One thing I forgot to mention yestereday was that Tyler Perry didn’t make the obvious choice of casting  Robin Givens as the selfish, obnoxious character. How refreshing that this actress didn’t get typecast once again. Between A Rage in Harlem, Boomerang and even Head of State, she’s somehow been relegated to the role of femme fetale, golddigger or basically up to no good (after coming to our attention as such a good-goody on the sitcom Head of the Class.) And unfortunately, those monickers seemed to stick to her in real life too after that infamous Barbara Walters interview when she was still married to Mike Tyson.

Yeah, I know that was over a decade ago and since then we have come to know the awful and scary truth about Mike. Plus Robin has done the Oprah appearances (as well as the other talk shows) and written her tell-all  Grace Will Lead Me Home. But for a long time there was silence (and not many good acting roles).  I have had several conversations recently about how the public perception of this actress served to derail a career that was off to such a good start.

But like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes, we have watched this actress slowly make her way back demonstrating the kind of resilience we all need to have. Of course, there have been lots of forgettable roles along the way for this once promising actress but she keep plugging away. (Anyone see Restraining Order?). And what I can only call unbelievable stretches in casting (she’ll be playing Amazonian Queen of All Media, Wendy Williams in her upcoming biopic Queen of All Media).

But yet there are times when can see what she’s made of simmering beneath the surface. Whether its a guest starring role in a television show like Burn Notice or  a less than fully-formed role like in Tyler Perry’s latest film, Givens has still got something. 

Here’s hoping that someone will give this woman the chance she deserves to truly shine.