Keith D. Robinson is a true triple threat—an accomplished actor, singer, and now director—who continues to push creative boundaries as an all-around entertainer. Kentucky born but raised between South Carolina and Georgia, Keith began his journey in music while attending the University of Georgia before heading to Hollywood, where he has built an impressive career spanning over 70 television and film projects.
He is best known for his powerful portrayal of “C.C. White” in the Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls, where his performance of “Patience” earned him an Oscar nomination and a spot performing live at the Academy Awards. His voice is also featured on six tracks from the film’s iconic soundtrack.
Keith’s notable credits include This Christmas, Fat Albert, CRU, The Life Story of Mahalia Jackson, Dear John, Get On Up (alongside Chadwick Boseman), All Eyez on Me, and 35 and Ticking. He starred for six seasons in the hit series Saints & Sinners, now streaming on Hulu.
Recently, Keith made his directorial debut with The Greener Grass Experiment, a project he wrote, directed, and starred in under his Scenes and Songs production banner. The short won at the Essence Film Festival. He was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award for his work on the scripted podcast Crimson Hearts (Hallmark) and stars in the upcoming series Conspirators filmed in Washington D.C.
He recently joined the cast of the #1 soap opera Beyond the Gates as the sexy Dr. Ted Richardson. With several new projects on the horizon—including LA Social, The Wilshire, and his new album Love Episodic 2 -featuring the single “Forever Bae. Keith D. Robinson is just getting started.
You grew up between Kentucky and Georgia—how did your upbringing shape your artistry and work ethic?
I actually was born in Kentucky but raised between South Carolina and Georgia. Well, my mom was a musician. She’s a singer herself. My brother was heavily into music so I’m a hip-hop baby so all the hot records and stuff my brother had the wax and I would end up, listening to them more than him and the work ethic was from my dad. My dad was a science teacher, and we moved around a bit from Kentucky to Massachusetts then as moved to South Carolina. He ended up staying at the same job for 40 years from the time I was born. He comes from a big family. He was number 8 of 15 siblings. And they all put themselves through college. He worked since he was twelve. So they work ethic was in my DNA I think.
Before Hollywood, your journey started in music while attending the University of Georgia. How did your college experience influence your artistic path?
Absolutely. I tell people college is great. For me, [it] told what I didn’t want to do. So I quickly got into a group my freshman year. One of my good friends was on the same hallway. It was a co-dorm, and he was in a group in high school and I was in a group. We discovered that over drunken college orientation, and we kind of started singing under the stairwell in our dorm. All the girls would come and hear this harmony. They said, “We know another football team that sings,” and he came. Then we kinda just formed a group. We kinda made a little name for ourselves around campus, and it kinda got isolated really quick. People would say, “Keith who?” “Keith, the one that sings.” That was how it started. Then after that, we were traveling back and forth from Athens to Atlanta, trying to get a deal. We dropped out after our freshman year, went to Atlanta. Didn’t get a deal, enrolled back in school for two more quarters, then got a deal—and then we left for good.
You’re often described as a true triple threat—actor, singer, and now director. How do you balance all three creative lanes in your career?
I don’t look at them as balanced; they all feed off each other. So they are all components of being creative, expressing yourself through a piece. So if it’s a song that I’m writing or singing, it’s gonna be influenced by the drama of me telling a story. It’s kinda like with my new single, Forever Bae, based around the story of a strange couple. It’s the same thing with my acting—every scene has a rhythm to it. So for me, I like to be fluent and express myself. I think every component helps me tell the story, and even from a director’s eye—how do I want this to look?
Would you prefer one of the other? Or they all just an expression of yourselves.
I think they’re the same thing. I started in music, so that’s kind of where my heart always is. I think whatever level I am able to reach or sustain in the acting world, I’ll still be looking to put out a record. I’ll be in somebody’s studio on my off days.
You’ve starred in over 70 projects—an incredible feat. Is there a particular role that stands out as a turning point in your acting career?
I think everybody would say Dreamgirls as far as visibility, but for me, I did a project about 20 years ago that was about the war in Iraq—when it had just started—and I played this convicted sniper who was having trouble carrying out his military duties and still staying alive with his moral compass. Which was very challenging, and it was very intense, and it kind of opened me up to really heavy, heavy drama—going to places I didn’t know, places I had never been before. So that’s one of my favorites.
Let’s talk Dreamgirls. Your performance as C.C. White and the song “Patience” left a major mark—how did it feel to perform at the Academy Awards and receive an Oscar nomination?
It was awesome. It’s like the Super Bowl of acting. You dream of getting there—every actor doesn’t necessarily make it there. And certainly, every actor doesn’t win or get nominated. So I got there pretty early in my career, and I look forward to going back. I think the longer you stay in the business, the harder you realize it is to get to that event and be invited. So it was definitely a benchmark. I think for everybody involved, it was a big deal for us.
Was there one moment during the performance that stood out?
It’s always nice to look over and see Beyoncé singing background for you. (Laughs)
You’ve portrayed major figures and starred in biopics like Get On Up and All Eyez on Me. What’s your approach to honoring real-life legends on screen?
Just really trying to stay true to the period and stay true to the story the best way that I can—especially if it’s a true story and I’m playing a true character. I think the greatest service I can offer is to do the research and really study and know who I’m playing, because they are real people, not fictional people. So my respect for them, the story, and the legacy is really about doing the research and doing everything you can to be as close to that person as you possibly can.
So when you’re portraying these characters do you ever hear anything from the family at all.
Antron Gregory, who I played, was the manager of Tupac. I spoke to him before and after, and he was very grateful. He thought I did a great job, and that was the only approval I was looking for—so I spoke to him. With James Brown, most of those guys have passed away. The reason I got into the film—what helped me get into the film—was that I had (and have) a relationship with the Brown family, and they really wanted me to be a part of it. So that meant a lot to me, that they kind of personally recruited me to play in the movie. And growing up, going to high school in Augusta—which was James Brown’s stomping grounds—getting to make amends with those roots, that was cool. You know, that was honorable.
For six seasons, you held it down in Saints and Sinners, now streaming on Hulu. What did that long-term role teach you about consistency and character evolution?
That’s a good question. I guess just to stay consistent. When you get to live inside a character for that long, it kind of becomes a part of you. So whatever your maturation is, whatever you’re going through, you’re able to put into the character. A lot of times, people have trouble separating you from the actual character. And we had a lot of similarities anyway, because we both were musicians. We both came from the gospel world and came into a secular world of music. I, of course, wasn’t in a dual relationship—married with a baby and a side chick, all that stuff. But you know, I could identify with his dilemma, with his day-to-day thought process. So I just think, as you live with a character, it’s just about not getting lazy—and to document the changes that are happening in your personal life, and see how they can be incorporated into the character’s life.
What is your dream role?
My dream role would be Donny Hathaway. I would love to do that. He’s had a big effect on me—just his vibration as a singer. I’m always looking to have the same effect on people, because he really affected me at a very young age. When I got older and realized his short-lived life, the mystery behind it, the kind of things he dealt with, and the way he passed—it was kind of questionable. I think it would be great, and I think it would open up the door for a lot of young singers now who don’t even know where it came from—where the soul came from. Because he was that guy.
You recently made your directorial debut with The Greener Grass Experiment, which won at the Essence Film Festival. What inspired you to step behind the camera?
I think it was a natural progression for me. You pick up a lot of things from directors, or I actually knew more than I thought, and I feel like, you know, as an artist, you wanna evolve. That was—I think that’s the next step for me—being able to actually have more control over the story as opposed to just being a player in it. This was my first offering of that, and I loved it and fell in love with it. Even then, I think most directors that I’ve worked with, I end up somehow putting my two cents in from their POV. It’s a natural progression for me.
Congratulations on your NAACP Image Award nomination for the Crimson Hearts podcast. What excites you about storytelling in the audio space?
Being a singer, it’s exciting to see if you can still affect the listener like you can affect the viewer by just using your voice. It’s as if you’re acting with both your hands behind your back, and they can only be affected by your voice, so that was a challenge. That was fun, you know? An entire series like that, but it’s something I’d like to explore. I think it’s a great thing that we can incorporate those who are in the blind community to be able to still experience the same things that we experience for those who are able to see. So, I think it’s a whole lane that we’re just now kind of getting our feet wet in because of COVID and because of the things that were taken away. I feel like that’s a big lane, and it’s a big community that hasn’t been serviced enough, so I’m looking to do more.
You’ve joined the cast of Beyond the Gates as Dr. Ted Richardson. What are you enjoying about it and what can fans expect?
I love the fact that I’m able to get up and hit the mark every day, every week, and get to practice my craft with other artists. I love the family atmosphere. I love the consistency of it, and I love being able to kind of give birth to a person immortalized on the face of the Earth, in our society, long after I’m gone. I think when you’re able to live with these characters over the years, it’s like you give birth to a person that people are so familiar with—they forget that they’re not real. I mean, you can expect a lot of drama, you know, high drama. The stakes get higher and higher with every episode. So I’m always eager to look at the scripts to see what they have me doing now or attempting to do every week.
Your production company, Scenes and Songs, is building momentum with new projects like LA Social and The Wilshire. What’s your vision for the company’s future?
I wanna see it expand into a full production company that puts out amazing material, both in music and on the TV and film side—kind of told from a real, true perspective. And I wanna employ as many great artists as I can around me and just tell great stories, and add to the great stories that influenced me growing up that are already out there. I just want it to grow and be as large as it can be, and for every project to make an indelible impression.
Your new single Forever Bae is out. That’s apart of your album Love Episodic 2 to be released the end of this summer. How does this new album build on your previous work, and what themes can listeners expect?
I’ve been through a lot in this album. It started in COVID. I wrote it from the perspective of—I got married, divorced, had a kid, went through an epidemic, went through a strike—so all the stakes in the last 5 to 6 years have been the highest they’ve ever been in my life, and this is the soundtrack. So every song has a specific, real story that happened to me or is about a thought process of where I was at the time. I can look at each song and tell you exactly where I was in my headspace when I wrote it. It’s a pretty important album. It’s a personal journey. I wrote everything. I’m not against collaboration, but I just kind of felt like I’ve had to prove myself in that space. So I’ve always been a do-it-yourself kind of guy, and it just kind of turned out that way.
You’ve worked with icons like Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, and the late Chadwick Boseman. What have you learned from collaborating with such powerhouse talent?
I mean, not to toot my own horn, but they’re just like me. I find a lot of kinship, a lot of ways to work and think and perform and carry out our crap. I kind of feel safe and right at home with them, I think. And I think it’s a matter of daylight and opportunities as far as the world knowing that fully for me. But I think everybody has a strong work ethic. They understand their power, which I think Beyoncé really understands—her power, the way she affects a room and she’s able to bring everybody to her and make them feel welcome. I think Jamie’s like that—he’s very charismatic—and Chad was just a hard worker. It’s like if it’s something that he can do at the beginning, he’s gonna work himself into it, which I kind of saw him becoming James Brown, where he was kind of, you know, minimal music, musical experience and dancing. But by the time it was time to go to work and they said action, he was the guy. And he just came from reps over and over and over and over again. He was very isolated and focused and going to get the job done for sure.
With everything you’ve achieved so far, what continues to drive you creatively and personally?
I think overall I just wanna be empty. I just wanna use everything that’s in me. I still feel like I have a long way to go. I mean, I don’t get hung up on accomplishments like my resume. When I hear back, I kind of put it on the back burner. I mean, I’m not a person that stops to smell the roses—which I’m working on—but I’m always on to the next. I just wanna be able to use all the gifts and all the creativity. I wanna make sure I’m empty when my time is up here. So that’s kind of what drives me.
Whose your favorite actor?
That’s a long list. But off the top, it’s Denzel, Dinero, Meryl Streep. I love Jeffrey Wright. I love Pacino—the normal guys. Will Smith, Don Cheadle. It’s a long list, so many great actors.
Do you have a favorite song? No. Ribbon In The Sky, Overjoyed, A Song For You. I love Can You Stand The Rain. You know, there’s so many.
How do you feel about the state of the industry?
I think it’s a long conversation, but I think we are in a place of transformation. I feel like there’s a purification of the industry. I feel like it’s an independent mindset now, where if you can grab the attention, then you have a shot to get on. If you can grab that algorithm—for better or worse—I feel like that dumbed it down, but I also feel like that’s opened up a lot of doors. It’s not necessarily as lucrative; you have to find creative ways to make a living out of it now because the structure is everywhere—a wild animal with social media, with technology now. You know, it used to cost a lot of money to shoot a movie; now you can shoot it on your phone. You can blow up on social media by doing something amazing or doing something crazy. It’s a jungle, you know what I mean? I feel like that’s the good and the bad of the industry right now. Hollywood is kind of decimated right now. I’m trying to get more industry, more production back to Los Angeles because it’s everywhere now—really, am I in LA filming? So, you know, there’s a lot of plot points to it. But with social media, it’s really changed—it leveled the playing field for better or worse.
Give us a closing note in regards to those coming into the business.
I would say to every artist: continue to tell your story no matter what, you know? Rest if you must, but do not quit. And, you know, take time to prioritize and make sure you’re paying attention to things that are important—and you know what those are better than anybody.
91 ISSUE 2025 CREDITS:
Founder & Editor In Chief:
Musa Jackson @iammusajackson
Art Director/ Cover & Editorial Graphics: Paul Morejon @Paulmorejon
Talent: Keith Robinson @keithsings
Photography by Marc Baptiste @marcbaptistephoto
Styling by Chad g. @the_real_re_edit for THE STYLE MONSTERS @thestylemonsters
Grooming: Gregg Brockington @greggbrockingtonbeauty for Michelle Leo Agency @michelleleoagency
Stylist Assistants Ken Sivells @kensivells
Soulflowr @soulflowr
Shot on location in Harlem, NY
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