Karen Robinson’s journey to the screen is nothing short of remarkable. From her early days in theater to scene-stealing roles in Schitt’s Creek and Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, she’s built a career defined by depth, resilience, and an undeniable presence. But for Robinson, acting was never just a career—it was a calling.
In this conversation, she opens up about the moment she landed the role of Inspector Vivienne Holness, the joy (and chaos) of life on set, and the importance of representation in media. Robinson also shares candid advice for aspiring actors, emphasizing craft over clout and the necessity of building a full life beyond the industry’s highs and lows. Thoughtful, witty, and deeply introspective, Robinson proves that success isn’t just about talent—it’s about staying true to yourself, no matter the role.
You’ve had such a beautiful career—from theater to Schitt’s Creek to Law & Order. Where did your love of acting begin?
Karen Robinson: You know, I don’t think I loved it before it loved me. My mother, bless her, used to tell people, “That’s just what she’s always done.” So, I feel like the actor was always in there. I was the youngest of four, and I think my mother was the original actor—I just absorbed everything from her.
Because I was the youngest, my Jamaican family had sort of exhausted their expectations by the time they got to me. So, while my older siblings were on more traditional career paths, I was free to explore the arts. My parents weren’t thrilled about it at first. They wanted me to be safe and happy, and they worried that acting would lead to too much disappointment. But despite the challenges, it was the only thing I ever wanted to do.
And look at you now! That’s incredible.
Karen Robinson: It really is. I’m so grateful.
Do you remember where you were when you found out you landed the role of Inspector Vivienne Holness? What was your reaction?
Karen Robinson: Oh, I screamed! I wasn’t expecting it—not because I didn’t think it was possible, but because I was in the middle of a home renovation at the time. If you’ve ever done one, you know how consuming it is. My mind was occupied with cupboards, heat pumps, and sump pumps.
So when the call came in, it felt like the universe saying, “Here you go—now you can afford all the overages.” And trust me, there were overages! It was a moment of relief and excitement all at once.
What does a typical day on set look like for you?
Karen Robinson: Well, remember when I mentioned those 4:30 a.m. wake-ups? Sometimes it’s even earlier—3:30 or 4:00 a.m. My day starts early, and just getting to set in Toronto traffic can feel like half the battle.
But once I arrive, it’s all worth it. The moment I get there, I’m greeted by smiling faces, a green tea, and breakfast—because I need my food! Then it’s off to hair and makeup, which is a great way to ease into the day. There’s music, laughter, and a team making me look fabulous.
Next is wardrobe, which I love because our costume designer, Nicole Manock, picks outfits I’d never choose for myself but that completely transform me into Vivienne Holness. And then I get to work with incredible people like Aden Young, Kathleen Munroe, K.C. Collins, and Araya Mengesha.
The Cameron sisters, who created the show, were very intentional about assembling a cast that works well together. That chemistry pays off—we’ve already shot two seasons, and we’re now filming our third. I genuinely enjoy going to work every single day.
That’s not always the case in this industry.
Karen Robinson: Exactly. Creative environments can be intense, and disagreements happen. But what matters is having the maturity, respect, and shared commitment to the story to work through it. It’s not about tiptoeing through the tulips—it’s about a group of grown people figuring it out together. And because we respect each other’s work, we always do.
You mentioned the physical transformation—hair, makeup, wardrobe—but what about the mental transformation? How do you get into character each day?
Karen Robinson: That’s a great question. For me, the process starts long before I step on set because I’ll have had the script and my lines for a while. I do a lot of preparation to understand the character’s motivations and inner world. I am not that actor who can just look at a page of dialogue, get it in my head, and make it look effortless.
By the time I get to set, I have spent a significant amount of time with my lines already. Once I’m there, I take cues from my surroundings. The moment I put on Vivienne’s wardrobe, I start to embody her posture and presence. Then, as I interact with my castmates, the relationships between our characters begin to feel real.
By the time the director calls action, I’m no longer thinking about being Karen—I’m fully Vivienne Holness.
The Law & Order franchise has such an incredible legacy. What does it mean to be a part of such an iconic media brand?
Karen Robinson: I don’t have enough superlatives. Like everybody else of a certain age, I started watching it in the early 90s. I saw Epatha Merkerson as the commander then. As a young Black woman in Alberta at the time, that made quite an impression on me because you didn’t see very many Black people in general in roles of authority and power.
Even if I couldn’t put it into words then, I knew that it really mattered to see that. It was instructive to me because I realized that it could be done. And then, you know, you go to college, you go to university, you do theater, you get paid what you get paid, you figure out how to pay your rent—you do all of the stuff that leads up to 30-something years later where you now are in that same role in the Toronto franchise. The karma of that whole journey is, well like I said, I don’t have the superlatives for it. I’m blown away and I am deeply humbled.
Hopefully, I am that person for generations coming up behind me, reaching my hand back and taking somebody with me.
What do you think would be more fun, playing the hero or the villain?
Karen Robinson: Villain. I don’t get very many opportunities to play that kind of character. I think that women in general, and especially women of colour, tend not to have the breadth of roles offered to them that typically white men do. It’s always a gift when I get to explore that dimension of myself because I think that we all are makeups of so many sides. I became an actor because I really wanted to explore all those sides.
Villains surprise and humble me because I have to broaden my perspective in order to understand them. They teach me because no matter where we get to in life, there’s a reason why. I want to figure out that reason, especially with the villains.
It’s not black and white, or good and evil. There’s a lot of nuance between the two.
Karen Robinson. You know who my favorite character was in Sesame Street? Oscar the Grouch. He was the most interesting character to me, and had the most identifiable take on life because he didn’t like everybody. He almost didn’t like anybody, but if he liked you, you were worth his time.
I want to know more and get right into his psyche.
What are the qualities and skills you think are most essential today for an actor wanting to land a role like yours and have a career like yours?
Karen Robinson: Learn your craft. This does not happen overnight. More importantly, go have a life. Go explore your life and your world to the extent that you can with your friends and family. Go about the natural work of becoming a whole person, because if you make it about landing a role like mine, I promise you disappointment. If you make it about finding your purpose in life beyond acting, beyond this concept of celebrity, beyond being on TV or whatever, then no matter what happens, you will be OK because you are able to take on all the slings and arrows that life throws at you.
Recently there’s been some stuff in the media about casting decisions being based on other things outside of the craft like social media following. What would you say to people that feel discouraged by those kinds of extra considerations?
Karen Robinson: Focus on the craft and the art. It will serve you better than trying to focus on building up a social media following.
I enjoy social media, do not get me wrong. I understand the pull of it, and I also understand that that’s where a lot of eyeballs tend to land. But even so, I go back to the same advice that I give people—go have a life. If social media isn’t your thing, do not do it. Take care of yourself, take care of your family, take care of your health. All of that will feed your, your art. Social media won’t.
Being an actor and a creative in general, where you’re putting your heart on your sleeve comes with a lot of emotional ups ups and downs. How do you deal with the volatility of those emotions that come with putting yourself out there so much?
Karen Robinson: I do not book the majority of the stuff that I actually auditioned for. There are times when I do the best audition that I could possibly do and I know I’m right for the role, but for reasons that are completely out of my control, I don’t get it. But my whole cognitive framework is so much bigger than than the role that I just auditioned for. Now look, having money in the bank helped, and I know that feeling of needing a role, so you can get paid and pay your rent. But because I always knew that I needed a roof over my head, that always came first, no matter how I was gonna go about it.
Back when I was struggling, I used to temp all the time. If I wasn’t acting, then I was sitting in some random office answering phones so that I could pay rent. It really is about making sure that you round out your entire life. The disappointment will come, but I find that you’re better able to absorb those disappointments if you have this multifaceted atmosphere around you. You have to pursue the fullness of your life because that is what is gonna cushion you from the blows and will also buoy you.
I think it underlines the fact that this isn’t the only thing that matters, that there is much more to life. Even when you do get the part, and it is a hit, and you do get the accolades and all of that, that there is so much more. You’re still just a person, you’re still putting on your panties one leg at a time, you know what I’m saying?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
