Khandi Alexander

Harriet Rene "Khandi" Alexander (born September 4, 1957) is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress whose career spans over four decades, encompassing Broadway stages, iconic music tours, and celebrated television dramas. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Alexander grew up in Queens, New York, where she absorbed the rich cultural tapestries of both the South and the metropolis, shaping a versatile artistic sensibility. She launched her professional journey in the mid‑1980s, first appearing on the sketch‑comedy show FTV in 1985 before transitioning to dance, where she quickly earned a reputation as a dynamic performer. Her work as a choreographer for Whitney Houston’s world tours from 1988 to 1992 highlighted her ability to craft movement that complemented some of the era’s most powerful vocal performances, and she also appeared as a dancer in Natalie Cole’s “Pink Cadillac” video in 1988. Alexander’s acting credentials expanded throughout the 1990s with memorable supporting roles in films such as CB4, What’s Love Got to Do with It, Sugar Hill, and There’s Something About Mary, while her television breakthrough came as Catherine Duke on NBC’s NewsRadio and as Jackie Robbins on the long‑running medical drama ER. She earned critical acclaim for her lead portrayal of Fran Boyd in HBO’s miniseries The Corner (2000), a role that underscored her depth as a dramatic actor. From 2002 to 2009 she became a household name as Dr. Alexx Woods on CSI: Miami, and later delivered powerful performances as LaDonna Batiste‑Williams on Treme and Maya Lewis on Scandal, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2015. Her continued work includes a noted supporting turn in HBO’s Bessie (2014), solidifying her status as a resilient and respected talent in both film and television.