Givens gave up medical studies to pursue acting at the urging of mentor Bill Cosby. This stunning Black actor appeared in supporting roles in several features including "Fort Apache" The Bronx" (1981) and made guest appearances on the daytime soap operas "The Guiding Light" and "Loving" before starring as Darlene on the long-running TV series, "Head of the Class" (ABC, 1986-91). She was featured in the TV movies "Beverly Hills Madam" (1986), "The Women of Brewster Place", and "The Penthouse" (both 1989) playing the female lead, a femme fatale con artist, in Bill Duke's "A Rage in Harlem" (1991). Givens returned to series TV in the short-lived CBS drama "Courthouse" (1995) and then co-starred as a lawyer in the UPN sitcom "Sparks" (1996-98). After giving birth to her son William, she returned before the cameras as the host of the syndicated "Forgive and Forget", hired to replace Mother Love (the first host) in the hopes of reaching a larger demographic. The strategy backfired, however, and the show was not renewed.