White was born in 1973 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the eldest of 6 children to Estela Bowster, a financial advisor and Jo Jo White, the sports executive, restaurateur and legendary basketball player for the Boston Celtics. Playing Evan Lancaster, Stephanie’s husband and the ambitious mayor of Atlanta, is Brian J White.
Unfortunately, the series was canceled in 2018 after just 2 seasons… although on the bright side, it did free Atkins up to say “yes” to Ambitions. In 2016, she joined Marlon Wayans in his NBC sitcom, Marlon, after previously starring alongside him in The Haunted House (2013) and A Haunted House 2 (2014). She’s since had supporting roles in How High (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), and Dance Flick (2009).
She also made a fleeting appearance in Saved by the Bell: The College Years but was written out of the series after original Saved by the Bell cast member, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, decided to return to the show.
47-year-old Atkins began her career with appearances on TV sitcoms and soap operas, including The Cosby Show, Family Matters, Under One Room and the short-lived Fox teen drama, Malibu Shores. Taking the part of Amara Hughes (wife of Titus Hughes, Assistant United States Attorney, former friend turned bitter adversary of Stephanie Carlisle Lancaster and recent addition to the urban mecca of Atlanta) is Essence Atkins. Ambitions sees Givens take the lead role of Stephanie Carlisle Lancaster, an ambitious attorney who enjoys a powerful and glamorous life in Atlanta with her husband, Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster. As of 2019, Givens has two children: one adopted son and a 2nd biological son with ex-boyfriend, the tennis player Murphy Jensen. Her second marriage to tennis instructor Svetozar Marinković proved just as brief, with the pair divorcing within just a year of their wedding. In addition to her TV and film credits, Givens has enjoyed a short-lived career as the host of the talk show Forgive or Forget, and an even shorter (although much more controversial) marriage to former boxer, Mike Tyson.
After the series ended in 1991, Givens starred in numerous TV shows and films, including the short-lived sitcom Sparks, comedy-drama The Game, sitcom Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, and action comedy/ spy-drama Chuck. Model and actress Robin Givens began her career in 1986 after landing the role of Darlene Merriman in the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. Along with Givens and Atkins, the series showcases the talents of an ensemble cast of regular and reoccurring players including Kendrick Cross, Erica Page, and Brian J White. The show, which is created by Jamey Giddens and Will Packer, revolves around the bitter rivalry between Stephanie Carlisle Lancaster (played by Robin Givens) and Amara Hughes (played by Essence Atkins), two former childhood friends turned legal eagles who find themselves at war in their race to the top. On June 18, 2019, the Oprah Winfrey Network premiered its new drama series, Ambitions, and already, the nation is hooked.