Robin Givens facts for kids

Robin Givens (born November 27, 1964) is an American actress and director. She became well-known for her role as Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class, which started in 1986. She stayed on the show for all five seasons.

Robin Givens has appeared in many films and TV shows. These include The Women of Brewster Place (1989) and Boomerang (1992). In 1996, she co-starred in the sitcom Sparks. Later, she hosted the talk show Forgive or Forget in 2000. In 2007, she wrote her autobiography, Grace Will Lead Me Home. She has also had roles in popular shows like The Game, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Chuck, Riverdale, and Batwoman. Since 2020, Robin Givens has also been directing TV shows and movies.

Early Life and Education

Robin Givens and her sister Stephanie grew up in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, New York. Their mother raised them. Robin was raised Catholic. As a teenager, she sometimes worked as a model and actress. She appeared in magazines like Seventeen and Mademoiselle. Her first movie role was at age 14 in The Wiz (1978).

She graduated from New Rochelle Academy. At 15, she started college at Sarah Lawrence College. She studied to become a doctor. She was one of the youngest students there. While in college, she acted in daytime TV shows. She finished college in 1984 when she was 19.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1980s and 1990s

In 1985, Robin Givens tried out for a role on The Cosby Show. She got the part, and Bill Cosby became her mentor. He encouraged her to focus on acting. Soon after, she appeared in Diff'rent Strokes. She also acted in the 1986 TV movie Beverly Hills Madam.

That same year, she got her big role as Darlene Merriman in Head of the Class. This ABC sitcom was very popular. It ran for five seasons until 1991. While on Head of the Class, she also appeared in The Women of Brewster Place (1989). She later starred in films like A Rage in Harlem (1991) and Boomerang (1992).

In 1996, Givens played Claudia in the TV movie A Face to Die For. Later that year, she co-starred in the UPN sitcom Sparks. This show ran until 1998. She also played Denise in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Work in the 2000s and 2010s

In January 2000, Robin Givens appeared in Toni Braxton's music video "He Wasn't Man Enough". She then became the host of the talk show Forgive or Forget. She took over from Mother Love during the show's second season.

In 2006, Givens tried a new TV show called Saints and Sinners. She continued acting in TV movies. She also appeared on TV programs like Praise the Lord and Larry King Live. In June 2007, she released her autobiography, Grace Will Lead Me Home.

Givens returned to movies in Tyler Perry's film The Family That Preys (2008). She also had a recurring role playing herself on The Game. She appeared on Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Burn Notice. Besides TV and film, Givens has performed on stage. In 2006, she played Roxie Hart in the Broadway play Chicago. She also toured in plays like Men, Money & Golddiggers and A Mother's Prayer.

In her 2007 memoir, Grace Will Lead Me Home, she wrote about her grandmother, her faith, and her strength. In 2011, she guest-starred in three episodes of NBC's Chuck. She played Director Jane Bentley. Later that year, she performed in the play Blues for An Alabama Sky. In 2015, she starred in a segment of Fear Files.

Robin Givens was a spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline for several years. In 2017, she hosted the San Diego Black Film Festival.

Directing and Recent Roles in the 2020s

In 2020, Robin Givens directed her first film, A Murder to Remember. She has since directed other films like Favorite Son (2021) and A Jenkins Family Christmas (2021). She also directed The Christmas Clapback (2022) and Favorite Son Christmas (2023). In 2021, she directed the horror films Haunted Trail and Horror Noire. In 2023, she directed the comedy film The Nana Project.

In 2021, Givens joined the cast of Batwoman for its third season. She played Jada Jet, who is Ryan Wilder's biological mother. In 2022, Givens appeared in the Lifetime film He's Not Worth Dying For. She played Cher Heinemann in the movie.

Givens has also directed episodes for several TV series. These include Riverdale, Dynasty, Nancy Drew, So Help Me Todd, and Elsbeth.

Personal Life

Robin Givens married boxer Mike Tyson in 1988. Their marriage received a lot of media attention. They divorced in 1989. Givens later adopted her first son, Michael "Buddy" Givens, in 1993. In 1997, she married tennis instructor Svetozar Marinković. They divorced a few months later. In 1999, she had a biological son, William "Billy" Jensen, with tennis player Murphy Jensen.

See also

In Spanish: Robin Givens para niños