Flex Alexander was born in New York City. The son of Alethia Knox and Robert Whitehead, he had a troubled adolescence, and has recalled moving into fights, promoting medicine and carrying a gun earlier than connecting to his calling to carry out.

Flex started dancing in New York golf equipment throughout his teen years. His energetic dancing model earned him the nickname “Flex” and attracted the eye of DJ Spinderella. When Spinderella started touring with the trio Salt-N-Pepa, Alexander joined the tour for a interval of three years. Alexander additionally started choreographing dance routines for performers, together with Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah.

In the late Eighties, Flex Alexander branched out into performing in addition to dancing and choreographing. He started performing stand-up comedy and sought out movie roles, showing within the 1992 movie “Juice.”

Flex started showing on tv packages within the Nineties. He was an everyday forged member on the sketch comedy present “Uptown Comedy Club” and “Girlfriends,” and appeared on the short-lived sitcoms “Where I Live,” “Homeboys in Outer Space” and “Total Security.” He additionally visitor starred on the favored reveals “Sister, Sister” and “The Cosby Mysteries.”

Alexander left his recurring position on “Girlfriends” to star within the UPN sitcom “One on One,” on which he performed single father Flexter “Flex” Washington. The present, which Flex additionally created and produced, garnered nominations for each NAACP Image Awards and a number of other BET Comedy Awards in its first yr. “One on One” remained on the air for a number of seasons as one of the well-liked African American reveals in historical past.

After leaving “One on One,” Alexander returned to performing in movement footage. Since that point, he has appeared within the 2006 movie “Snakes on a Plane,” the 2007 horror movie “The Hills Have Eyes 2” and Clement Virgo’s “Poor Boy’s Game.” He has additionally continued to make TV appearances in a guest-star capability on sequence resembling, Showtime’s “Masters of Sex.”

Since then, Flex has appeared in “Flex and Shanice” on OWN for three seasons. Flex has additionally made a number of TV appearances over time, together with “mixed-ish” the place he has a recurring position this upcoming season.

In the final ten years UB has had the chance to talk with Flex a number of occasions. In this ReVisit celebrating our 15 Year Anniversary. We ReVisit these interviews (2010, 2014 and 2015) and get Flex‘s tackle rising up within the Bronx and when he found his skills.

Flex Alexander additionally will get candid concerning the recognition his spouse Shanice deserves, and why he felt comfy discussing their previous funds on their OWN docu-series.

Flex additionally tells us his favourite episodes of One on One, which is now on Netflix!

If all that isn’t sufficient, he shares with us the two comedians he would like to work with on the massive display.

UrbanBridgez.com: How do you suppose rising up within the Bronx ready you for a life in Hollywood?
Flex Alexander: I don’t know, I believe it provides you a hustle. I frolicked in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Harlem. I simply suppose all collectively rising up in New York it provides you a pleasant hustling vitality, sort of that by no means say die angle you understand. Even if you get knocked down, you simply come again stronger!

UrbanBridgez.com: When did you uncover you have been a comic?
Flex Alexander: My mother instructed me I used to be humorous once I was little, however I don’t keep in mind (laughs). What I do keep in mind is my cousin and I, my cousin Grapevine who performed Ace on ‘CUTS,’ the spin-off from ‘One on One.’ We use to really do comedy reveals to at least one one other, like he would sit and watch me do stand-up after which I’d sit and watch him. And we’d speak about our aunts and cousins and stuff, however you understand it’s like who knew! Then I noticed Eddie Murphy’s ‘Delirious’ and I instructed my mother, that’s what I’m going to do proper there.

UrbanBridgez.com: What are your long run objectives at this level in your profession transferring ahead?
Flex Alexander: My long run objectives, I actually wish to proceed writing, I’ve been writing & I’ve a script proper now being written. I can’t actually say who proper now, nevertheless it’s a Christmas Movie and it’s actually humorous. So I’m writing that, I’ve a few reveals that I’m producing that I’m actually making an attempt to connect different producers to. Two actuality reveals however totally different varieties. My spouse will let you know, I’m not a giant fan of actuality reveals (laughs). But with these two, it’s extra high quality and it’s truly an thought my spouse had. She has nice concepts and she or he watches actuality TV, she loves these reveals! So she got here to me and stated what do you consider this and I stated babe that’s sensible! So I simply referred to as my individuals and put the plan in movement. I additionally put collectively a screenplay of my life and my experiences. From rising as much as seeing my mother on medicine and my brother on medicine. And buddies and issues promoting medicine, so I wrote a screenplay on that & I plan to do a e book and likewise a one man present. I additionally actually need my spouse and me to journey and minister to younger adults to totally different Churches throughout the nation. Our very long time objective is for us to place forth a ministry to offer again to individuals. I come out and do comedy and provides my testimony and my spouse comes out and sings. Just one thing we are able to do collectively.

UrbanBridgez.com: You’ve appeared in additional motion pictures & TV reveals than we are able to point out, what was one in all your favourite roles and why?
Flex Alexander: Well positively on TV, enjoying on ‘One on One.’ Playing myself, however probably not myself. Lots of people suppose my title is Flex Washington (laughs). But that was positively one in all my favorites. I did this film with Danny Glover referred to as ‘Poor Boy’s Dream’ that was great for me as a result of it was one thing dramatic. I acquired to field and get in form and work with Danny Glover. It’s onerous to select my favorites, however I look again and I’ve been lucky to work alot. I got here out right here in California in 92 and I’ve labored none cease, so I’ve been blessed to work. I loved all the things, even ‘Homeboys In Outer Space,’ was horrible by title I truly had enjoyable (laughs). I had a complete bunch of enjoyable!

UrbanBridgez.com: I watched a couple of episodes (laughs).
Flex Alexander: (laughs) I used to be like, I’m younger within the sport they was such as you wish to do that present, we’ll pay you this. I used to be like, sure sir!

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you continue to maintain in touch from the forged of One on One and what’s one in all your greatest recollections from capturing that sequence?
Flex Alexander: Well I see them round, we don’t actually name one another and stuff like that. But I speak to Kyla through Twitter, I see Robert on the barbershop. Sicily I speak to typically, she acquired married and has a daughter. So yeah we sort communicate just about. I examine on them on and off. As for my favourite, I must say the Michael Jackson episode with Duane Martin. So that one and the New Edition episode. All in all simply capturing the present and performing in it was nice man. I had a good time!

UrbanBridgez.com: Shanice is dropping a brand new album this yr, are you able to inform us about that and why you personally really feel Shanice doesn’t get the credit score she absolutely deserves inside the trade?
Flex Alexander: Yeah she’s engaged on it now and we hope to have it out by the tip of the summer season. She doesn’t get the credit score, as a result of you understand these cookie cutter artists who come out with one tune and when you’re not 17 and half bare individuals don’t wish to help you. And she’s not going to do what alot of these ladies would do to get forward. That’s simply being actual, I’m not singling out anybody explicit. You know the way this trade is, I simply really feel like she’s held a normal for thus lengthy. It’s simply her time & I believe God will reward her. I believe doing it the best way we’re doing it independently and distribution in addition to an European deal as effectively, I believe it’s nice. Because the majors are going to be completed quickly, they’re going to be collapsed! You have all these nice artist out right here like my spouse, Rahsaan Patterson, Lalah Hathaway these are nice singers. Kelly Price, they need to all be a lot larger and a lot extra love! But it’s such as you get married, have some infants you’re not attractive. But having children being a spouse is attractive. I don’t suppose there may be nothing extra sexier than that in any respect. And I’m not hating every other artists as a result of I really feel everyone has their time and is blessed to do stuff. But this trade and it’s unhappy as a result of our individuals we do it to ourselves. White people help, if Barbra Streisand stated I’m doing a live performance tomorrow, it could be offered out! We went to see Bette Midler and it was offered out and she or he hadn’t carried out in 15 years. I simply suppose we’ve to help our artists extra and the singers that we love we simply must help them!

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s one in all your most private favorites out of your spouse?
Flex Alexander: Before I met her I had purchased her ‘Shanice’ CD and there’s a tune referred to as “Fall For You,” that and “Just A Game.” Will Downing had redid it and I didn’t understand it was her unique tune at first. I had purchased his album and it was on there & I used to be like this tune is nice! And once I met her she was like that’s my tune, I used to be like that was yours? So I believe these two are my favourite two songs by my spouse.

UrbanBridgez.com: So many individuals neglect you employ to bounce and have appeared in music movies.
Flex Alexander: Oh my God (laughs)! An excellent good friend of mine from again within the day, a choreographer title Donovan Henry simply Facebooked me and despatched a video of The Rude Boys, unsure when you keep in mind them?

UrbanBridgez.com: Oh yeah I keep in mind, Gerald LeVert’s group (laughs).
Flex Alexander: Oh My God (laughs), I simply watched it at this time. I used to be on the ground! I couldn’t imagine it and I watched on YouTube a bunch of movies I did Crystal Waters, ‘Gypsy Woman’ (sings ‘La da dee la dee da’), Queen Latifah ‘Fly Girls,’ I imply gosh that was such a enjoyable time. Business was totally different, it was a enjoyable time man. I liked dancing, however you received’t see me dancing no time quickly. Not in any respect! (each snort)

UrbanBridgez.com: That leads into my subsequent query truly, what made you two resolve to do the fact present now? Like you talked about Shanice you may have been speaking about it for awhile. What made this the proper time and what made OWN the proper community?
Flex Alexander: There is a narrative to inform and we thought now was the time. So to inform a narrative of what we’ve gone via, the ups and downs to let individuals know we’re human. And we endure the identical issues as they do as effectively they usually can get via it. On OWN being the proper community, they only do all the things with class. Oprah is about class and upliftment and spirituality. Peace and love and all of these issues are plentiful up within the present.

UrbanBridgez.com: With it being the proper time, have been you two ever hesitant about being so trustworthy about your life and funds?
Flex Alexander: I believe as soon as we determined to do it, it was no hesitancy. We have been similar to let’s inform our story. And once more that was a time period. We’re not the place we fully wish to be however we’re positively not the place we sue to be. So it’s higher and once more that is the proper time and if we’re going to do it, no must be hesitant. We simply stated let’s go forward and inform it, so we will be answerable for telling our story.

UrbanBridgez.com: Have you guys gotten used to being actuality stars but?
Flex Alexander: I don’t just like the time period actuality star. We think about ourselves a docu-series, it’s simply actually our life. I don’t know, I simply by no means dug the time period actuality star. It’s like how are you going to star on one thing that’s actual? [all laugh] It’s simply odd to me, however as for all the things we’re having fun with it and grateful for it. So many individuals come as much as us and say, that they’re so glad to see it and are impressed by it. That conjures up us to maintain pushing. So that’s actually good and to only be capable to inform our story.

UrbanBridgez.com: Flex what was the toughest half for you getting again on stage to do comedy with TV cameras following you?
Flex Alexander: For me getting again on stage it was positively optimistic for me doing it on the present as a result of after we began speaking about my stand-up, it compelled me to come back out of that consolation zone that I used to be in. I used to be simply sitting again and Shanice would at all times inform me that I ought to get on stage and I’d be like ahhh. Then after we acquired a date and was instructed we’re going to be filming on that date, it was like okay I acquired to get it collectively now [laughs].

UrbanBridgez.com: Flex when you might truly do an motion movie that you simply helped write, and star in with two different comedians. Who would they be and why, like the last word comedy movie?
Flex Alexander: It could be Kevin Hart and Eddie Murphy. Eddie Murphy as a result of like so many others, he was the explanation I began doing stand-up. When I noticed “Delirious” I used to be like, that’s what I’m going to do. Kevin Hart, as a result of he’s a good friend and I’ve seen his battle. And to the place he’s propelled to now, he’s at all times been humorous and a cool dude. I’m tremendous glad for him and simply that vitality I believe could be superb.

[Stay Tuned to UB for More Flex, as He Takes Part in Our ‘Voting Special Feature with Ed Gordon’]