An Exclusive Interview with Cynthia Addai-Robinson

By Monique Thomas

Born in London, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, whose mother is from Ghana and father from America, moved with her mother to the United States and was raised in a suburb of Washington, DC. Cynthia fell in love with acting at a very young age, performing in all her school plays and local productions. She furthered her love of the Arts when she went on to pursue a degree in Theater at the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

After performing in several plays in New York, Cynthia moved to Los Angeles, and appeared on shows such as CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, and Numbers.

Cocoa Cure: For people who are unfamiliar with Spartacus, please explain the show and your character “Naevia-.

Cynthia Addai-Robinson: Spartacus follows the story of the title character as he goes from slave to champion gladiator in the arena under the house of Batiatus. This season is titled Spartacus:Vengeance, as we see Spartacus lead an army of former gladiators and slaves to fight against the republic. They are all fighting for a larger cause, but each of the characters this season is seeking their own personal vengeance as well. My character Naevia was last seen in the previous season being violently sent away, separating her from her lover, Crixus. This season we find out what has happened to her since.

CC: Please share your experience working with Zoe Saldana for Columbiana.

Cynthia: My experience on Columbiana was great. I worked in Mexico City with a great local crew in addition to the French crew that traveled with the film to all of its locations. I unfortunately did not get to work with Zoe in the film because in the storyline, I play her character’s mother in flashbacks. I worked with a wonderful young actress, Amandla Stenberg, who plays Zoe’s character as a young girl. She was a joy to work with, and both she and Zoe did a great job bringing the character to life.

CC: Why types of roles are you most interested in playing?

Cynthia: I love being given the opportunity to play characters that are quite different from myself. That is definitely the case with Naevia; I feel like I’m really portraying a character as opposed to a modified version of myself. Playing with dialects and costumes and elements that make you feel like you’re creating a fully realized character is a lot of fun for me.

CC: I know that the film industry is a tough business. Please share any criticisms or challenges you’ve faced as you continue to pursue your career.

Cynthia: The film industry is tough, but so are a lot of other industries! Despite any challenges I’ve faced and continue to face, I feel grateful to be doing what I love to do. I think it’s especially important to have other things outside of “the industry” that matter to you, and that ultimately keeps me grounded.

CC: The overall consensus among the men in our office (and women, but especially the men lol) agree that you are very beautiful. Do you find that to be a huge advantage in Hollywood? Some say it’s a gift and a curse.

Cynthia: Ha ha, thank you! To be honest, I try not to get too caught up in the image stuff. I try to look and feel my best, but I do that for myself, not for Hollywood. If people respond to how I look, I take it as a compliment and a bonus.

CC: Single, dating, or complicated?

Cynthia: All of the above.

CC: Who are some of your favorite actresses?

Cynthia:   I think the last performance from an actress that I saw and really liked was Charlize Theron in “Young Adult”. I think she’s a phenomenal actress who takes a lot of risks in her work, and I really admire that.

CC: Are you a music and/or sports fan? If so, who are you a fan of?

Cynthia: I’m a huge fan of all kinds of music, and I listen to music everywhere: in the shower, in the car, on my ipod…luckily, Los Angeles has an amazing music scene, so there’s always something new to discover. As for sports, I’m not really a big sports fan, but I do turn into a maniac when World Cup is on. So I become a fanatic, like, every 4 years!

CC: Which “Hollywood- activity do you enjoy the most? The least?

Cynthia: I really try to take advantage of the amazing weather in Los Angeles and get outdoors as much as possible. For such a big city, there are some really beautiful parts of Los Angeles that you can hike through and feel like you have the city all to yourself. The activity I enjoy the least is being in a crowded bar with people I don’t like. Life is too short for that.