There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Ursula Robinson, the scene-stealing actress in Tyler Perry’s latest film. The actress who had everyone talking in the film’s opening scene is a tenured professor at South Carolina State University.
Robinson, who has been with SC State for 25 years, is currently the school’s drama program coordinator and tenured associate professor of drama, according to WTLX.
As The Root previously reported, the funeral scene was all fans could talk about on social media, calling it a scene that will, “go down in history,” due in large part to Robinson’s larger-than-life performance. Some have already dubbed it a rewatchable scene that fans will refer to for years to come.
One user wrote, “Had to watch #DivorceInTheBlack again… the church scene takes me out every single time.”
Robinson told the channel that she believes firmly, “that there’s a little Linda in all of us.” She broke down her relationship with the film’s cast, including Meagan Good, Cory Hardrict, Debbi Morgan and Richard Lawson, insisting that they all formed a “strong bond” together.
“King Richard as I call him, King Richard turned out to be a mentor for me,” she said of Lawson. “And he’s coming to work with our students.”
Robinson’s experience on set translated into bringing important knowledge she got back to her students on campus. “I tell them, everything that I do while I’m away is to benefit you,” she said in the interview. “Because what I bring back is the knowledge that I gain by going to work in the industry. So now you have access to current knowledge in the industry through me.”
“Divorce In The Black’ is the latest in Perry’s filmography. While receiving negative reviews and mixed reception on social media, the film was without a doubt a hit for the multi-hyphenate, breaking Prime Video records. According to Variety, “Nielsen reported that it hit more than 498 million minutes watched in its first four days of availability” on the streaming service.
According to Amazon, it also led to a major uptick in sign-ups for Prime Video in the U.S., “more than any Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie to date.”
Check out the full interview with Robinson here.