Cynthia Addai-Robinson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 12, 1985 London, England |
| Nationality | American, British |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Naevia in Spartacus, Amanda Waller in Arrow, Nadine Memphis in Shooter |
Cynthia Addai-Robinson (born January 12, 1985)[1] is a British-born American actress. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series Spartacus, DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series Arrow, and Nadine Memphis on the USA Network series Shooter. She currently plays the role of Tar-Míriel on the Amazon Prime The Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power.
Early life
Addai-Robinson was born in London; her mother is from Ghana and her father is a U.S. citizen. She moved to the U.S. when she was 4 and was raised by her mother in a suburb of Washington, D.C.[2] She graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater.[3] In addition, she trained at Lee Strasberg Theater Institute[4] and in dance forms ballet, jazz and tap.
Career
After participating in several various Off-Broadway plays, Addai-Robinson got her first role on television in 2002 in an episode of The Education of Max Bickford. In following years, she made small appearances on television shows like Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs and Justice. In 2006, she was originally cast to play Melanie Barnett in the American sitcom The Game,[5] but was replaced by Tia Mowry for unspecified reasons prior to the show's production.[6] In 2009, she got her first recurring role on the ABC drama FlashForward as the character Debbie, a nurse. The same year she appeared in Tina Mabry's independent film Mississippi Damned as Milena.
In 2011, Addai-Robinson made her big screen debut as the mother of Zoe Saldana's character (played by Amandla Stenberg) in Colombiana.[7]
Her biggest role came from 2012 to 2013 when she was cast as Naevia in the third season Spartacus: Vengeance and the fourth season Spartacus: War of the Damned after Lesley-Ann Brandt decided to leave the series.[8]
In early 2013, Addai-Robinson played Aja, a powerful witch who came to help Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries for two episodes. She made a brief appearance as an on looker in the crowd in the film Star Trek Into Darkness. She played Leslie in Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret, a television movie about the murder of Travis Alexander.[9] In September 2013, she was cast as the recurring character Amanda Waller in the hit The CW show Arrow.[10]
In March 2014, she was cast as Emily D. West in the History Channel 2015 miniseries Texas Rising.[11] Her performance was nominated for a Women's Image Network Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.[12]
In January 2015, Addai-Robinson was cast in Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant, alongside Ben Affleck and J. K. Simmons, playing a U.S. Treasury Department analyst.[13] The film was released in October 2016.[14]
In March 2016, it was announced that she would be taking over Emily Rios's role from the television series Shooter as the female lead.[15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mississippi Damned | Milena | |
| 2011 | Colombiana | Alicia | |
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | San Francisco Woman | |
| 2016 | The Accountant | Marybeth Medina | |
| 2018 | Closure | Yasmina | |
| Always & 4Ever | Nicole | ||
| 2022 | The People We Hate at the Wedding | Eloise |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Susan | Episode: "Murder of the First" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Lillian Beaudriville | Episode: "41 Shots" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jeanette | Episode: "Saving Face" | |
| 2006 | Justice | Debra Mortin | Episode: "Prior Convictions" |
| 2007 | CSI: Miami | Courtney Rinella | Episode: "Internal Affairs" |
| Dirt | Michelle / Woman | 2 episodes | |
| Entourage | Amanda's Assistant #2 | Episode: "Less Than 30" | |
| Life | Stephanie | Episode: "Tear Asunder" | |
| Dash 4 Cash | Meredith | Television film | |
| A.M.P.E.D. | Paige Moscavell | Television film | |
| 2009 | Numb3rs | Trisha Moreno | Episode: "Guilt Trip" |
| CSI: NY | Dr. Karita Neville | Episode: "Greater Good" | |
| 2009–2010 | FlashForward | Debbie / Nurse | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | Edgar Floats | Dana | Television film |
| 2012 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Female Flight Attendant | Episode: "Touch of Death" |
| 2012–2013 | Spartacus | Naevia | 18 episodes |
| 2013 | The Vampire Diaries | Aja | 2 episodes |
| King & Maxwell | Megan Ainsley | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret | Sheri | Television film | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Michelle Rowlands | Episode: "Last Supper" | |
| 2013–2016 | Arrow | Amanda Waller | 17 episodes |
| 2014 | Dallas | Private Investigator | Episode: "Like Father, Like Son" |
| Ambience Man | Megan | Episode: "Miss Period" | |
| 2015 | Texas Rising | Emily West | 5 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Shooter | Nadine Memphis | 31 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Chicago Med | Vicki Glass / Dr. Vicki Glass | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | Power | Ramona Garrity | 10 episodes |
| 2020 | Stumptown | Violet | Episode: 'The Dex Factor' |
| 2022 | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Tar-Míriel | 6 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | L.A. Noire | Female Pedestrian 5 | Voice |
| 2014 | Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham | Amanda Waller |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Women's Image Network Award | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Texas Rising | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Rose, Mike (January 12, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 12, 2023 includes celebrities Howard Stern, Issa Rae". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ↑ Kecskes, Alex. "Interview with Spartacus' Cynthia Addai-Robinson". ACED Magazine. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ↑ Fraley, Jason (September 1, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star travels from Silver Spring to Middle Earth". WTOP.
- ↑ "Cynthia Addai Robinson Official Website". Cynthia Addai Robinson Official Website. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Development Update: February 14". The Futon Critic. February 14, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Development Update: February 27". The Futon Critic. February 27, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ↑ Pearson, Anthony. "Zoe Saldana plays hot action chick in new 'Colombiana' trailer". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ↑ Wightman, Catriona. "Cynthia Addai-Robinson joins 'Spartacus'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ↑ "Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret Movie" – via cinehook.com.
- ↑ Ausiello, Michael. "Arrow Targets Spartacus Alumna as Infamous DC Comics Villain Amanda Waller". TVLine. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ↑ "Cynthia Addai-Robinson Lands Lead In History's Texas Rangers Miniseries". Deadline Hollywood. 18 March 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
- ↑ "The Women's Image Network Awards". The Women's Image Awards.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (6 January 2015). "'Arrow' Actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson Joins 'The Accountant'". Variety. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "Ben Affleck's 'Live by Night,' 'Accountant' Release Dates Pushed Back". Variety. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (29 March 2016). "'Shooter': Cynthia Addai-Robinson Lands Female Lead Of USA Series In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
External links
