For four seasons and 60 episodes, Khandi Alexander breathed life and dimension into the most formidable anchor of “NewsRadio,” Catherine Duke, after replacing the original actor (Ella Joyce) in the series’ second episode. As Duke, Alexander refuses to suffer fools gladly, is a staunch nemesis of her insufferable WNYX co-anchor, Phil Hartman’s Bill McNeal, and is prone to slapping people in the face.
The series earned Hartman an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Alexander a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (via IMDb). The duo’s comedic chemistry is one of the series’ stronger through lines, as is Duke’s ability to go from an intimidating, wisecracking coworker to a compassionate and genuinely understanding friend. Despite all she brings to the table, Alexander’s character is often relegated to the sidelines, and the actor ultimately left the five-season series after Season 4, Episode 7, the aptly titled “Catherine Moves On” (via IMDb).
Following her role in the early ’90s work sitcom, the actor appeared in an episode of USA’s “La Femme Nikita,” and during her time in the show, she could simultaneously be found in an equally popular, but far more dramatic, long-running TV series.