- Flex Alexander (born Mark Alexander Knox) is an American actor, comedian, and dancer.
- Flex is also well-known for his appearances on his own reality show, Flex, and Shanice.
- Alexander and his wife have been through a lot, including becoming bankrupt and enduring multiple career setbacks.
- The One on One host recalled the difficult period when he and his family lost their house in Los Angeles.
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Who is Flex Alexander?
Flex Alexander (born Mark Alexander Knox) is an American actor, comedian, and dancer. Flex Alexander is well recognized for his role as Flex Washington on One-on-One. Knox has received two BET Comedy Award nominations and four NAACP Image Award nominations.
Flex Alexander’s Childhood; He Lost A Friend In A Gun Violence
Flex Alexander was born on April 15, 1970, in Harlem, New York.
He is Alethia Knox’s and Robert Whitehead’s son.
His mother worked three or four jobs to provide for him and his brothers.
While the number of Knox’s children is unknown, Flex has one older brother and one younger sister.
A Troubled Childhood; Near Death A Fight on the Street
Robert Whitehead, Knox’s father, was a bass guitarist who died in 1989.
Flex Alexander and Whitehead had only met three times.
Flex described his father as a “rolling stone” who was searching but didn’t know what he was looking for, according to People.
Dwayne, his brother, became involved with bad apples, resorting to the streets and illegal substances.
Dwayne died from AIDS later in life.
Flex was raised in the South Bronx.
Flex attends the 12th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) Gala on April 5, 2013, at the Aria Resort and Casino at City Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mark would likewise leave the house at the age of 15 to become a street hustler, sleeping on subway platforms and doing virtually anything to make a livelihood.
Things changed in 1988 when his comrade was killed in a shootout with a rival drug dealer.
Flex was in a similar predicament.
But he was saved when the dealer’s gun jammed into Flex’s skull. Knox quickly left the streets after that.
Flex Alexander’s Name Was Changed Due to Dancing
Flex Alexander studied architecture at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan.
He began dancing in New York nightclubs as a teen, gaining the nickname “Flex” for his acrobatic dance abilities.
DJ Spinderella later discovered him.
He subsequently began touring with the rap group Salt-n-and Pepa’s stayed with them for three years.
Flex not only danced but also choreographed for Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah.
Flex The Alexander Show was canceled several times.
Alexander made his stand-up comedy debut in 1989.
He finally made the transition to acting, making his feature film debut in the 1992 picture Juice.
From 1992 to 1994, he was a regular cast member of the sketch comedy show Uptown Comedy Club.
Flex made his television debut in the ABC sitcom Where I Live, which starred Doug E. Doug.
Despite great acclaim, the studio canceled it after a year.
The New Yorker comedian then appeared on episodes of Sister, Sister, and The Cosby Mysteries before relocating to Los Angeles in 1995 to pursue acting full-time.
In 1996, the NAACP award winner received a leading role on another sitcom, Homeboys in Outer Space, which lasted only a few episodes.
Later that year, Flex co-starred in another Steven Bochco series, Total Security.
Following Total Security, Alexander appeared as a guest on Brooklyn South and The Parkers.
He also appeared in a number of films, including the 1998 direct-to-video feature Backroom Bodega Boyz and She’s All That (1999).
Other Shows and Movies
Shanice’s husband Darnell starred as Maya Wilkes’ husband Darnell in the first season of the UPN sitcom Girlfriends from 2000 to 2001.
He departed Girlfriends to play Mark “Flex” Washington, a single parent, in the UPN sitcom One on One.
He devised and produced the series himself.
Alexander was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards and two BET Comedy Awards for his work on One On One.
The father of two played Michael Jackson in the VH1 television biography Man In The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story in 2004.
He was nominated for another NAACP Image Award as a result of this.
Alexander stayed on One-on-One for another two seasons.
However, during the previous season, the show wrote out his character and demoted him to a recurring part for the program’s reboot.
Following the conclusion of One On One, Alexander went on to appear in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane, in which he co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson, and the 2007 horror picture The Hills Have Eyes 2.
He also appeared with Danny Glover in Clement Virgo’s Poor Boy’s Game and in a 2007 episode of CSI: Miami.
Recently, the six-foot-three-inch actor and his wife, Shanice, had their own reality program Flex & Shanice, which aired on the OWN channel.
He’s also been DJing on Zoom lately.
Flex Alexander’s wife claims that his faith in God attracted him.
On February 19, 2000, Alexander married R&B singer Shanice Wilson.
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973), better known as Shanice, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer.
They used to live in the same apartment complex in the San Fernando Valley.
The Grammy nominee singer revealed to HuffPost that they met in an elevator.
The diva has stated in multiple interviews that Flex’s devotion to God was the first thing that drew her to him.
Initially, the two were just pals.
Their first date took place at Mel’s Diner in Studio City, California.
Flex Alexander and his wife, singer/songwriter Shanice Wilson, attend the 8th Annual Heroes In The Struggle Gala in Los Angeles, CA on February 4, 2009.
On February 4, 2009, actor Flex Alexander and his wife, Shanice Wilson, attended the 8th Annual Heroes In The Struggle Gala in Los Angeles, CA.
Flex’s wife had Billboard hit songs “I Love Your Smile,” “Silent Prayer,” and “Saving Forever for You” in 1991 and 1993, respectively.
Mrs. Knox had another hit in 1999 with “When I Close My Eyes,” which reached No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Shanice is well-known for her coloratura soprano voice as well as her ability to sing in the whistle register.
They have two children, Imani Shekinah Alexander-Knox (born August 23, 2001) and Elijah Alexander-Knox (born August 23, 2001).
(born March 5, 2004). Imani, their daughter, graduated from high school in June 2019.
Why Did Flex and Shanice Marry So Quickly?
Mark and Shanice had just been dating for around three months before their wedding.
The former brought his fiancee to church, where the pastor was discussing “ghetto engagements.”
Shanice told Oprah that the pastor was tired of couples having five and six-year engagements.
So he coined the term “ghetto engagement” to describe those who were taking too long to marry.
They got into the car after leaving the church, and Flex looked at Shanice and asked her to marry him right then and there, to which she consented.
They lost their home; it was the worst moment of their marriage.
During an interview with Page Six, the One on One host recalled the difficult period when he and his family lost their house in Los Angeles in 2010.
According to the actor, it was a real estate crash.
He and his wife had purchased a lot of property, so when the bad times arrived, he continued to try to hang onto that land and draw from funds.
Alexander thought real estate was a terrific way to build money at the time, and it was something he wanted to pass down to his family and children.
As a result, he tried to hang on.
The crash had a significant impact on the family, and he and his wife had financial difficulties as a result.
The pair discussed their problems on their own reality show, “Flex & Shanice.”
Shanice and Flex even pawned their wedding bands, which they eventually recovered.
Alexander, on the other hand, claims he has no regrets about going public with their bankruptcy story.
He explained that he had no regrets.
Alexander stated that he comes from the South Bronx projects and that such things do not bother him.
The family survived, and their careers are now back on track, with both of them living the billionaire lifestyle.
Flex To commemorate his anniversary with Shanice, Alexander borrowed $350.
Flex had to seek help from a friend to take his wife out on an anniversary date during one of their difficult moments.
In May 2020, while on Instagram live with one of his friends, Chris, the Bronx native stated that it was their anniversary and he couldn’t do anything for Shanice.
Flex went on to say that Chris was the one who provided him with $350 so that he and Shanice could enjoy their day.
On camera, the actor sobbed and conveyed his gratitude to his friends.
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So, are they still together; what are Flex and his wife up to these days?
Fans and the Alexander couple both enjoyed a happy ending as the latter overcame adversity during their presentation.
The pair is currently enjoying a steady existence and concentrating on each of their projects while being married to one other.
Alexander stated to Fox 5 in April 2020 that he was working on a streaming platform firm called CEEK with several men from DC.
The service, according to Shanice’s spouse, concentrates on eyewear and virtual reality.
His Miami-based startup, CEEK, connects music artists and digital content providers directly to their consumers.
Flex’s wife of 20 years, on the other hand, revealed that she was working on her own lipstick brand, Smell by Shanice.
She stated that the product is vegan and non-toxic.
The duo stated that they came up with their ideas during the pandemic of 2020.
