Candace Neolani Maxwell has built an impressive entertainment career, moving from a backup dancer for music’s biggest stars to a leading actress on BET+. Best known for her role as DJ Dime in Tyler Perry’s hit series “All the Queen’s Men,” she’s become a recognisable face in Black television.
Biography
Candace Maxwell was born in Westford, Connecticut, to immigrant parents who instilled in her a work ethic from an early age. Her mother, Monica Waite, is Jamaican, whilst her father hails from Trinidad. She’s proudly first-generation Caribbean-American and identifies as a Christian.
Although born in Connecticut, Maxwell was raised primarily in the St. Albans neighbourhood of Queens, New York, by her single mother. Growing up in Queens shaped much of who she’d become, teaching her resilience and determination. “My parents came here with a dream for their lives, and they were able to fulfill that,” she’s said in interviews. “So why shouldn’t I go for mine?”
She has a younger sister named Kristen Maxwell, who has also pursued careers in modelling and acting. Standing at 5’5″ (1.65 metres), Candace began her entertainment training at just five years old, studying ballet, modern, jazz, tap, African dance, and hip hop.
Her formal education continued at the Cobb County Centre for Excellence in the Performing Arts (CCEPA) in Atlanta, Georgia. This specialised performing arts high school allowed her to hone multiple disciplines simultaneously, laying the foundation for her future as a multi-hyphenate entertainer.
Career
Before conquering the screen, Maxwell built an impressive dance résumé. She performed as a member of the NY Knicks City Dancers at NBA games, gaining valuable professional experience. This led to opportunities as a backup dancer for some of music’s biggest names, including Beyoncé, P. Diddy, Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keys, Meghan Trainor, and Iggy Azalea.
These high-profile gigs provided income whilst she pursued acting training at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York City. There, she studied the Meisner technique under Charlie Sandlan, an experience that transformed her approach to performance. “I became a better artist, actor, friend, sibling and daughter because of the studio,” she’s reflected. “What I learned is present in my work every day.”
Maxwell’s screen debut came in 2011 when she appeared as a dancer in the film “Footloose.” Her credited acting debut followed in 2013’s “Bully Girls,” but her Broadway breakthrough arrived in 2014. She performed as a swing in “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” the Tupac Shakur musical directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon at the Palace Theatre.
Her television career gained momentum in the late 2010s. She appeared in three episodes of Starz’s critically acclaimed “Power” (2019-2020) as Cassandra Haynes, the role that first brought her significant recognition. She then landed a five-episode arc on The CW’s “Katy Keene” (2020), playing Didi in the fashion-focused musical drama.
The game-changer arrived in 2021 when Maxwell was cast as DJ Dime in Tyler Perry’s BET+ series “All the Queen’s Men.” The drama, centred around a male strip club called Club Eden, has run for four seasons and 53 episodes (2021-2025). Maxwell portrays the club’s resident DJ, who looks to Madam DeVille (Eva Marcille) as a mentor, and the role has established her as a fixture in Black television.
Season 4 premiered on November 28, 2024, with Maxwell continuing as a prominent cast member. The series’s success has opened additional doors for her career.
Maxwell’s 2024 proved particularly strong. She starred opposite Tristan Mack Wilds in “The Day Before Christmas,” a BET+ romantic comedy that premiered on Thanksgiving Day. The film follows two single parents who accidentally swap phones and children’s backpacks on Christmas Eve, and it earned a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb. This marked her first lead role in a feature film.
She also appeared in Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Homecoming” (2022) on Netflix, playing the character Ellie. Additional credits include “The Christmas Clapback” (2022) and the TV movie “Imposters” (2022).
In 2025, Maxwell expanded into unscripted television as a judge on “The Black Box,” a reality competition series. Her red-carpet presence at the 2023 and 2024 BET Awards demonstrated her growing industry visibility, with Sheen Magazine noting that she “stole the show” at the June 2024 ceremony.
Personal Life
Maxwell maintains strict privacy regarding her romantic relationships. She’s currently single and has no children, though she mentioned being in a relationship in 2022 with someone outside the entertainment industry who worked with children and ran a nonprofit. That relationship appears to have ended.
She recently relocated from Atlanta to Los Angeles to be closer to industry opportunities. Beyond acting, she’s passionate about cooking, travelling, and writing poetry. She describes herself as a “foodie” who prefers dishes “the spicier and the saucier, the better.” For mental health maintenance, she relies on regular exercise and meditation.
Net Worth
Current estimates place Candace Maxwell’s net worth at approximately $1 million to $1.2 million. Her income derives from several sources: acting roles (estimated at $25,000 per episode for series work), dance performances, brand endorsements, and social media influence.
Candace Maxwell’s Meisner training, extensive dance background, and methodical career-building have positioned her as a reliable presence in Black television. With “All the Queen’s Men” continuing to perform strongly and her recent expansion into film leads and reality-television judging, she’s stated that her ultimate ambition is to “win the EGOT.” Whether that’s achievable remains to be seen, but her progress suggests she’s only getting started.