Robin Givens: Iconic Actress Stars in OWN’s “Ambitions”
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor
Enduring actress Robin Givens spent the day promoting her new OWN television series, “Ambitions” at the 2019 SCAD a TVfest film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia Feb. 7-9. Produced by Will Packer Media, in association with Lionsgate and Lionsgate-owned distributor Debmar-Mercury, and starring Givens (“Riverdale,” “The Fix,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”), “Ambitions” is a multi-generational family saga centered around one woman who, having recently relocated and intent on revitalizing her marriage, finds herself going head to head with some of the most powerful and deceitful players in the city of Atlanta.
Givens stars as ‘Stephanie Carlisle,’ the wife of Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster (Brian White), whose true loyalty is to her family’s prestigious law firm, where she is the latest in a long line of distinguished lawyers.
Givens, who has had a long career in television and film is excited about her role as a dynamic woman fighting for position in a power-hungry city. “Ambitions” is a soapy, kind of campy family saga, about a woman who tries to take over her dad’s law firm and everything that goes on in this town,” says “The Fix” actress. “I use the word delicious to describe the role because it’s so fabulous. I really feel blessed to be able to play her.”
Givens, whose professional acting career spans three decades, stepped back from Hollywood in order to raise her two sons. Now that her youngest is in college, she’s ready to get back to her career at full throttle. “I’m becoming an empty nester. I’m making my way back into the business, falling in love with this all over again and I’ve had the opportunity to play some great women recently.”
Givens played Mayor Sierra McCoy on “Riverdale,” (CBS) and will play Julianne Johnson on “The Fix,” (ABC), a crime drama executive produced by former prosecutor Marcia Clark, debuting in March of this year. Givens also stars in the indie film Gully (Romulus) about three teenagers in dystopian Los Angeles.
“The mayor of Riverdale is sort of a strong woman. The character I play in ‘The Fix’ is also a strong woman but in an entirely different way,” says the Boomerang actress. “Stephanie Lancaster is definitely strong and terrible and wonderful and all of these things. I find that stepping out of the characters and looking at them from outside, that they’re all sort of strong and connected.”
Not to worry, although Givens will be playing strong women, there’s still a little humor, at least when it comes to the character of Stephanie Lancaster in “Ambitions.” Givens says, “I love comedy so I’m giving Stephanie a little humor which I really love,” and hopefully audiences will too. “Ambitions” debuts on OWNthis year.
