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As Virginia in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, Amber Chardae Robinson plays a fish out of water.

She’s a black woman in 1969 living in West Palm Beach, where there’s not a lot of people who look like her. She’s a feminist struggling to see where she fits in a world where patriarchy rules, while trying to show other women how to be independent.

Robinson is a member of the cast that also includes Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Carol Burnett and Allison Janney, to name a few.

But there’s more to her credits; she recently finished the world premier of a play at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angels called Black Cypress Bayou. The show was set in Texas, which is just fine for the Port Arthur native.

Robinson’s recent feature credits include the Academy Award-nominated Judas and the Black Messiah, Moving On with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, Paramount Pictures’ 80 for Brady, Always a Bridesmaid and Twentieth Century Fox’s Stuber.

On television, she has recurred on Apple TV+’s “Loot” alongside Maya Rudolph, and AMC’s “Hell on Wheels,” and had guest appearances on CBS’ “So Help Me Todd” and “The Neighborhood,” according to her biographical information.

On Tuesday Robinson will be presented the keys to the city, and May 7 is going to be named Amber Chardae Robinson Day in Port Arthur.

A proclamation will note Robinson was a 2007 Cotillion Belles presented by the Port Arthur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and was a member of the Port Arthur Chapter of Top Teens of America.

In addition she was a member of the Memorial High School Marching Heat and Concert Band for four years and as the flute/piccolo section leader.

The actress also used her platform following Hurricane Harvey and brought national awareness of the storm’s impact on the city.

Robinson, a 2007 graduate of Memorial High School, owes a lot of credit to her mother, who was a big supporter. She now passes on that wisdom and encouraging words to those wanting an acting career.

If you’re really serious and really want this, learn the craft or go to school because one thing leads to another, she said.

“You can do anything you put your mind to, like my mom said. If you can see it, you can do it,” Robinson said. “If you heard it in your spirit, like, I’m gonna be this person. I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna be in this industry. It’s possible for you. If you can see it, you can do it. Nothing is too big. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter how you grew up. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. ‘Oh, boy, you can’t even get on a plane to get there.’ God will open those doors for you if you just start to move in that direction.”

Robinson has honed her craft for many years. After high school she went on to graduate from Prairie View A&M University with a degree in theater in 2012, then a Master of Fine Arts in acting from Columbia University in 2015.

The Port Arthur native wants to inspire other people who come from where we comes from.

“You know, there’s a lot of life out there and there’s a lot of world to see and there’s so many opportunities. And I just don’t want people to think that it’s unachievable, because it looks so far away from you. It’s right there if you want it,” she said.

These sentiments seem to echo from her mother’s words of encouragement. When asked if she had a mentor or someone who helped along the way, she said without her mom, none of this would be possible.

“Every time I said I wanted to do something, she was like you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. “She made sure that I knew that this life was possible. She didn’t see it as something too far fetched. You know a lot of people, if you say, Oh, I’m gonna go be a movie star. I’m gonna be a singer. I’m gonna be a songwriter. Okay, baby. My mother was really like, you can do it. You can do anything you put your mind to, and so I think had I not had her, my life would be completely different.”

There’s also been teachers along the way that stuck with her, such as Kristin Linklater, her vocal coach at Columbia.

Linklater was considered the voice in the industry. She passed away in 2020.

“She believed in me, she believed in my talents, and she worked with me so vigorously to make sure that I was sharp enough for this industry,” Robinson said. “I cannot say how grateful I am for her guidance.”

Robinson said there are many more she could add to the list but these two helped shape her career and her mindset in the industry.