Where Are They Now? The Cast of “Living Single”

Queen Latifah

As the HSIC (Head Sistah in Charge) Khadijah James, Queen Latifah was possibly at her funniest. From playing flirtatious ball with Grant Hill to having her up and down love triangles with Scooter, she let you in on all of her issues in the little Brooklyn brownstone she shared with her girls. The head of the magazine, Flavor, she was part of the reason I ever had an interest in journalism at all. Go SHero!

Since the show ended in ’98, I think we all know Queen Latifah has been the most successful cast member. She’s garnered an Academy Award nomination, has been something of a fashion designer, has a production company called Flavor Unit (which has produced many films and the show, “Single Ladies”), and is just hosting shows and events left and right. She was just in the film, Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton and just finished up production on another Ice Age film in the franchise.

Kim Coles

Not only was Kim Coles one of the first people I saw on TV rocking microbraids, but she knows she played the hell out of Khadijah’s spaced-out but sweet cousin and Overton’s true love,  Synclaire James. Everytime she would pull out one of her troll dolls or say, “Woo woo woo woo,” to calm people down, you couldn’t help but to burst out laughing. Already in show business since the beginning of the ’90s, Kim kept working after the show ended, making a lot of guest appearances (including on “One on One” as Spirit’s mom) and doing a lot of hosting gigs. She’s actually set to host a new game show on the OWN network. Last time I saw her, she was making an appearance on BET’s “Let’s Stay Together” and has become a naturalista. Looking good at 50!

Erika Alexander

I was just talking with my co-worker about how Erika Alexander’s role of Maxine Shaw might be one of the greatest characters to ever pop up on TV. She had great style, great wit, she was fierce and an intellectual, a maneater, and she had the eating habits of a dude. She was also the only girlfriend or friend in general on the show to not live in the same brownstone as the rest of the cast (she lived across the street). Maxine was a long ways away from Cousin Pam, who Alexander played on The Cosby Show. But since the show ended, we’ve only seen her around here and there. She did a random comedy with Tracy Morgan called 30 Years to Life, was in the movie Deja Vu, and had recent guest appearances on Criminal Minds, Suburgatory, and has a role in a film called The Magic City, which came out last year. We hope to see her more often…

John Henton

There was something about Overton Wakefield Jones, aka, Obie, that reminded me something of a funny fool, but he had such a sweet and enduring personality–and the man wouldn’t rest until he fixed your broke, busted and disgusted appliances.  On the show he was Kyle’s roommate, Synclaire’s boo, and the brownstone handyman. In real life, Henton tried to keep the laughs going, appearing on shows like The Hughleys as D.L.’s best friend. But in 2000, Henton was in a tragic car accident that shattered his legs, tore up his stomach, broke some teeth and messed up his eye socket. But he hasn’t let that slow him down, and he says he has no memory of the accident. He finished up work on The Hughleys (only missing four shows after the accident), and made some guest appearances on shows like One on One, The Parkers, and Hannah Montana.

Kim Fields

I loved crazy Régine Hunter and her many wigs. Khadijah’s friend and another maneater out of the crew, Régine was the definition of what Nelly, Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics used to call “boughetto.” She was bougie, but according to Khadijah, wasn’t too far out the projects in reality. Hell, her actual character’s name is supposed to be Regina! But take the wigs off and the fancy clothes, and in real life, Kim Fields is an accomplished singer and director. She even directed a few episodes of Living Single. Since the show ended in ’98, she did a Facts of Life reunion in 2001, directed episodes of Meet the Browns, participated on the BET show, Lens on Talent, and was most recently in a TV movie called A Cross to Bear in 2011.

Terrence ‘T.C.’ Carson

Another bougie but lovable character, Kyle Barker was the successful stock broker and ladies man who liked to go back and forth with Maxine when it came to both banter and fun in the bedroom (mhmmm.).  In real life, Carson is an Iota with an appreciation for voice work. He did some for the FOX animated show, Life With Louie, does some for video games, and most recently for the TV show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Aside from that, he’s done some acting both in film (Final Destination 2) and with the CBS show, The Mentalist.

Shaun Baker

I know you remember the hilarious Jamaican editor at Flavor? Russell was not only good for telling it like it was with his many colorful hats on, but he also had a thing for Régine and a very interesting accent. Outside of the show though, Baker showed up a little bit of everywhere: as a co-star on the random show VIP with Pamela Anderson, and with guest appearances on NYPD Blue,  Medium, and The Protector.

Mel Jackson

I wasn’t really a fan of the “Tripp” character. I felt like he kind of messed up the dynamics of everything when he moved in during season five and took over Synclaire’s spot in the girl’s apartment. However, I did like how that brother looked! Like I said though, he was only around for the fifth and final season, and afterwards, did some TV work. He worked on stage plays and as a regular or regular guest on shows, including something called DAG, The Division, In the House, and he was most recently on an episode of Reed Between the Lines.

Cress Williams

As much as Scooter was discussed, it’s crazy to think that he was only in like 10 episodes. The record A&R, childhood friend of Khadijah and often boo of her too, was usually “out on the road” for a majority of the show, but when he would come back to the little brownstone for Khadijah, boy would he turn things upside down. He had a big smile and deep voice (#winner!), but he was never good for Khadijah…

Anywho, when the show ended, he went on to have much success actually. He was in the movie Fallen with Denzel, and also had a lot of regular or special guest roles on some big shows. Those include: Nash Bridges, Close to Home, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights and most recently, on the CW show, Hart of Dixie.

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