‘Rings Of Power’ Exclusive: Cynthia Addai-Robinson And Sophia Nomvete Brilliantly Bring Black Royalty To The Tolkien Universe

We’re obsessed with Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel series Rings of Power — particularly Sophia Nomvete’s character Princess Disa and Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Queen Regent Míriel.

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Prime Video Expected To Renew ‘Rings Of Power’ For Third Season

Prime Video recently streamed the finale of the second season of their hit series Rings Of Power and according to The Hollywood Reporter a third season is already being plotted by showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay, with many viewers optimistic a Season 3 renewal announcement will come this month after several members of the show’s cast (Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Charlie Vickers, and Sophia Nomvete) were present for the Prime Video UK Upfront presentation to advertisers in London last week.

Season 2 reportedly drew some 55 million viewers so far, but Amazon expects viewership to eventually catch up to the 150 million estimated viewers who tuned in for the first season – so we will steer clear of spoilers, but we wanted to share our delightful conversation with Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Sophia Nomvete from the top of the season.

Source: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

Over the last two seasons we’ve really enjoyed watching both Princess Disa and Queen Regent Míriel onscreen. We asked both actresses what they most enjoyed about embodying these incredible fantasy roles.

“What I love about Princess Disa is she is everything that I would aspire to be,” Sophia Nomvete told BOSSIP. “In terms of her core, she’s like an elevated magical version of if I’d put together all of my inspiring women that I know and clumped them and merged them together she’s kind of the love child of that, so yeah I love that she’s an aspirational character.”

“Very well put and I would say similarly, it’s sort of like channeling all the most powerful, amazing, inspirational, aspirational women in your life, in history, and hoping you could even remotely represent that in some form or fashion,” Cynthia Addai-Robinson agreed. “It’s very flattering to feel like people see us as Queens and royalty and to be able to sort of tap into that into that within your own sense of really sort of owning your space. It’s lovely to explore that within a character and then hopefully some of that lingers in day to day life.”

Source: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

‘Rings Of Power’ Stars Talk Diversity In The Tolkien Universe

For Black audiences who’ve always loved sci-fi and fantasy it’s very refreshing to see Addai-Robinson and Nomvete on our television screens. It doesn’t escape us that today’s younger generations are growing up seeing themselves reflected in Middle Earth.

“Growing up, I was just a nerd — into sci-fi,” Addai-Robinson told BOSSIP. “I remember watching the original Star Trek and you know even when you’re sort of grasping for the very few people of color that you do see and have seen that have sort of laid a path for us to get to then be that or daughters or you know young women and young men coming up, it’s just very cool. This is a very cool time.”

Source: Courtesy / Prime Video

“I think we feel like the hosts of a very monumental moment particularly in the world of Tolkien. I have a daughter and she definitely watches all the things, all the animations, all the movies, and I just watch her being able to see such a beautiful variation of that but also the most important thing is being able to look at herself staring back at her,” Nomvete added. “To be part of that representation and to be part of that change, that is imperative for the continuation of our creative life force so to speak and generations to come. I feel like we’re part of a big plaque, a metaphorical plaque that will one day be seen.”

Source: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

The actresses also spoke about how the seasons build on each other, each laying the foundation for what’s to come in Middle Earth as the story continues to unfold.

“The scope of this season is even bigger, so if you liked the first season or you’re curious about the first season you want to watch Season 1 into Season 2,” Addai Robinson said. “It’s going to just be leveling up of the scope and the epicness and battles and good versus evil. But I think for both of our characters and both of the worlds that we’re a part of you know it’s just a very high stakes dramatic intensive emotional season.”

“Season 1 was an introduction, you know like the best written stories when you really get to know the characters and Season 1 was a time of peace, it’s many of our worlds within their glory days and suddenly evil starts to loom at the towards the end of Season 1 coming into Season 2,” Nomvete added. “We’re now watching the darkness unfold and how it impacts each and every individual and race. For our characters, I would say we are in a position of power. The stakes are high and there’s a lot to fight for and we watch both of us go to any lengths in order to to make our world safe.”

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Addai-Robinson and Nomvete play characters whose paths do not cross in the series, but we asked them about the bond they’ve grown after frequently finding themselves promoting the show together and the pair opened up about their first Essence Festival experience together.

“I live just outside London, Cyn lives in LA, but you know we’re friends and we never actually cross paths thus far on camera and yet you know she was kind of in my house and Cynthia and her husband were on the FaceTime to my husband and our daughter yesterday and so we always get really excited,” Nomvete told BOSSIP. “This is like the second time that it’s kind of just been me and Cynthia.”

“Also ’cause this is our first time to EssenceFest,” Addai-Robinson added.

“Yes, first time to New Orleans for me,” Nomvete continued. “I’m obsessed with it. I feel at home. I feel like I can be 100% myself and embrace like such an incredible culture. I’m so excited. So to do this hand in hand with my girl is everything.”

“Also there’s just an amazing array of fascinating, interesting, lovely, talented people all floating around the city, all floating around this festival and I think the sense of energy and interest and getting to experiencing it experience it, not just with your castmate, but your friend — this is I think the best way to come and do this if you get to be so lucky.”

Rings of Power is streaming now on Prime Video

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