Just when you thought ABC’s Queens couldn’t get any bigger, here comes Robin Givens. The actress sat down with theGrio before Tuesday’s episode that introduces her character, to break down the series, working with Brandy (again), and more.
Starring Eve, Brandy, Naturi Naughton, and Nadine Velazquez, Queens was one of the most anticipated freshman shows of the year. The series follows the “Nasty B*tches,” a ’90s hip-hop group on a journey to recapture their glory days and “regain its sizzle.”
In this week’s episode, Givens plays Robin, Eric’s (Taylor Sele) ex-wife. Eric is the group’s manager. The Nasty B*ches become the Queens of the show’s title when they decide to change their name to reflect their newfound vibe.
Givens told theGrio that Queens had been on her radar for some time, but it was the solid script and scene work that really sold her.
She gushed to us, “It was so funny because I first heard about it, immediately thought, ‘Brandy? Eve? How cool is that?!” She continued, “I was literally on the set of Batwoman, which I’ve been doing, and I got this call and it was like, Queens! There it is again, kind of in the universe.”
She said she spoke to the series creator, Zahir McGhee, who emphasized that while Givens was only in a few scenes, they were important ones.
“Then I’m reading the script and I fell in love with the scenes,” Givens explained.”I’m like, Oh, I want to just I want to kill it, you know? I was really, really excited.”
Givens provided some information about her character, who wanders back into Eric’s life.
“I always find it particularly interesting with characters that appear one way and then you kind of layer them, or where she’s the woman that still could kind of have feelings for this guy that she’s put aside…I enjoy that kind of layering and coloring.”
Givens said working with Brandy was particularly special as the two worked together on TV before.
“With Brandy, we have this wonderful, wonderful scene that I love, because it’s kind of two women that you find are like adversaries. It’s a duel of a scene, and in the end, you see them kind of coming together as women, which I really loved,” Givens said. “It was a nice dance to do because I think so often with women and relationships and you know, you blame the guy and then you realize, ‘wait, we’re in this together, you know, we’re women together, right?”
Givens has known Brandy throughout the years since she appeared on an episode of Moesha.
“Time goes, you know? From Moesha, and you kind of grow up and you go from being a child to a mom. It’s just it’s nice to kind of carry those people in your heart, to watch them grow and become women, together.”
Queens airs Tuesday nights on ABC.
TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!