Posted in: Lord of The Rings, TV | Tagged: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, lord of the rings

The Rings of Power Star Addai-Robinson on Showrunners, Bonding & More

Cynthia Addai-Robinson spoke with us about learning new skills filming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the showrunners & more.

You don't have to tell Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Cynthia Addai-Robinson how fortunate she is to be part of the J. R. R. Tolkien-verse. It's not merely because it's a potential signature role of a lifetime but also the type of community where you can build lifelong friendships. It's something the Power star has learned as the world was trying to figure out how to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and the perks of being in New Zealand at the time. Now a season in, Addai-Robinson is far more comfortable as Queen Regent Míriel, which opened an entirely new world not only into the realm of fantasy but also gaining the intense invaluable skills required of the part. She spoke to Bleeding Cool about whether the cast and crew felt any pressure to complete filming amidst concerns that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike drew near and commenced, how showrunners Patrick McKay and John D. Payne evolved into season two, how the pandemic drew the cast close even when many didn't share scenes, and what the Lord of the Rings franchise taught her to do as an actor.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Star Cynthia Addai-Robinson on Strikes, Showrunners Growth & More

Bleeding Cool: Did you guys feel the pressure of completing filming for the season, given the ongoing labor issues looming at the time that led to the strikes?

We were fortunate because the schedule was predetermined. We had our set schedule, I wrapped my scenes before the strike, and there was only a tiny overlap. We had things in place where we could still work without any conflict and clear of the actors' strike. We were lucky with the timing, and that didn't ding us in that regard.

How do you feel J.D. and Patrick evolved as showrunners this season?

They've got this huge task since the beginning, and ahead because this has been their journey longer than any of us were cast. They're trying to lay out the overview of the story, and I tip my hat to them because it's no small thing to establish all these different worlds with all these various characters. You also can't stray from the lore, and they have certain things in place they must adhere to. I'm always impressed by their depth of knowledge of this universe, rising to the occasion because of the pandemic in season one and moving to another country.

It's such a big production and so many of us to oversee. It's not a small job, and I'm glad there are two people. I'm sure they are glad they have each other as the power of two to shape the production and story. They're smart guys and have a full plan in the long term for how they see this story going and how they intend to lay it out. They keep us guessing, and I have no idea. Before we get our script where they're taking the story, it's always interesting to see their process on what they're lining up.

Is there anyone in the cast you all bonded with?

I'm close with all these folks. We had a unique experience. In the initial filming of this show in New Zealand when most people were locked down in their homes, we recognized in many ways the privilege of being in New Zealand at that time when it was relatively open. It was also hard because people were away from families, homes, pets, and everything they knew, creating a bond quickly out of necessity. We all had to be sensitive to each other.

I have wonderful memories of people having birthdays and milestones for that period. We stepped in as the chosen family that continues. We're still deep in this massive journey with this series and what's so great is even when we don't get to film with each other because not all of us have storylines that overlap, we're catching up on this press tour. We were all at [San Diego] Comic-Con together and kicked off our global tour, and we got to be with these people in different cities globally having these unique experiences.

For most of us, this has been four years of our lives. It's quite a long time to be in such an intensive experience with people, so I love this unique family structure. I enjoy spending time with them, and I'm always happy to see them, excited to see what they've all got going on in their lives because outside of 'Rings,' we're all doing our own thing outside of Middle-Earth.

What does "The Lord of the Rings" franchise allow you to do as an actor you wouldn't normally do as an actor? Do you get to tap into your range that most wouldn't be aware of?

The biggest gift [Lord of the Rings has] given me, and I touched on it earlier, is I get to train and learn things I wouldn't do myself [laughs], but you understand, to tell this story, you want to push yourself, and so you end up doing things that scare you. There is the triumphant feeling when you manage to do it and have your personal like, "Hey, I did that!" Not necessarily just as the character but as a person. Like I said, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm the most comfortable person in the water this season, to be underwater with a scuba tank, and training to use a respirator, all that stuff terrified me. It was the genuine fear of breathing in water and "What's going to happen? On top of that, "how am I going to act?" Because you must act when you're underwater.

I got to train in a way that was an end goal; I saw a progression and faced my fears. If you're lucky, sometimes there's a nice alignment as a character similarly doing the same. So far, 'The Rings of Power' has allowed me to have horse-riding and diving lessons and fly a helicopter for the first time. You live in different countries and meet people. It's what I can do as a character, serviced by these various skills. I won't lie, it's awesome playing a queen and you don't get to do that every day if they'll have me. I love getting to put the finery and step into that role. It's unlike anything I've played before, and I'm honored to now be part of the canon in that way and get to portray Míriel.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which also stars Morfydd Clark, Lenny Henry, Sara Zwangobani, Dylan Smith, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Robert Aramayo, Benjamin Walker, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Nazanin Boniadi, Tyroe Muhafidin, Charles Edwards, Daniel Weyman, Owain Arthur, Charles Vickers, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Trystan Gravelle, Maxim Baldry, Ema Horvath, Sam Hazeldine, and Leon Wadham, premieres with its first three Season 2 episodes on August 29th. You can check out part one here.

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