OWN’s ‘Ambitions’ Series Premiere: Meet The Show’s Cast And Characters

With tonight’s series premiere of “Ambitions,” Oprah Winfrey Network is getting ready to dive into the deep end of the personal and professional lives of those in the world of Atlanta politics, as well as of those looking to enter that arena.

Get to know the “Ambitions” cast, as well as their characters (via synopses from OWN), before episode 1 airs on Tuesday:

Robin Givens (Stephanie Lancaster)

After her big break as Darlene Merriman on the 1980s sitcom “Head of the Class,” Givens went on to star on the ‘90s comedy “Sparks” and, most recently, The CW’s “Riverdale,” where she plays Sierra McCoy. She also played Julianne Johnson in the first season of ABC’s recently-canceled drama “The Fix.”

“Hailing from a long line of distinguished attorneys, Stephanie desperately wants to be in charge of her family’s prestigious law firm and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

Brian White (Evan Lancaster)

Viewers will likely recognize White from his movies “Stomp the Yard,” “12 Rounds,” “Fighting” and “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” and from shows like “Men of a Certain Age,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mistresses” and “Ray Donovan.”

“[He’s] the Mayor of Atlanta, who is married to attorney Stephanie Carlisle. Evan’s dream is to be the first African-American governor of Georgia and there’s no line he won’t cross to get there.”

Kendrick Cross (Titus Hughes)

Aside from guest-starring on various shows, including “Teen Wolf,” “Under the Dome,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “Black Lightning,” Cross also had roles in movies like “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” and “Acrimony.”

“[He’s] a passionate attorney and dedicated husband to Amara (Essence Atkins). Titus has accepted the challenge of being in-house counsel for a big pharma company run by Hunter Purifoy (Brian Bosworth) to fight a class action suit brought by the powerful Carlisle family.”

Essence Atkins (Amara Hughes)

After starring as Yvette Henderson on The WB’s “Smart Guy” in the late ‘90s, Atkins led UPN’s “Half & Half” as Dee Dee Thorne from 2002 to 2006. Her TV series regular roles continued with her 2010-2012 TBS sitcom “Are We There Yet?” and her short-lived NBC series, “Marlon,” which ended last year.

“[She’s] a lawyer in the U.S. Attorney's Office who has newly arrived in Atlanta with her husband, Titus (Kendrick Cross). Originally from Texas, she is quickly gaining attention from the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a diligent investigator and prosecutor.”

Brely Evans (Rondell Lancaster)

The actress played Tune Ann in 2012’s “Sparkle,” with Jordin Sparks and the late Whitney Houston, had a recurring role on “Being Mary Jane” and, most recently, held the role of Joy Beane on Bounce TV’s comedy series “Last Call.”

“[She’s] the sister of Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster and manager of the Thelma’s Place restaurant. As the new face of an anti-gentrification campaign, she never thought she’d become a crusader for the people, but it’s a badge she wears with pride – and nobody is removing it.”

Erica Page (Bella “Tru” Trujillo)

Like Evans, Page was also on Bounce TV’s “Last Call,” where she portrayed the character of Rachel Scott. Page also had guest-starring roles on shows like “Dynasty,” “MacGyver,” “Nashville” and “The Vampire Diaries.”

“[She’s] Atlanta’s newest and trendiest fashion designer. She’s the exclusive dress designer for First Lady Stephanie Lancaster (Robin Givens) but has set her sights much higher.”

The show’s cast also includes Brian Bosworth (“What Men Want”), Matt Cedeño (“Power”), Deena Dill (“Conrad & Michelle”), Gino Anthony Pesi (“Shades of Blue”) and Kayla Smith (“Star”) in recurring roles.

Check out “Ambitions” when Season 1 premieres on OWN on Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT.