Commentary

Robin Givens: Iconic Actress Stars in OWN’s “Ambitions”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Givens stars in the new OWN series, “Ambitions,” 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.

Published

6 years ago

February 12, 2019

Oakland Post

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 OWN this year.

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., entertainment and culture editor for NNPA. She is also founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire, an award-winning news blog covering news of the African Diaspora. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

PRESS ROOM: Harris, Stabenow, Peters, Lawrence Introduce Legislation to Award Aretha Franklin with Congressional Gold Medal

Don't Miss

OP-ED: Upholding Our Values and Standing Against Discrimination

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

1 week ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.