Actress feels she’s been preparing for ‘LOTR’ role her whole life

It’s crucial for every actor playing important roles in any TV, movie or stage production to know the characters they’re playing inside-out. To imbue a sense of urgency, reason or intention, it’s doubly important to know what’s at stake for their characters.

When we met Cynthia Addai-Robinson at the recent Singapore premiere of the sophomore season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” we asked her what’s at stake for her character, Queen Miriel of Numenor, this time around.

“It feels like everything is at stake!” the lovely actress quipped. “After all, the future of Middle-earth and its people is at stake here. But I think in order for us to sort of top ourselves in Season 2, you really have to raise the stakes. So, for Miriel, it isn’t necessarily just about leadership. She’s had a glimpse into the potential future, and that future is dark and uncertain!

“It isn’t just about having a position of power… it’s about life and death. It’s about the future of a country! So, of course the stakes are very high. As a result, we deliver a very dramatic Season 2 for the Numenor storyline.

Relate to modern world

“For the audience, I’m hoping that as they get invested in the fate of the characters with every twist and turn, it’s no longer just about any story we’re telling in this fantasy world. It’s more about how people relate these events to the lives they lead in the modern world.

“Regardless of whether these characters are dwarves or elves or Harfoots, it’s really important for viewers to understand human emotion and develop empathy for what these characters are going through.”

So, what did she do to prepare for the ‘high-status’ role and encompass all of its stunning but sometimes polarizing complexity?

“Well, I feel like I’ve been preparing for it my whole life (laughs),” she shared. “Yes, there’s Miriel’s status, with my crown and royal scepter in tow. But it isn’t just about titles; it’s also about the internal life of these characters. I mean, they certainly have these elevated positions in their community, but they’re just ‘people’ at the end of the day … as we all are.

“It’s about your understanding of what makes people tick and why they choose to do certain things, what they’re afraid of, what they hope for, and what they dream about. So, really, it starts with [understanding] people first. The rest are merely external factors.”

We then asked director Charlotte Brandstrom, who was seated beside Cynthia and Trystan Gravelle (who plays Pharazon) during this quick chat what she thought were the biggest challenges coming into Season 2.

She answered, “Season 1 is about finding out who Sauron is. But for Season 2, you need to keep that tension up all the time. So, that was a dramatic challenge, and it’s interesting because, except for Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), the other characters really don’t know who [Sauron] is yet.”

Main theme

Did she expect the series to become a huge hit, or at least approximate the success of the award-winning blockbuster movies that came before it?

“You never know for sure,” she pointed out. “Nothing is ever for sure. You just know you’re working on something big and something epic… so all you can do is hope for the best.”

The series tackles a lot of hot-button issues and themes. But what does Charlotte wish viewers to take away from the series?

“For me, the main theme is how power corrupts,” she intimated. “But regardless of whatever time or timeline you’re in, Tolkien will always be relevant.”