Cynthia Addai-Robinson

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Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Cynthia Addai-Robinson.png
Born (1985-01-12) January 12, 1985 (age 39)
London, England
NationalityAmerican, British
Education New York University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2002–present
Known forNaevia in Spartacus , Amanda Waller in Arrow , Nadine Memphis in Shooter

Cynthia Addai-Robinson (born January 12, 1985) [1] is an 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 .

Contents

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.[ citation needed ]

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

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Mississippi Damned Milena
2011 Colombiana Alicia
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness San Francisco Woman
2016 The Accountant Marybeth Medina
2018ClosureYasmina
Always & 4EverNicole
2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Eloise
TBA The Accountant 2 Marybeth Medinafilming [16]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 The Education of Max Bickford SusanEpisode: "Murder of the First"
2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Lillian BeaudrivilleEpisode: "41 Shots"
Law & Order: Criminal Intent JeanetteEpisode: "Saving Face"
2006 Justice Debra MortinEpisode: "Prior Convictions"
2007 CSI: Miami Courtney RinellaEpisode: "Internal Affairs"
Dirt Michelle / Woman2 episodes
Entourage Amanda's Assistant #2Episode: "Less Than 30"
Life StephanieEpisode: "Tear Asunder"
Dash 4 CashMeredithTelevision film
A.M.P.E.D. Paige MoscavellTelevision film
2009 Numb3rs Trisha MorenoEpisode: "Guilt Trip"
CSI: NY Dr. Karita NevilleEpisode: "Greater Good"
2009–2010 FlashForward Debbie / Nurse6 episodes
2010Edgar FloatsDanaTelevision film
2012 NCIS: Los Angeles Female Flight AttendantEpisode: "Touch of Death"
2012–2013 Spartacus Naevia18 episodes
2013 The Vampire Diaries Aja2 episodes
King & Maxwell Megan AinsleyEpisode: "Pilot"
Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret SheriTelevision film
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Michelle RowlandsEpisode: "Last Supper"
2013–2016 Arrow Amanda Waller17 episodes
2014 Dallas Private InvestigatorEpisode: "Like Father, Like Son"
Ambience ManMeganEpisode: "Miss Period"
2015 Texas Rising Emily West5 episodes
2016–2018 Shooter Nadine Memphis31 episodes
2016–2019 Chicago Med Vicki Glass / Dr. Vicki Glass10 episodes
2019 Power Ramona Garrity10 episodes
2020 Stumptown VioletEpisode: 'The Dex Factor'
2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Tar-Míriel6 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 L.A. Noire Female Pedestrian 5Voice
2014 Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Amanda Waller

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResultRef.
2015 Women's Image Network Award Best Actress in a Drama SeriesTexas RisingNominated

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References

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  12. "The Women's Image Network Awards". The Women's Image Awards.
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