Living Single cast then and now: Where are the talented actors now?
Most of the Living Single cast actively pursued careers in acting and film production after appearing in the comedy series. Some, including Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, have supplemented their achievements by shifting to print media and radio. Terrence 'T.C.' Carson, who plays Kyle Barker, is known for voicing animated films and video games.
Source: Twitter
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Queen Latifah (Khadijah James) leveraged her role to expand her career in acting, music, and entrepreneurship, starring in Bessie, The Secret Life of Bees, Steel Magnolias, and the Ice Age franchise.
- Kim Coles (Synclaire James-Jones) has focused on comedy, motivational speaking, and writing, including her book I'm Free But It Will Cost You and stage show Homework.
- Kim Fields, Terrence Carson, and Mel Jackson diversified their careers beyond Living Single into reality TV, voice acting, film roles, and entrepreneurship.
Living Single cast then and now
Living Single follows a group of four young women and two young men as they navigate romantic relationships, college, and employment in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Here is a deep dive into the whereabouts of each Living Single cast member now.
1. Queen Latifah as Khadijah James
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Dana Elaine Owens
- Date of birth: 18 March 1970
- Age: 55 years as of 2025
- Place of birth: Newark, New Jersey, United States
- Profession: Actress, rapper, singer, entrepreneur, activist
Queen Latifah played Khadijah James, the principal character on the show. The editor of Flavor magazine plays the steady centre of the friend as they navigate various adventures in 118 episodes.
Although she was already an acclaimed rapper before the show, Khadija's role helped launch her into mainstream stardom. Since then, she has built a strong career as an actress, producer, musician, and entrepreneur. Her most acclaimed works include Bessie, Steel Magnolias, The Secret Life of Bees, and the Ice Age franchise.
2. Kim Coles as Synclaire James-Jones
Source: UGC
- Full name: Kimberly Coles
- Date of birth: 11 January 1962
- Age: 63 years as of 2025
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Profession: Actress, comedian, coach, author, game show host
Kim Coles played the naive, kind-hearted roommate Synclaire James-Jones. In the show, Synclaire is Khadija's cousin and is married to Overton Wakefield Jones (John Henton).
After the show, Coles wrote a book, I'm Free But It Will Cost You, and the stage show, Homework. She is a game show and reality show host, and is also a motivational speaker and author. Currently, she focuses on comedy and storytelling as a platform to uplift others through workshops, books, and live events.
3. Erika Alexander as Maxine 'Max' Felice Shaw
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Erika Rose Alexander
- Date of birth: 19 November 1969
- Age: 55 years as of August 2025
- Place of birth: Winslow, Arizona, United States
- Profession: Actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur, activist
Erika Alexander starred as Maxine Felice Shaw, the sharp, sarcastic attorney on Living Single. Her breakout role in The Cosby Show prepared her for the career-defining role in Living Single, a role that won her two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress.
Beyond acting, Erika is an author, film producer, director, and writer. She has created films such as Independent Lens, The Big Payback, Finding Tamika, and The BFF Chronicles.
Erika co-founded Colour Farm Media and represents Exponent, One Fair Wage, and VoteRunLead. Through these ventures, she hopes to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media and electoral politics.
4. John Henton as Overton 'Obie' Wakefield Jones
Source: Twitter
- Full name: John Henton
- Date of birth: 23 November 1960
- Age: 64 years as of August 2025
- Place of birth: East Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Profession: Actor, comedian
On Living Single, John Henton played Overton Wakefield Jones, a jovial handyman and Synclaire’s boyfriend. Obie, as he is fondly known, appears in all five seasons of the film and is later a regular on The Hughleys.
After the show, the stand-up comedian made guest appearances on For Your Love, One on One, The Parkers, Hannah Montana, and, most recently, Laffaholics. According to Improv.com, Henton has remained active in the comedy scene, performing on The Arsenio Hall Show, Uptown Comedy Corner, and The Tonight Show.
5. Kim Fields as Regine Hunter
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Kim Fields Morgan
- Date of birth: 12 May 1969
- Age: 56 years as of 2025
- Place of birth: New York, United States
- Profession: Actress, filmmaker, entrepreneur
Kim Fields played Regine Hunter, the fashion-and image-conscious roommate on the sitcom. Fields, who first gained fame as a child actress, rose to prominence starring in classic shows such as The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, and Mork & Mindy, among others.
The actress, director, producer, and writer has appeared in reality TV shows such as Real Housewives of Atlanta and Dancing with the Stars. Over the years, the multi-talented businesswoman launched a variety of businesses in the wellness, apparel, food, and entertainment industries.
6. Terrence Carson as Kyle Barker
Source: UGC
- Full name: Terrence Carson
- Date of birth: 19 November 1958
- Age: 66 years as of August 2025
- Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Profession: Actor, jazz vocalist, voice actor
Terrence Carson, famously known as T.C., starred as Kyle Barker on Living Single until the fourth season. He is best known for voicing Kratos in the God of War games and Mace Windu in Star Wars animations.
In addition to voicing video game and cartoon characters, T.C.'s unmistakable voice has given him a lasting career as a singer and soundtrack composer. Most recently, he has taken roles in Miss Governor, The Despaired, Black Lightning, Nashville, and A Wesley Christmas.
7. Mel Jackson as Ira Lee 'Trip' Williams III
Source: UGC
- Full name: Mel Jackson
- Date of birth: 13 October 1970
- Age: 54 years as of August 2025
- Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Profession: Actor
Mel Jackson played Ira Lee 'Tripp' Williams III in the last season of Living Single, where he joined the friend group as a smooth-talking songwriter. After the show, he appeared in films and TV series throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, including Soul Food, Deliver Us from Eva, Motives, and The Parkers. His last known screen role was in 2011 on BET’s Reed Between the Lines.
Since then, Jackson has maintained a very low public profile. While he occasionally posts inspirational messages on Instagram, he has not shared details about his personal life or any new acting projects.
What happened to Maxine from Living Single in real life?
Erika Alexander, who plays Max, has continued to have a successful career in acting. She has also become a prominent activist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker.
How much did the cast of Living Single get paid per episode?
According to Yahoo Finance, each of the six main cast members received $1 million per episode. However, this has been disputed by the show's creator, Yvette Lee Bowser, who told Today.com:
The production budget for each of the five seasons of Living Single was just over $1 million per episode... We had tremendous budgetary limitations. We were on a particularly lean budget, and the reason we were given was that we were still part of a startup network, Fox, and it was still claiming new status.
Why was Kyle fired from Living Single?
T.C. Carson was not fired. He left the show after his character, Kyle Baker, was written out. Over the years, various reasons have been raised to explain his absence, including creative differences, relocating to London, and being blackballed for speaking out against Warner Bros and the show's direction.
What happened to Overton from Living Single?
In 2000, John Henton, who plays Overton, was involved in a severe car accident. Although he made a full recovery, the accident impacted his career and visibility in the industry.
Is the Living Single cast still friends?
The cast members are still friends. In an interview with Ebony, Queen Latifah revealed the love the cast members have for each other and the discussions they have about the show on its group chat.
The Living Single cast members paint a picture of creative success for the entire cast. From Queen Latifah to Mel Jackson, the show's characters have grown their entertainment skills into film production, writing, and music production. Besides appearing in films, most cast members have other ventures in business and activism.
Legit.ng has recently published an article detailing the whereabouts of Growing Pains cast members. The ABC television show's premise followed a family of six as they navigated life's changes in career, parenting, and growing up.
Most of the cast members had taken different paths in the entertainment scene, with varying success. Some of the cast members, such as Kirk Cameron and his wife, Chelsea Noble, left the entertainment world. Read on for full details of the characters and their lives after the show.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
