Robin Simone Givens (born November 27, 1964) is an American film, television, and stage actress.
Early life
Givens was born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, the daughter of Ruth Roper (née Newby) and Reuben Givens. Givens's mother and father divorced when she was two. She and her sister Stephanie were raised by their mother in
New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing Catholic pogroms in France...
. Givens graduated in 1980 from New Rochelle Academy (closed 1987). Still at 15, she enrolled at
Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States. It is located in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, north of Manhattan. Sarah Lawrence was founded in 1926 as a women's college and became a coeducational institution in 1968...
. She later claimed she studied various medical courses at
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and SciencesThe Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the academic unit responsible for many post-baccalaureate degree programs offered through the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University...
, although Harvard's registrar office only confirmed that she took one class in 1984.
Career
Givens first began acting in 1985 with an appearance on
The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 and running for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992...
, followed by roles in
Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986.-History:...
, and the 1986 television film
Beverly Hills Madam opposite
Faye DunawayFaye Dunaway is an American actress.Dunaway won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Network after receiving previous nominations for the critically acclaimed films Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown...
. That same year, she landed her breakthrough role as rich girl Darlene Merriman on the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
sitcom
Head of the ClassHead of the Class was an American sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network. It followed a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan, and their history teacher Charlie Moore...
. The series lasted five seasons, ending in 1991. In 1989, while starring in
Head of the Class, she appeared in
The Women of Brewster Place with
Oprah WinfreyOprah Gail Winfrey is an American media personality, actress, television producer, literary critic and magazine publisher, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history...
. She later appeared in 1992's
Boomerang. In 1994, she posed nude for
PlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine, founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. Playboy is one of the world's best...
magazine and was ranked #88 on
Empire Magazine 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History list in May 1995.
In 1996, Givens portrayed Claudia in the television movie
The Face (also known as
A Face to Die For) with
Yasmine BleethYasmine Amanda Bleeth is an American actress, best known for her role as Caroline Holden in the long-running series Baywatch.-Early life and career:...
. Later that year, she co-starred in the
UPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States, being in production for over eleven years. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries. It was later owned by CBS Corporation. Its first night of broadcasting was...
sitcom
SparksSparks is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 26, 1996 to March 2, 1998. The series starred actors James Avery, Robin Givens, Terrence Howard, and Miguel A. Núñez, Jr....
. The series ended its run in 1998.
In January 2000, Givens appeared in a cameo in music video "
He Wasn't Man Enough"He Wasn't Man Enough" is the lead single from Toni Braxton's third studio album, The Heat . It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 6, 2000, where it stood for several weeks, as well as number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for four weeks...
" by
Toni BraxtonToni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter actress; and philanthropist whose successful career sky rocketed from 1989 till the present day . Braxton has won six Grammy Awards and has sold over 40 million records worldwide...
, as the wife of a cheating husband. She returned to the entertainment industry later that year as the host of the talk show
Forgive or ForgetForgive or Forget was an American talk show aired in national syndication from June 1998 to May 2000. The original host of the show was Mother Love, but she was replaced with former Head of the Class actress Robin Givens for the series' second and last season.The premise of the show involved...
, replacing television personality
Mother LoveJo Ann Hart, better known as Mother Love is an American entertainer. From 1998 to 2000, she was the original host of Forgive or Forget. In addition, she has hosted on radio in Los Angeles radio stations KLSX, KACE FM, and a show on KFI. She came from Cleveland OH radio. She also appeared in such...
halfway through the show's second. Ratings initially increased after Givens took over hosting duties, but soon fell. The series was canceled after this season.
In 2006, Givens attempted a return to television on
MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
's
telenovelaA telenovela is a limited-run television serial melodrama popular in the Americas, comprising a great part of its production budget. The word combines tele, short for television, and novela, a word that Latin literary studies associate with medium-span romances. Telenovelas are essentially soap...
Saints and SinnersSaints & Sinners is a telenovela which premiered on March 14, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on the American television network MyNetworkTV. Twentieth Television produced this limited-run serial, based on the a 2000 TV Azteca telenovela titled La Calle de las Novias...
, but the show garnered low ratings and was soon canceled. Givens continued acting in made-for-television films while also making appearances on
Trinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is the United States' largest Christian television network. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, it also has studio facilities located in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New York...
's
Praise the LordPraise The Lord is the flagship television program of the Trinity Broadcasting Network , based in southern California, USA.For most of its history the show was primarily hosted by Paul and Jan Crouch. In recent years, Paul and Jan host the show only during telethons such as Praise-a-thon and the...
program (July 12, 2007), and
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. The show debuted in 1985, and is CNN's most watched program, with over one million viewers nightly.The show broadcasts from CNN's Los Angeles studios...
. In June 2007, she released her autobiography
Grace Will Lead Me Home.
In 2008, Givens had a recurring role portraying a fictionalized version of herself on the CW comdey-drama
The Game. She has also had a recurring role on the TBS show
Tyler Perry's House of PayneTyler Perry's House of Payne is a show created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by comical patriarch Curtis "Pops" Payne and his sassy but religious wife Ella. The...
, and she has a guest role on
USA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1977. The channel shows a variety of original and second-run programming, from syndicated TV series to edited movies...
's
Burn NoticeBurn Notice is an American television action drama series created by Matt Nix. The show stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless...
.
In addition to television and film roles, Givens has also performed onstage. In 2001, she appeared in an Off Broadway production of
The Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the off-Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at HERE Arts Center in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production; when she left the play it was recast with three celebrity monologists...
. From February to April 16, 2006, she played the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway play
ChicagoChicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse...
. In 2007, she toured the country playing a part in the I'm Ready Productions play
Men, Money & Golddiggers.
Personal life
Givens dated her
Head of the ClassHead of the Class was an American sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network. It followed a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan, and their history teacher Charlie Moore...
co-star
Brian RobbinsBrian Robbins is an American actor and producer, director and screenwriter. He often collaborates with Mike Tollin.-Biography:...
, comedian and actor
Eddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. He is the second-highest grossing actor in motion picture history. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian...
, and a pre-fame
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He has been cited as one of the world's most attractive men, a label that entices the media to report on his off-screen life...
. She briefly dated
Howard SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio and media personality most notable for his radio show which since January 9, 2006, has been broadcasting on Sirius XM, an uncensored satellite radio service...
from 1999-2000.
After meeting in March 1987, she married
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
Mike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. He was the undisputed heavyweight champion and remains the youngest man ever to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles. He won the WBC title at just 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old, after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in...
on February 7, 1988. Tyson was then estimated to have
$USDThe United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
$50 million, and he and Givens did not make a
prenuptial agreementA prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into prior to marriage or civil union by the people intending to marry...
. During their marriage, Givens and her mother bought a $4.5 million dollar mansion in the affluent suburb of
Bernardsville, New JerseyBernardsville is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,345....
. After a miscarriage in May 1988, the marriage began to fall apart. She alleged
spousal abuseDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse or intimate partner violence , can be broadly defined a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation...
while Tyson alleged alienation and interest in his money, not in him. The marriage ended on
Valentine's DayValentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering...
, just a year later. Newspapers reported that Givens received a divorce settlement of over $10 million from her marriage to Tyson. She later denied the report stating "I didn’t receive one dime". She received negative press following her split from Tyson, particularly within the
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
community. One article in particular described her as "the most hated woman in America".
In 1993, Givens adopted her first son, and she has a second son with ex-boyfriend
Murphy JensenMurphy Jensen is an American professional tennis player from Ludington, Michigan and currently the coach of the Washington Kastles of World TeamTennis. His elder brother is former professional male tennis player Luke Jensen...
. She married her tennis instructor, Svetozar Marinkovic, in 1997. She and Marinkovic separated the same day that they married. Givens filed for divorce months later.
Lawsuit
In January 2004, Givens critically injured an 89-year-old pedestrian, Maria Antonia Alcover, while driving her SUV through a Miami intersection. Givens was ticketed for failing to use due care with a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but the charges were later dismissed. In June 2004, Alcover filed a civil lawsuit against Givens and her sister (the owner of the SUV Givens was driving) for an unknown amount.
Tax problems
A May 7, 2009 article in
Forbes magazine reports that the U.S. government is suing Givens over allegations of $292,000 of unpaid federal taxes, interest and penalties. The government has asked a federal court in Florida for a judgment against her on 39 assessments covering eight years.
Filmography
| Film |
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1978 |
The WizThe Wiz is a 1978 American musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway...
|
Extra |
Uncredited |
| 1991 |
A Rage in Harlem A Rage in Harlem is a 1991 film starring Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines based on Chester Himes' novel of the same name. The bare bones of the plot is used to create a screenplay with a somewhat different emphasis than the novel...
|
Imabelle |
| 1992 |
Boomerang |
Jacqueline "Jackie/Jack" Broyer |
| 1994 |
Foreign Student |
April |
| Blankman Blankman is a 1994 superhero parody film starring Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier, who are both of In Living Color fame. The film was directed by Mike Binder and written by Damon Wayans and J. F. Lawton.-Plot:...
|
Kimberly Jonz |
| 1995 |
Dangerous Intentions |
Kaye Ferrar |
| 1998 |
Secrets |
|
| 2000 |
Everything's JakeEverything's Jake is a 2007 drama film distributed by Warner Bros. The movie marks the feature writing and directorial debut of Matthew Miele along with his producing/writing partner, Chris Fetchko.-Plot:...
|
Publisher |
| 2001 |
The Elite |
Ashe |
| 2002 |
Book of Love Book of Love, also known as Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs, is a 2002 romantic comedy film, written and directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd, and starring Anthony "Treach" Criss, Eric K. George, and Richard T. Jones as its three male protagonists, respectively.-Plot:Book of Love is a...
|
Iyanna |
| Antibody |
Dr. Rachel Saverini |
Direct-to-video release A film that is released direct-to-video is one which has been released to the public on home video formats before or without being released in movie theaters or broadcast on television...
|
| 2003 |
Head of State Head of State is a 2003 comedy movie directed, written by, and starring Chris Rock and also co-starring Bernie Mac.-Plot:Mays Gilliam is an alderman of the 9th Ward in the Washington D.C. area...
|
Kim |
| A Good Night to Die |
Dana |
| Love Chronicles |
Monifa Burly |
| 2005 |
Flip the Script |
Rain Jones |
| 2006 |
Restraining Order |
Diane McNeil |
| 2008 |
Queen of Media Queen of Media is a 2008 American drama film, directed by Furqaan Clover, starring Robin Givens. The film is based on the New York Times bestseller Wendy's Got the Heat by Wendy Williams. It stars Robin Givens in the title role. It was written by Kimba Henriques. Furqaan Clover was a contributing...
|
Wendy Williams |
| The Family That Preys The Family That Preys is a 2008 American dramedy written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. The screenplay, based on one of Perry's plays, focuses on two families, one wealthy and the other working class, whose lives are intertwined in both love and business.-Plot:In a prologue, socialite...
|
Abby |
| Little Hercules in 3-D |
Dana |
| Television |
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1985 |
The Cosby Show |
Susanne |
Episode: "Theo and the Older Woman" |
| 1986 |
Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986.-History:...
|
Ann |
1 episode |
| Beverly Hills Madam |
April Baxter |
Television movie |
| Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Philip Marlowe, Private Eye is a mystery series that aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and on HBO in the United States from April 16, 1983 through June 3, 1986. The series featured Powers Boothe as Raymond Chandler's titular character, and was the first drama produced for HBO.-Synopsis:The series...
|
Token Ware |
1 episode |
| 1986-91 |
Head of the Class |
Darlene Merriman |
114 episodes |
| 1989 |
The Penthouse |
Dinah St. Clair |
Television movie |
| The Women of Brewster Place |
Kiswana |
Miniseries |
| 1992 |
Angel Street |
Det. Anita King |
Television movie |
| Angel Street |
Det. Anita King |
Unknown episodes |
| 1995 |
Me and the Boys Me and the Boys is a short-lived American sitcom that aired on the ABC network from September 20, 1994 until February 28, 1995. The series featured comedian Steve Harvey, who also served as a writer, in his first starring role.-Synopsis:...
|
Nina |
2 episodes |
The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show starred Will Smith as a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in a Bel Air mansion. His lifestyle often...
|
Denise |
Episode: "Cold Feet, Hot Body" |
| Courthouse |
Suzanne Graham |
11 episodes |
| 1996 |
In the House In the House is an American sitcom that premiered on April 10, 1995 on NBC. The series moved to UPN after its second season where it remained for an additional three seasons until it was canceled on August 11, 1999. In the House starred LL Cool J and Maia Campbell.-Synopsis:Marion Hill is a former...
|
Alex |
3 episodes |
| A Face to Die For |
Claudia |
Television movie |
| 1996-98 |
Sparks Sparks is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 26, 1996 to March 2, 1998. The series starred actors James Avery, Robin Givens, Terrence Howard, and Miguel A. Núñez, Jr....
|
Wilma Cuthbert |
40 episodes |
| 1997 |
MoeshaMoesha is an American situation comedy/drama series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in Los Angeles.-Overview:...
|
Ladonna |
Episode: "Strike a Pose" |
| 1999 |
The Love Boat: The Next Wave The Love Boat: The Next Wave is an American television series which was based on the ABC sitcom The Love Boat. The series aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999.-Plot:...
|
Dana Chase |
1 episode |
| Michael Jordan: An American Hero |
Juanita Vanoy/Juanita Jordan |
Television movie |
| Cosby Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000. The television program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
|
Ms. Malone |
2 episodes |
| 2000 |
The Expendables The Expendables is a 2000 film directed by Janet Myers. It was written by Patricia Resnick, Peter Geiger and Bruno Heller. It stars Brett Cullen, Robin Givens, Idalis DeLeón and Tempestt Bledsoe. It aired April 25, 2000 on the USA Network....
|
Randy |
Television movie |
| Chicken Soup for the Soul |
Counselor |
1 episode |
| DAG DAG is an American sitcom that aired from November 2000 to May 2001 on NBC. It was named after its star, David Alan Grier, who starred as United States Secret Service agent Jerome Daggett. Daggett's name, in turn, is a back-formation...
|
Jennifer |
1 episode |
| 2001 |
Spinning Out of Control |
Erin |
Television movie |
| 2003 |
Hollywood Wives: The New Generation Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, also released as Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, is a 2003 television film directed by Joyce Chopra...
|
Kyndra |
Television movie |
| 2003-04 |
One on OneOne on One is an American sitcom that aired on the now-defunct UPN. The series stars Flex Alexander as a single sportscaster, who becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter moves in with him. The series was based in Baltimore and in...
|
Sheila |
2 episodes |
| 2005 |
Captive Hearts |
Jade Marlo |
Television movie |
| 2008 |
House of Payne |
Tanya |
3 episodes |
| Burn Notice |
Kandi |
Episode: "Scatter Point" |
| The Game |
Herself |
3 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award |
Result |
Category |
Film |
| 1991 |
ShoWest Convention, USA |
Won |
Female Star of Tomorrow |
- |
| 2004 |
Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
|
Nominated |
Television: Best Supporting Actress |
Hollywood Wives: The New Generation |
External links