Erika Alexander, most notably known for her role as Maxine Shaw on the 90s sitcom Living Single, is once again on the TV screen as a pioneering career woman in New York this time as Barb on the STARZ original series Run the World. This time she gets to mix naughty and nurturing with a sophisticated layered depiction of a successful Black woman.

Barb is a 50-something-year-old editor who intentionally and unintentionally occasionally hangs with the main core four friend group of 30-something Black women in Harlem. Their relationship is one of cross-generational mentorship and friendship among Black women. Through each encounter, Run the World captures the importance of this intergenerational relationship and the importance of extending a hand to those younger than you.

Alexander’s Barb is often found randomly popping up as the ladies navigate the same professional circles of Harlem. While living her life to the fullest, throughout the series, she blesses the leading ladies with tidbits of advice like a fairy godmother on love, career, and self-love. In summation, Barb’s like a warm hug and stern talking to with a splash of chaos that gets you together.

Reckon recently spoke with the veteran thespian to discuss her role as Barb and the importance of her character on screen.

Barb is back this season and a bit more present as a wise fairy godmother figure in each of the ladies’ lives. How was it portraying that dynamic and sharing wisdom with their respective characters?

Erika Alexander: It was wonderful … that it’s a space that I feel comfortable in. I have a lot to say in life. And I’ve lived a lot of lives and personal me, Erika, but also Barb. And to infuse that into the character and make her have to relate to the young women as not just relationship advice but also career advice is powerful.

It’s a conversation that happens all the time, and we rarely see it like this. And it’s Harlem, it’s New York, it’s the center of business worldwide. So, it’s good to see them having that conversation but also getting on with their relationships, and Barb herself expanding in that space.

What’s your favorite part about playing Barb in Run the World?

Erika Alexander: Barb is naughty. I like people who are naughty, who say what they mean, and mean what they say. She’s also consistent. She’s not just nutsy or zany. She’s actually offering good advice, and [it] may come out in a weird way. And she’s also down. She’s also the person you want in the foxhole when the first bullet flies. You know what I mean? She’s not going to leave you there. Well, she might, I mean, but she’s going to give you a piece of advice before she runs. I love Barb and that I get to be in the space where I use the most powerful part of myself, which is wisdom. [Putting] it together with something reckless and a little dangerous but not hurtful is great.

What are your hopes that viewers take with them after watching season two?

Erika Alexander: I hope that they get excited about what the future could be. You often watch television or stories to see yourself reflected in them. But also, I think it’s important to walk in other people’s shoes. And here we are in Harlem, one of the most beautiful places in the world, very diverse, full of life, fashion, face, hair, opinions, and all that New York has to offer. And we get to have this adventure with them. And so anybody who likes adventure in the sense of exploring interesting questions about relationships and being unsure about them, being anxious about them but also still pushing through, [will] dig it. And that’s what Run the World is all about. Running the world, when you think about it as a phrase, everyone goes, “Oh, you’re boss, you’re this.” But running the world is also full of problems, belief in yourself, confidence, that type of thing. Do you have the confidence to run the world? And they do. That’s hope. Barb certainly does, and that’s why she’s there, to show them the way.