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In June, BET’s hit show The Game will premiere its ninth and final season. After a whole host of cast shake-ups and storyline mixups, one constant presence throughout the show’s run has been actress Wendy Raquel Robinson. She plays Tasha Mack on the show, the mother of football star Malik Wright (Hosea Chanchez) and the sassy businesswoman trying to build her management company from the ground up. After all these years and all those episodes, Robinson will miss the series, and most importantly, she will miss her cast members, many of which she says she’s built a lifelong bond with. What she won’t miss though, is the criticism the show has received over the years. After starting strong on The CW only to be canceled and revived by BET, many fans of the show felt that once it came to the network, the quality of the program decreased. Premiering on BET with an unusual leap forward in time, from there, the storyline included too many changes and wild plot twists for some original viewers. Many had been complaining about the series since it returned in 2011, and things only got worse when it decided to move forward without original lead cast members Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall. Robinson admits that such criticism was often tough to deal with and at the end of the day, she just wanted to do the job she was hired to do.
So we chatted with the lovely actress about that and discussed her nonprofit organization, Amazing Grace Conservatory, which helps young people cultivate their skills in the performing arts. We also talked about what’s next for her, including a major role as Cruella de Vil.
Her Feelings About The Game Coming To An End
I think it’s like mourning. I have to put Tasha to rest. With that comes so many memories and so many friendships that are layered and saturated, developed and complex. I’ve got people that will be in my life for the rest of my life because of the show. It hits me in waves. When you just said that, it’s like…I can’t believe it’s happening. It’s going to be crazy. But the one thing I can say about television, especially if the show gets syndicated, is that you’ll be seeing me every day [laughs]. But actually showing up and going to work and making that magic happen, I’m going to miss that creative process the most. The Akils, one thing I can say about them, they make sure there are so many people of color behind the scenes as well as on-screen. It was a very rare and unique experience to play an iconic character like Tasha. I’m just so blessed and humble. Yeah, I’m going to weep and cry but I did that already. I even got that little lump in my throat when you asked that. But it’s a lot of different emotions. I’m excited about what comes next because it was time. Of course, nothing lasts forever.
The Wild Changes The Show Went Through
Well, like I said, everything comes to an end. The way some of the storylines went for season eight, I was like, “Okay, it’s time for us to bid our adieu and go out on top while we can and just cherish and relish the moments we had together, knowing it really was special.” You have to give the people what they want and then boom; it’s on to the next. And while it’s easy to say that, in the TV world you’re working 16 to 18 hours a day sometimes. When you’re working that long together, five days a week, there is a bond that is beyond words. Everything runs its course, and I think it ran its course. It ran a hell of a course. But yeah, it did morph into a lot of different things. I’m proud of it, and change is good. But it was hard for the fans because sometimes they would go in and say, “This is not the show we wanted!”
How She Dealt With Criticism Of The Show Once It Went To BET
I don’t read a lot of comments. I’m one of those who has very thin skin, and, believe it or not, I’m very sensitive. I’ll get in my head, and that will screw up the creative process. It would, so I couldn’t read the comments. When you see one, it represents a lot. So one comment can equate to thousands. And I understood that, but I always felt like, I’m here as an actor to portray a role, and I’m giving everything I’ve got. As long as my artistic integrity is there, and I’m giving you what you need, I’m not in charge of all the other things and changes. That whole creative process is so subjective. Some hated it, some loved it, some were indifferent, so, I just did my part. I made it to the finish line. But yeah, I was very sensitive to the fans, and it would hurt. It would. But it was out of my control. So I just had to show up and do my job every day. That’s all I could do.
Her Non-Profit For Kids In South Central LA, Amazing Grace, And How It Came To Life
I used to work for Marla Gibbs. She had a performing arts school years ago in South Central LA where I was born and raised. I used to teach there with her. Unfortunately, she closed her doors. Myself and my business partner at the time, we were the pied piper in LA with all of these kids who were like, “What are we going to do?” It was amazing, because even when I went to Howard, I would teach children theater, but never really envisioned myself doing something like this and on this level. But I really feel like it was divine alignment and Marla gave us her blessing. My partner and I, we found a space, we opened it up, we developed a curriculum. He was a Morehouse man and vocalist, and he knew that he wanted to impact young people. And I was trying to get in the industry at a time when we were pretty much missing from the screen. I was frustrated because I couldn’t get an agent. If you don’t have an agent you can’t get an audition. If you can’t get an audition you can’t get a job. It was like, really? So my mom was like, “Use your skills, do what you know and teach.” Cut to 18 years later, I had no idea that it would be on this level, at this level, and touching lives. We’ve touched 10,000 lives when you think about it. That’s not even including all the success stories.
Why Amazing Grace Conservatory Is So Necessary
I knew I wanted to have something in LA because that’s what I didn’t have growing up. Even when I took my acting classes, Kim Fields was there and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, too. I would tell my mom, “I want to get into the business,” but my mom was a nurse, my father was a janitor, so they knew nothing about the business, and it is a business. It wasn’t like, “Oooh, can ya’ll take me to your job? I want to do it too!” It’s not that kind of business, but a lot of people don’t share that type of information. I didn’t have the access. So I wanted to make sure if there is someone out there who has the passion, has the dream and has the skill set most importantly, I could provide access and opportunities if they’re ready. I just want them to be passionate, and loving what they do. Enjoy it first. This business can be crippling on everybody, especially children, and black children at that. But I just really wanted to take the time and train and rear these children in a place where they felt comfortable to be themselves no matter what.
I’m actually looking at my Essence cover with Issa Rae who was one of my students back in the day. Yes honey, Issa Rae came through there, ninth and 10th grade. I still have the violin she left. It’s just so amazing, the lives, how you touch them. They discover what they want to do and if it happens to be in the business…it’s amazing, it really, really is.
On Diversifying Her Roles So She Doesn’t Get Pigeonholed
I’ve always been a character actress and I love the challenge of doing something new and telling different stories. It’s amazing how there are so many stories to be told from different perspectives. And I love studying people and finding different things and finding out new things about myself. These things I end up bringing to the character as well. I love that and I thrive on the challenge. I don’t know what’s to happen for me next but I’m excited because I know it’s going to bring out a whole other part of me. I try to diversify as far as characters as much as possible. I don’t want to be the one who says, “Oh, let me go to the go-to.” What’s interesting that you said is that, “Well, there’s Regina [from The Steve Harvey Show] and she was sassy. And then there’s Tasha and she’s sassy, but they’re a different kind of sassy.” One was an educated fool and one was from the streets, but the common denominator is that, I guess I’m sassy [laughs]. My next role will be a doctor and you’ll say, “The doctor, you know, she was sassy but she was so genius.” But I guess that’s just me coming through all my characters.
On Her Next Role: Playing Cruella De Vil in The Disney Film Descendants
Well, I think I’m super duper excited on so many levels. I just did the post-production work about two weeks ago and saw some of the footage. When you’re in it, you really don’t know what to expect. But with Disney, they go way out. It’s colorful, it’s animated, it’s lively, it’s alive, it has its own pulse! Kenny Ortega, who directed it, is absolutely genius, and he’s a big kid at heart. We were all big kids at heart. When I saw it, we were so over-the-top, but it’s so funny in a very abstract kind of way. I really had a delightful time. It’s not like I’m throughout the whole movie because it’s really about the children, it’s about the descendants. But who we are as the villains and seeing the relationship of the villains with their children is so dysfunctional and all mixed into one that I’m super duper excited about it. The whole process was crazy because they scanned us for dolls. The photo shoots were so elaborate, and when we were filming it, we were in it. But then seeing what they did in the post-production and how it looks, I’m super excited. I call it my birthday present because it’s coming out right around my birthday. I’m already looking forward to parts two and three! I’m like yaaaaaas, honey! Cause you know when you become part of the Disney family, they don’t let you go! But I don’t want to jinx nothing [laughs].
But because I work with kids, I’m even more excited about it. I haven’t even told the kids yet so I’m going to be more excited to see what my 5, 7, 8 and 9 year olds are going to be saying about that. And I’m the only one of color and that’s like, wow! To go from Tasha to this, it was just a bipolar thing. But I think that’s going to be a career topper for me. Not the top, but it will be up there with my top five experiences.
