An ebullient, versatile African-American actor and musical performer, Carson appeared in a variety of stage roles in his native Chicago (e.g., featured singer and dancer in "Project"), toured nationally with "Sesame Street Live" and once even took a modest part in a road company production of "Dreamgirls" just so he could sing "Steppin' to the Bad Side." After adding some television work to his list of credits (the 1989 Disney NBC TV production of "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story," for which he wrote the music), Carson landed the plum role of homeboy Dexter Jackson, laundry truck driver turned TV journalist, in the sassy, streetwise comedy, "Livin' Large" (1991). He found his biggest audience, though, when he was cast as the stockbroker neighbor Kyle whose verbal exchanges with neighbor Maxine 'Max' Shaw (Erika Alexander) masked their mutual attraction on the popular Fox sitcom "Living Single." After five seasons (1992-97), Carson left to pursue other interests, landing roles in the features "Relax, It's Just Sex" (1998), "Seduced" (1999) and the World War II submarine drama "U-571" (2000).