The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Star Cynthia Addai-Robinson on Jewelry and Power
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Cynthia Addai-Robinson might have left Númenor, but she hasn’t been home for long. The actress, who stars as Queen Regent Míriel in the new series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, streaming now on Prime Video, recently wrapped a world-wide tour to celebrate the launch of the program and made her way back to Los Angeles. “I’ve managed to spend a couple of nights at home,” she says, “but I’ve been bouncing around a bit.”
It's clearly been worth it. On Rings, Addai-Robinson’s Míriel is the queen regent of the island nation of Númenor, a prosperous realm that could be forced to sacrifice its peace for the greater good of the world. She’s a complicated character who, in the series’ latest episode, finds an uneasy peace with the elf Galadriel, whose arrival has brought a flurry of intrigue, tumult, and unsettling visions.
Throughout it all, Addai-Robinson (who’ll also appear in the upcoming film The People We Hate at the Wedding) has had help projecting Míriel’s regal mien thanks to costumes by Kate Hawley and some of the series’ most impressive jewelry, made by Jasmine Watson. Here, she tells T&C about finding her way to Númenor, what goes into those incredible headpieces, and how playing a queen has impacted her life back in L.A.
Now that the series is out in the world, what do you recall about the time when you first joined it?
I’ve been in a reflective mode because we’ve been talking about our journey with this production. I keep thinking back to when I was cast, which was after many months in lockdown, and I had the strange experience of going from sitting at home for months on end, unsure of when that would finish, to being whisked away to New Zealand and going into preproduction. It was a surreal thing to suddenly go from one to the other, but it also felt like such a gift. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined going to Middle-earth.
What about playing Queen Regent Míriel was most appealing to you?
During the casting process, I initially auditioned for a different role and didn’t get it but then was asked to audition for this part. As everyone in the cast would tell you, the characters all had code names ad there were dummy sides, so I didn’t actually know what role I was auditioning for. It was intriguing but I also didn’t necessarily know what her story would be and that’s an interesting thing to work around because there’s only so much you can do. But I guess the powers that be see something in you that you’re not aware of, or can’t even portray, it’s just some part of you coming through. When I did find out who I was playing, I was of course incredibly excited and then had the experience of getting to collaborate with some of the most incredible people in the different departments. This character came from the collaboration with all of those people. I couldn’t play her alone; I need all of those various elements in order to transform into Míriel.
A big part of that seems to be costuming, especially the jewelry she wears. Her headpieces are a big part of the power she projects.
First of all, I remember when I had my first meeting with the costume department, spearheaded by Kate Hawley. She has this amazingly talented team, and I felt like I was stepping into a couture studio because everything was being crafted for me; there were cobblers, there were embroiderers… nothing is accidental or arbitrary, there was so much care put into each piece. And of course, there was the jewelry! I had this one headpiece that was hand made, and our jewelry maker Jasmine Watson would craft these incredible pieces dripping with jewels and all inspired by Númenor. Everything has that elemental feeling in the shape and materials; there’s no plastic jewelry here, it’s all beautifully crafted. Sometimes I would look at the tings on my costar Trystan Gravelle and we’d just admire each other’s pieces. It’s a huge part of how you transform into a character, especially someone meant to be the leader of a prosperous nation. The jewelry embodies that wealth in this society.
Did putting any specific pieces on help you transform into the character?
What was interesting about his process is that I spent a lot of time in fittings, and each was for a different iteration of a costume. I’d go in multiple times, and based on the previous fitting there was some change, often so subtle that I might not even see it. But I remember going into Kate’s workspace and she had this incredible collage of references from art history and various cultures, so there was a real sense of using those inspirations to really inform every little detail. When you see the finish product, you know exactly what the journey was to get to that final look. It’s a look that feels very earned. It’s not just about aesthetic, it’s trying to tell a story through the clothing and jewelry.
It's also different for each group of characters. Your monarch doesn’t portray power in the same way that a queen from another realm might.
There really is a visual language, because at the end of the day, all of the elements of a costume have a sense of history. Everything feels like it’s lived in or could have been passed down. Again, nothing is accidental. It’s all about the significance of garments and the way they sit on the body or functionality for a particular world. For the Harfoots, there’s this beautiful detail of apple seeds woven into their costumes to represent the various members of their tribe who’ve been lost. Just that level of detail—the viewer might not even see it on screen because it’s so small—gives a sense of significance. You don’t get that very often.
WATCH THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER NOW
Does leaving a character like this behind impact the way you look at clothing or jewelry? Do you miss wearing headpieces?
I’ll tell you what I don’t miss: the corset. That’s always something I’m glad to loosen at the end of the day. To get to play a queen is an honor and a privilege, so many if I’m lucky some of the glam will rub off on me in my daily life. People ask all the time, did you take anything from set. If someone had said, you can have this headpiece or ring, I’d have been happy to work it into my own wardrobe. Any excuse to wear a crown, really!
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