{"id":68466,"date":"2014-03-19T12:02:49","date_gmt":"2014-03-19T12:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2014\/03\/19\/catching-up-with-flex-alexander\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T04:07:12","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T04:07:12","slug":"catching-up-with-flex-alexander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/catching-up-with-flex-alexander\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching Up With Flex Alexander"},"content":{"rendered":"

Catching Up With…Flex Alexander<\/strong>by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

March 19, 2014<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>For nearly 20 years, Mark Alexander Knox<\/strong>, but better known as Flex Alexander<\/strong>, has been on the scene, in front and behind the camera and hasn’t lost a beat while raising a family with his wife, singer Shanice Wilson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Initially seen as a dancer in music videos and given his name Flex due to his skills, the New York native turned his game from dancing to acting, specifically in the comedy department. That led to becoming a member on Uptown Comedy Club in the early 90s. With more work on various TV shows and some film credits, Flex had become an actor in hot demand, which led a career defining moment in his life.<\/p>\n

From 2001-2006, Flex Alexander had a starring role on UPN’s sitcom ‘One on One<\/strong>,’ where he played a single sportscaster, who becomes a full-time dad to Kyla Pratt<\/strong>‘s character. His role garnered several accolades, including two BET Comedy Awards.<\/p>\n

Since the show was cancelled, Flex has been working steadily and developing projects, including working on Showtime’s ‘Masters of Sex’<\/strong> series. Blackfilm.com recently caught up with him as he talked about his latest endeavors.<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>What have you been doing lately?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FLEX ALEXANDER:<\/strong> I’ve been developing a few things. I’ve been recurring on “Masters of Sex” on Showtime, and shot a pilot with my wife called “Flex & Shanice: All in the Family” for the OWN Network, and developing a movie for The Movie Channel. I’ve been active to try to do more creative stuff. My daughter’s in a singing group with LL Cool J’s daughter.<\/p>\n

What’s your role on “Masters of Sex”?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> I play Walter, he’s a handyman for the masters, and a possible, how should I say\u2026 there’s some good tension between myself and Mrs. Masters. I’m waiting to see if they’re going to bring me back for this third season coming up, hopefully they will. It was a lot of fun, so we’ll see what happens!<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>That’s a big departure for you. What was the attraction for doing a series like that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> It was just doing something different. Drama, showing the other sides. Comedy, I can do that all day long, but I’ve always wanted to do different things. I’ve done dramas before, a series called “Total Security” back in the ’90s, like ’98, with Jim Belushi. It was a Steven Bochco show. I did “Brooklyn South,” another Steven Bochco show, so I’ve done some dramas. I want to keep doing that, not just pigeonhole myself into only comedy.<\/p>\n

It’s been awhile since you had your show on UPN. What are the things that you’re learning as a supporting actor on a TV show?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> When you’re a recurring actor you just go with them on the ride. It’s not about how long if you’ve been on something, it’s about project for project.<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>You also mentioned you have a film in development?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> With that we’re developing a script now, addressing notes and everything. We’re at The Movie Channel right now, so I don’t want to say anything false. They haven’t said, “Hey! It’s a done deal!” It’s a family Christmas movie.<\/p>\n

As a father with kids you know that Christmas movies are always a good sell.<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> Oh yeah, definitely. My partners and I wanted to do something that was an African American Christmas story. We don’t have any of those classics. We have the original “Christmas Story” which is a classic, but there’s Christmas for us too. We wanted something that would still speak universally but showing it from our side.<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>What can you say about the comic book you’re working on?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> “The Joshua Run” is something that I’ve been excited about for a long while. Originally I was trying to pitch a series or movie to Lionsgate, I had a friend that worked there but he left. I was thinking I had this great idea and then Dave Stewart and I started talking about pitching a movie. He said, “We don’t do that, this is what we do.” I said, “You know what? I never thought about it in comic book form. Do you think it’ll work?” He said, “You know what? That’s a good idea.” We got to talking about doing it. I’ve always been a fan of movies like “Enemy of the State,” so-called “conspiracy theory” movies. I love all of that stuff. Wanted to have a character who is cool and young and happens to get this information he wasn’t supposed to get and winds up on the run. High stakes drama, it’s just a fast-paced story, and I was just excited about doing that and it’s been great. Brandon Easton the writer did a great job with the story, he brought forth the vision the way I intended it. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in that.<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>Do you think you’ll have it ready to go to San Diego Comic Con?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> I hope so. I believe it will be ready by that time. We talked about that and some of the other cons. Definitely want to catch some of those, there’s one in Chicago and St. Louis. We’ll hit ’em hard, really push “The Joshua Run” even more, and with the simultaneous release of our show that can help. That’s something I want to show on my show. For me it’s a dream come true and I want to see it all the way through.<\/p>\n

When you’re not do “Masters of Sex” or trying to get another project off the ground, what keeps you grounded?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> I got a 12-year-old girl in junior high school and a soon-to-be 10-year-old boy in elementary school. They keep you busy between tutoring and piano lessons and dance classes and all those things. It’s non-stop, being a parent. Between that and my plans and hanging out with my friends I still do all the regular things. I’m fortunate to get work, that’s how I look at it, it’s what I love to do, so I was grounded before I got into this, my grandmother and grandfather made sure of that.<\/p>\n

\"Flex<\/a>What’s the secret of staying in a good marriage out of the Hollywood spotlight, especially these days with Twitter and Facebook?<\/strong><\/p>\n

FA:<\/strong> Communication. Praying together and talking to each other. We’re regular people, there’s no science to it. We hang out, we’re focused on career and family. We’ve had our ups and downs like any marriage. We continue to communicate and know that we’ve got each others back.<\/p>\n

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