991. I remember her distinctly letting me come into her trailer to watch a movie and, you know, just being treated really well. I cant walk worth beans on shoes, so thats where you get the walk. They were friends who turned into a romance, which I think is always the best thing. Carson: [Hair] was talked about when I first got hired. This was the 90s and so this is when the idea of rappers taking jobs was really in, so I saw a recognizable face and Im like, Oh man, Im going to lose this job to this rapper. I remember the audience just going crazy when Overton finally got a kiss from Synclaire because we had been waiting for this forever, you know? Photo illustration by Slate. Carson has acted alongside Williams on Black Lightning, but hes also acting in shows like OWNs Greenleaf. Anything that could move was great. Shaun Baker, who played Russell, did just fine though. Fields: What drew me to acting when I was a child was seeing my mother onstage with Pearl Bailey in Hello, Dolly! The series followed the lives of six friends living in a Brooklyn brownstone and featuredQueen Latifah, Coles, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, John Henton and T.C. The minute I would put on her clothes, I had my hairstyle, theyd give me a little makeupI knew what to do. and I was like, Really? I was very proud of his suit looks, his whole everything, all his looks suited the mood. One example of that would be when we were testing the Overton-Synclaire relationship and we brought in Shemar Moore, and he kissed Synclaire. Erika Alexander got her break when she portrayed Pam Tucker on The Cosby Show, a role which secured her ascent to fame as a '90s sitcom star. Thats how I got into the fold. I have a lifelong friendship with Geraldine Leder, who cast the show, because she just thought I was crazy and we just had to establish that, because I didnt want, literally, I didnt want to miss anybody! It was baggies we were in. DNT ANSWER CUS DAT`S PERSONAL JUS ASKIN ? Yvette Lee Bowser -- who has been involved with severaliconic Black series, includingA Different World,Half & HalfandDear White Peopleand the recentRun the World-- created and executive produced the series. That was my aim with [Kyle Barker], was to make sure, even with his bravado, other people understood that he was a really good brother. They would think its too soft or whatever, but he was like, Lets do some traditional this, and do these pants, and the drawstring this, and some interesting shoes. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. He Doesn't, Yet It Features in Several of His Roles, 'Happy Days's' Anson Williams Divorced the Same Woman Twice after Almost Losing His Life in the Early 2000s, Bob Saget's Longtime Home Gets $770K Price Cut Nobody Is Ready to Buy House He Lived in until His Tragic Death, Ray Romano Wed Teller Who Wasnt Materialistic Then - He Sends Her to Cry in a Bag of Money Now. Theres a part of me that often believes that people need to make room for the new generation, and people need to make room in their own lives to push forward with their own idea, she said. But he was always right. Regine was a great character if you loved clothes. Latifah is so definitely East Coast, shes from Jersey, so it made sense to make them from New York. [Maxine and Kyle] were horrified by it. On Black Lightning, Erika Alexander would also reunite with T.C. And there was also a wonderful artist, her name is Aklia, and she made a lot of jewelry for the show. I had a totally different person in my head, I had a totally different visual in my head, because I didnt really know that Erika was that funny, even though she had done The Cosby Show. Kim Coles still does stand-up (often co-headlining with her Living Single husband, John Henton) and offers lessons in public speaking and narrative development. It was just a tape that shed put, like, masking tape, and it said Women You Will Love, and [Ambrosius] said, You have no idea how much you were a part of my childhood, and you ARE a woman that I love! She played a detective who does not believe Rod Williams (Lil Red Howery) story about Chris Washingtons (Daniel Kaluuya) disappearance in Get Out, and has landed recurring roles on Insecure (an award-nominated HBO original comedy created by and starring Issa Rae) and The CWs Arrowverse-canon drama, Black Lightning, as a telepathic therapist for meta-humans. Along with fellow Fox series "Martin," it was among the first network sitcoms to focus primarily on agroup of Black professional twentysomething friends without some forced gimmick to tie the whole thing together. John Henton at an interview for the "Living Single" 25th Anniversary Special, July 2018 | Source: Getty Images. Carson, who is no slouch in the looks department but whose best asset is arguably his deep, booming voice. Kim Fields grew up under the spotlight: Her mother, Chip Fields, was a singer, actress, and TV director. It had its own tone, Lee Bowser said. Interestingly, before Laverne's debut, Chip previously played two different one-off characters during the show's first season: A character named Bev, and another that was an unnamed bar patron. She had a life, and when she got home, she was chill like we all are. Kim Coles, an American actress, comedian, and game show host, is well-known for her appearances on the television show In Living Color. And I think that has everything to do with how Maxine Shaw approached life. You put our hair and makeup on and we just went. Kyle and Max both loathed and loved one another. So I was like, Whos this guy outta Chicago?! photos, came to an end, Baker has continued to work steadily in both film and television. Carson, and John Henton, the series followed the personal and professional lives of six friends who resided in a Brooklyn brownstone were chronicled. He first played Windu in the 2005 "Clone Wars" animated series and would reprise the role in both the 2008 series as well as in numerous "Star Wars" video games. Login But walking around with her face is really something interesting, because wherever I go, I have instances whether its [Georgia gubernatorial candidate] Stacey Abrams; Marilyn Mosby up in Baltimore, the states attorneythese people come to me and say they went into politics because of Maxine Shaw partly. And the fact that its still on peoples minds and in their hearts now is really, just, very humbling. Through Lee Bowsers creative vision and the dynamic performances of its cast, Living Single put the urban sitcomand the diversity within black experienceson network televisions map. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Fans immensely loved his character, and he earned an Image Award . After that, she was all-in on acting, steadily working on television throughout the '90s, 2000s, and 2010s. . Synclaire relocated from Minnesota to start a new life in Brooklyn, a move that was enabled by the job Khadijah gave her at Flavor. Fields: [T.C.s hair episode was] very organic. . Im like, Im an old-school cat, and I said, In the immortal words of Morris Day, Aint nothing like a fresh pair of baggies. And thats what I loved about the 90s, is the cut of the jeans, the cut of the pants. Not bad for my first show., John Henton, Terrence C. Carson, Kim Fields and Kim Coles at a special taping for "Living Single" 25th Anniversary Special, July 2018 | Source: Getty Images. I spent my whole life in theaters, and just being dressed up. The show received stellar ratings, and TV Guide selected Henton's character as one of the "break out" characters of the 1993-fall season. While he hasn't had as high-profile or long-running a role since his time on both "NYPD Blue" and "V.I.P." & 2023 CBS Studios Inc. and CBS Interactive Inc., Paramount companies. Coles: To work with Kim Fields, who was a LEGENDshe was the only little black girl that we had on TV, you knowit was awesome. And she put in these new things she had created, literally just created, called Nu-Locs. List slides. She was a veteran on there. Synclaire is Khadijah's cousin, Regina is her childhood friend, and Max her best friend from college. Fortunately, Henton had a speedy recovery and was able to get back on the road for stand-up within eight months. Henton: My favorite [hat] was the first one I wore, this one called Eracism. There was a guy that came up and he had a slogan and everything and it was just this pro-Black thing. It has to, right?". John Henton and Kim photos | IMAGO It was fun and it was easy. Carson: The whole process of it was very organic and collaborative. "I'm going to stay in a state of positive expectation," the actress told ET when asked whether there are any plans for the cast to reunite, especially since they remain in contact through an active group chat. Scooter and Khadijah nursed a longtime friendship turned relationship, even amid professional duties that kept them away from one another. Kyle was quick-witted while Overton took his time to find the right words; Kyle was a ladies' man while Overton was content with pining over Synclaire; and Kyle had a stressful and high-paying job while Overton was just a chill building maintenance man. Living Single (1993) - IMDb Queen Latifah has leveraged her career in Hip-Hop to a bevy of acting gigs, commercial contracts, singing performances and more. She first directed an episode of "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper," then spent a few more years directing an episode here and there of a few different shows. Or, as Lee Bowser said, Being able to ensemble that cast was akin to catching lightning in a bottle.. In the decades since the first episode aired on August 22, 1993, the Living Single ecosystem has branched out beyond the showrunners expectationsresonating with members of the original studio audience, viewers at home, and new adoptees of the show alike. The actress found success as host of BET's game show Pay It Off and was part of TBS' comedy 10 Items or Less. All Rights Reserved. The television series, which starred Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Kim Fields, Erika Alexander, T.C. Delaney is 18 years his junior, and, since the comedian has not spoken about his relationship with her in recent times, they are very likely to have split already. And so to get an opportunity to be instrumental in crafting somebody that has turned out to be iconic for my culture was really wonderful for me. Prior to his role as Tripp on Living Single, Mel Jackson had made minor TV appearances until he landed a role in the film Soul Food in 1997. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. In the '90s, Fox TV series "Living Single" went from being an underdog to becoming one of the most-watched sitcoms of that . Three of the women were roommates: Khadijah James (Latifah), the fearless editor of a black magazine called Flavor; Khadijahs bubbly cousin and assistant, Synclaire James (Coles), and a spunky, projects-raised boutique saleswoman named Regine Hunter (Kim Fields). Yvette was like, Yep, this is exactly what we were looking for. The Living Single star recounts being on a break for the first time in a while before getting into the car accident. For much of the shows cast and crew, rumors of a reboot are both exciting and far-off. I wasnt tall, and I was chesty as they would say, and I was like, Well, what are we gonna do for me? On the Living Single set, T.C. Among her most notable TV appearances following the shows end was a series regular spot on Geena Davis short-lived sitcom, The Geena Davis Show, in 2000, hosting the BET original game show Pay It Off for one season in 2009, and showing up on various reality TV shows, including VH1s RuPauls Drag Race in 2010. While "Living Single" was very much an ensemble show, if there had to be a character who qualified as its main lead, it was Khadijah. Living Single is a beloved series that set a precedent for modern pop culture favorites such as Insecure. The ensemble was fantastic, and the black audiences loved it, so it was devastating for many when the show was canceled. Carson: As an African-American man in this country and an actor, we get asked to do a lot of things that arent really necessarily positive. Interestingly enough, like Overton actor John Henton, KimColes was primarily a stand-up comedian before her breakthrough acting role on "Living Single." Thankfully, the extensive plastic surgery has restored most of his facial features and structure. I had meetings with them, with Latifah and [Coles], visually to get a better sense of who they were and what was important to them, and I decided to also take that to help create the characters for them very specifically, but in a universe that was very much inspired by my own personal life and the very close relationships I have with my girlfriends to this day. Unfortunately, not even the stars of the show know what the issue with Living Single was before they stopped filming. She was also sexy, but she was always experimental. And she said, I dont know. The actresses starred on the hitFox sitcom Living Singleduring its five-season run. Much of the backbone of "Living Single" was fictional magazine "Flavor," which employed multiple characters on the show both main and recurring. The five-season series, which aired from 1993 to 1998, was a rating success for Fox and one of the . What happened to John Henton? Car Accident, Eye, Net Worth I mean, what you see is what you get. Carson, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, 1993-98, (c)Warner Bros. Television courtesy Everett Collection Warner Bros . Terrence 'T.C.' Carson - IMDb I used to look at movies with Gene Kelly and the woman that they would partner him with, and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and you wonder how they move almost in sync. Alexander: Me and Latifah were the hardest to get to wardrobe. And I was like, Oh okay, awesome! John Henton - Gersh Comedy I think that people in general really, really resonated with it because it wasnt oversexualized, and also because it was a contrast to Max and Kyle and was allowed to unfold beautifully. It was and remains an impressive feat. Cant nobody pick a tie better than I can. They came to me and they had the idea to do a buddy comedy, basically. We were all invested in the people we were doing, and so we werent just saying lines. We really do love each other. Kim Fields did her best to stay out of the drama during Season 8 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, . Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, I think thats the thing that people see in the show. Kim Coles, and Erika Alexander. The actor even revealed that the pandemic has been easy on him since he does not like to be around people anyway. It was a revolutionizing concept for its time when six twenty-somethings black young adults were the focus of a comedy that dealt with every day problems in New York City. I said, Theyre from Cleveland. T.C. And youve got Latifah whos somebody whos strong and driven and super smart, and so it was very easy for Khadijah to be born of that. So that was my impetus for getting into the world of development and creation of shows about us.. Maxine was a high-powered lawyer who had no qualms about sharing her resources with her girls, but even she sometimes fell victim to the unstable returns of corporate life. I love them, and so I think that was the germ of the idea. and she said, No, but I had an auntie in the States and she would put the show on VCR tapes and she would name the tapeand this is gonna make me cryWomen You Will Love. We didnt even know the name of the show! Her role on the '80s coming-of-age sitcom launched her career. Henton: [Playing opposite Coles] was a delight. He sustained life-changing injuries, unfortunately. But then, as it moved forward, they saw that the real foil and the back and forth, the real fire, was between [Carson] and me as [Kyle and Max]. It just felt natural and people loved them. We did an episode where we had a summer block party and I remember I didnt have the kind of body like [Alexander], who I always thought, Man her body is so cool.
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