Ice Cube’s directorial debut was a mess. A beautiful, gritty, cult-classic mess. When The Players Club hit theaters in April 1998, it wasn't just another "hood movie." It was a crash course in the exploitative underbelly of the nightlife industry. But if you ask anyone who’s watched it twenty times on cable what they remember most, it isn’t just LisaRaye’s "Diamond" or Bernie Mac’s "Dollar Bill." It is the razor-sharp, unapologetic presence of Adele Givens.
Basically, Adele Givens played Tricks.
She wasn't just a background dancer. She was the veteran. The cynic. The woman who had seen every "trick" in the book—hence the name—and had zero patience for the wide-eyed innocence of newcomers. If you think her performance was just a comedian trying her hand at acting, you’ve fundamentally misunderstood why that casting worked so well.
The Raw Reality of Adele Givens in The Players Club
Tricks wasn't supposed to be Likable. Not in the traditional sense.
In the film, Adele Givens acts as a foil to LisaRaye’s Diamond. While Diamond is trying to use the club as a stepping stone to a degree, Tricks has already accepted the club is the world. Along with Ronnie (played by Chrystale Wilson), she represents the "bad influence" that lures Diamond into the life. But here is the nuance: she isn’t a cartoon villain. She’s a survivor.
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There’s a specific energy Adele brought to the locker room scenes. Honestly, those moments feel more like a documentary than a scripted movie. She used that signature Chicago-bred "Such a Lady" sass to deliver lines that cut through the smoke and cheap perfume of the club. When she’s on screen, the stakes feel higher because she’s the one telling you exactly how the game is rigged.
Why Tricks Was the Most Honest Character
Most people focus on the catfight. You know the one—the dressing room brawl where Diamond finally snaps and takes on Tricks and Ronnie. It’s suspenseful. It’s funny. It’s iconic. But the real meat of the Adele Givens Players Club performance is in the dialogue.
Tricks is the one who delivers the harsh truths about "using what you got to get what you want." While the movie is often criticized for being first-time-director clunky, Adele’s timing is impeccable. She didn't need a lot of screen time to establish that she was the "right-hand" to the chaos.
- The Midwest Connection: It’s a little-known fact that a huge chunk of the cast—Bernie Mac, LisaRaye, and Adele—were all from the Chicago area. That chemistry isn't fake.
- Improvisation: Reports from the set suggest that the veteran comedians were given a lot of leeway. You can hear it in the cadence. That's not a Hollywood scriptwriter; that's a woman who knows how to command a room at the Regal Theater.
The Comedic Legend Behind the Stripper Pole
Before she was Tricks, Adele Givens was already royalty.
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She won the Crown Royal Comedy Contest in 1990. She was a finalist in the Miller Lite Comedy Search (which her co-star Bernie Mac actually won). By the time Ice Cube called her for The Players Club, she was the "Queen of Comedy."
This is where the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of her performance comes from. She wasn't just playing a character; she was bringing the persona of a woman who had spent years in smoke-filled rooms dealing with "tricks" of a different kind—hecklers.
She knew how to be "cold and ruthless" because that’s what the role required. If Ronnie was the muscle, Tricks was the mouthpiece. She provided the "comic relief" that actually served as "poignant commentary." She’s the one who reminds the audience that in a place like The Players Club, everyone is selling something.
The Legacy of That Iconic Locker Room Scene
Let's talk about the dressing room.
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Chrystale Wilson (Ronnie) has mentioned in interviews that they purposefully tried to make LisaRaye feel uncomfortable to get a genuine reaction. Adele was a huge part of that atmospheric tension. When you watch Diamond get ganged up on, you aren't just seeing a plot point. You’re seeing the clash between the "new school" trying to maintain dignity and the "old school" that thinks dignity is a luxury they can't afford.
Tricks eventually gets arrested at the end of the film, which is the standard "morality play" ending for 90s urban cinema. But the character didn't die with the credits.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Creators
If you’re a fan of 90s cinema or a student of character acting, there’s a lot to learn from how Adele Givens handled this role.
- Embrace the Unlikable: Don't be afraid to play a character that the audience is supposed to root against. Tricks is vital because she makes Diamond’s struggle real. Without a formidable antagonist in the locker room, Diamond’s "ascent" has no weight.
- Voice as an Asset: Adele didn't change her voice for the movie. She used her stand-up cadence to make Tricks feel authentic. If you're a creator, find your "sonic signature" and lean into it.
- Context Matters: To truly appreciate the Adele Givens Players Club performance, watch her Def Comedy Jam sets from the same era. You’ll see where the "Such a Lady" persona stops and Tricks begins. It's a masterclass in nuance.
Adele Givens didn't just play a role in a movie; she helped define a specific era of Black film. She showed that a comedian could bring a level of grit and "street-smart" realism that traditional actors sometimes miss. She wasn't just a "stripper at the club." She was the heartbeat of the club’s cynical reality.
Next Steps for the Deep Dive:
- Watch the 1998 theatrical trailer to see how Tricks was marketed as the "muscle" of the club’s hierarchy.
- Compare her performance here to her later role in Beauty Shop (2005) to see her range as a character actress.
- Revisit her Queens of Comedy special to hear her legendary "Relationships" set, which echoes many of the themes found in the film.