[Interview] Rings of Power's Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Trystan Gravelle at SDCC

The cast and showrunners of The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power made a memorable appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, exciting fans with their presence and insights. Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Miriel) and Trystan Gravelle (Pharazon) shared their experiences in an interview, delving into their responsibility to the source material, the fans, and the potential for attracting newcomers to the world of Middle Earth.

Interview with Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Trystan Gravelle

Both actors expressed the honor and excitement of joining such a beloved universe. Trystan Gravelle acknowledged the daunting task of living up to the legacy, while Cynthia Addai-Robinson emphasized the shared responsibility of honoring Tolkien’s work and the deep emotional connection fans have to the characters.

“It was very exciting. I have to say, it was just an honor just to sort of take up that mantle of being chosen to take along with the rest of the cast. So you can let yourself be daunted by it, you know? But at the end of the day, it’s it’s it’s a piece of work that everybody loves and, you know, you want to do the best you would in the best way possible. And I think looking back, like the anticipation and the excitement from it, it was a really big honor to be a part of that and to try to do the best job you can, you know, for everybody to enjoy your piece of work…And also as well, you know, it’s an unfinished piece of work. What we’re doing right now. So however many seasons it is once it’s finished, that would be the piece of work that I guess will stand up against the test of time.” -Trystan Gravelle

Cynthia Addai-Robinson on Balancing Old and New Audiences

Cynthia discussed the challenge of catering to both existing fans and those new to the world of Middle Earth. She highlighted the importance of establishing the world and characters in the first season, allowing the second season to delve deeper into the story.

“Yeah. I think there’s like a shared sense of responsibility because you understand how important these stories are to people. These are stories that people have grown up on these stories. They have emotion attached to these characters. So you just want to do your best to put as much of your own sort of effort into it so that you do right not just in Tolkien, but also the audience, because it’s very precious to us. It’s precious to us as well. You really have to do all this setup because this isn’t just a series. That’s for people who know the world of Tolkien. There are a lot of people that this is their introduction to these stories. So like any series has to, you’ve got to establish the world, the characters. And now in season two, we get to just get right on into things. So I think it’s really important to remember that, you know, for all the people that really know this, this more intimately, you could be ten years old and you’ve never seen the movies, read the books, and we’ve got to make sure that, you know, those young fans and older fans as well, like, understand and know the world before we can get into the actual season two…I guess I’ll say that with the first season, you know, there are characters that are established that are known to fans, whether it’s because of the books, the films, and then we’ve got characters that are Tolkienien, but they’re new to the audience, they’re new to us. And in season two, I would say we sort of extend, you know, with the same idea. So characters that you’re familiar with, creatures that you’re familiar with, and the new characters that we introduce into.” -Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel

Trystan Gravelle on Themes and Character Development in Season 2

Trystan hinted at the diverse themes explored in different parts of Middle Earth, with each location undergoing its own transition. He also alluded to the potential consequences of the events in season one, suggesting possible conflicts and challenges for his character.

“I think there’s probably a different theme for every part of that place. I thought maybe this is a different creative to the other, you know? So it’s not as comfortable. I don’t think, because it’s this one theme. I just think every place is going through some sort of transition…Well, I guess that depends on what your belief system is. You’ve got like, it’s it’s, you know, it’s cleft and twain, isn’t it? You know, and on one side, you’ve got, the King’s men who fancy themselves as being progressive. It’s probably more of an ideology, and it’s a celebration of who they are as people. And you’ve got the, the faithful, on the other hand, which is probably seen by some as like could even teeter on being a religion of sorts, is very antiquated down to us of the king’s men. So, it just depends what side you’re on. And why did we go to middle earth? Why do we go to the continent then? To have a war? What was it like, a lack of impulse control? Maybe. Was it our business at all? How were we going to be seen? How will other people react to that as well? So there’s a lot that we need to take in. So I think maybe there could be enemies at the gates for us, you know, you don’t know there’s a lot, be it a spring to mind depending on which side of the fence you’re on.” -Trystan Gravelle

Navigating Political Turmoil in Numenor

Cynthia elaborated on the political tensions in Numenor following Queen Miriel’s decision to lead her people into a losing battle. She described the diverging viewpoints within Numenorean society and the struggle to determine the future leadership of the island kingdom. Cynthia touched upon the classic themes of good versus evil and life and death, emphasizing their enduring appeal due to the epic nature of the storytelling.

“Everyone is different, but it’s almost like the first season is the hero’s journey and the second season is the villain’s journey. You know, that’s one way of looking at it, I think. But as Tristan said, each world is kind of, navigating or exploring different ideas, classic themes. But, you know, they’re epic themes. It’s, you know, good versus evil, life and death, you know, things that stand the test of time because of the scope of the storytelling…Yeah. I mean Miriel essentially took Numenor’s people into a losing battle. So upon her return, people are upset. Understandably, and I don’t necessarily know that they are convinced that she is the one to lead them into the next chapter, you know, in the future. So, you know, Trystan and I are exploring, you know, opposite sides of the same coin and sort of these diverging viewpoints. And so a lot of the tensions this season lie kind of, you know, which way Numenoreans society is sort of going toward.” -Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Personal Growth Through Challenges

Cynthia shared her personal challenge of overcoming her fear of water during filming. She spoke about channeling her character’s fearlessness and focusing on serving the audience by delivering a triumphant moment in the story.

“Without question, the water work for me was challenging in that I. Cynthia, I’m terrified of water. I’ve never breathed underwater. I’ve never worked underwater. And it’s very visceral because you suddenly realize how vulnerable you are. And so to spend time underwater and not get in your own head and sort of figure something out was really sort of overcoming my own fear as the actor, but also having to channel for the middle of this fearlessness in this very challenging situation. But the beautiful thing I keep thinking about is how in your toughest challenge, it’s who you discover, who you really are or who you are meant to be. That’s true for you as a human being. That’s true. I think for me, I was a character, so I thought about that a lot. It’s like I wanted to have the satisfaction of overcoming this, this very rational fear, like drowning. But I think I had to sort of focus again on like, you know, serving the audience, making sure that for the audience, this moment in this part of the story was going to be triumphant and satisfying.” -Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Both Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Trystan Gravelle bring a classically trained acting approach to their roles, demonstrating immense respect for the fan base and the world they are helping to adapt. Their dedication to honoring the source material while appealing to fans of all levels promises an exciting second season.

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 premieres exclusively on Prime Video on August 29th.