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I learned that, you know, tomorrow like food is not promised.

You got to make the most of what you have.

Make it a meal and be nourished by it.

Sometimes you're nourished by the absence of things.

Again, you know, you're eating lunchmead sandwiches and, you know, what are those dinners that you put in the oven?

Those were treats.

TV dinners.

TV dinners. That was a treat.

I remember being grateful for the flavors, you know, not for the portions.

Hello, hello, welcome back to your mama's kitchen. This is a place where we explore how we are shaped as adults by the kitchens that we grew up in as kids, not just the food, but all the stuff that happens there. The laughter, the sibling rivalries, the secrets shared at the kitchen table, the homework. I'm Michelle Norris. And my guest today is Erica Alexander.

You know her.

You have seen her in several of her iconic roles as Maxine Shaw in Living Single,

as Detective Latoya in Get Out, Cousin Pam in the Cosby Show,

and Coraline in American fiction.

But she's not just an actress. She is also an activist,

a podcast host. She's an entrepreneur and a producer and a director. She produced the fantastic John Lewis documentary that was released back in 2020. She co-wrote a graphic novel. You should

check that out. And she even created and co-wrote an incredible

true crime podcast. It's called Finding Tamika. And she stars in season three of Apple TV's Invasion,

which just premiered. And she's working on another show that's going to be on NBC. Girl,

what don't you do? Obviously rest. I mean, you know, the only thing we left out was chief bottle washer in there or something. Hey, let me tell you something. I do a little of that too. You got to be busy to stay busy. The hustle is real. And I'm gratified. It's a 42-year career you're talking about. So I learned that you cannot, people say stay in your lane. I said,

I'm an off-road vehicle. That's how I paid a rent. And, you know, and really today, you have to work across several platforms and have all, you know, in my world of cooking, all six burners going at the same time. And you definitely do. I am so glad you're with us. Thank you, Michelle.

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