Rings Of Power’s Cynthia Addai-Robinson Shares How She Approached Tar-Miriel’s Blindness In Season 2

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Rings Of Power’s Cynthia Addai-Robinson Shares How She Approached Tar-Miriel’s Blindness In Season 2

As a devoted fan of “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” I was utterly captivated by the riveting battle between the Orcs and the Southlands in Season 1, particularly the poignant moment when Queen Tar-Míriel lost her sight amidst the eruption of Mount Doom. The acting prowess of Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who portrayed Tar-Míriel, was nothing short of remarkable, especially considering the intricacies involved in playing a blind character.

Warning: Spoilers for the first season of ‘The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’ are coming up. You can stream it now with your Amazon subscription.

Anticipating the arrival of Rings of Power‘s second season, it’s hard not to remember the thrilling clash between Orcs and the Southlands during Season 1. In Episode 6, Númenór’s troops joined the Southlands’ fight, prompted by Galadriel’s persuasion of Queen Tar-Míriel. Unfortunately, the battle took a heavy toll on Queen Tar-Míriel, causing her to lose her sight after the explosion of Mount Doom. This intense scene served as a reminder that Rings of Power is one of Amazon Prime’s finest original series. During an interview with TopMob, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who portrays Queen Tar-Míriel, discussed her strategy for playing blindness.

During our chat, Cynthia Addai-Robinson revealed that when she joined The Rings of Power, she was portraying Tar-Míriel blindly as many of her early scenes were post-Battle of Episode 6. Consequently, when she resumed for Season 2, she felt she already had a “sense” of how to play the queen, understanding the mindset of her people. However, in Season 2, viewers will witness her rejoining her disgruntled and enraged people, who are displeased with her leadership choices. To maintain strength and avoid appearing weak, she must portray a strong character. Addai-Robinson added that this season will present challenges for Tar-Míriel.

For me, it was essential to portray Miriel navigating familiar terrain with confidence despite her blindness. I didn’t want her stumbling around in places she has walked through countless times. Instead, I aimed to emphasize her heightened senses and deep understanding of people, which allowed her to perceive her surroundings more acutely. She listens carefully, senses changes in energy within a room, and is sensitive to tactile sensations.

Portraying a blind character requires a delicate balance, as the actor must avoid slipping into stereotypes and an inaccurate representation of what it’s like to be blind. Actress [Actress Name] chose to make Tar-Míriel comfortable navigating her familiar surroundings in Númenór due to her extensive time there. However, there was one aspect that initially proved difficult for her to manage. As she elaborated:

In this role, I found it necessary to concentrate more on other senses and feelings, as I usually depend on eye contact with fellow actors to connect, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option here. This made me wonder about how the absence of eye contact could affect the scene or a relationship, and how I would interact with someone in such a situation. The key for me was ensuring that her strength and leadership qualities weren’t diminished, even without sight. I believe she too understands this, as she remains a leader, both blind and sighted, dedicated to protecting her people.

While watching the actress’s performance, one might not realize how behind the scenes there’s a dynamic that is being transformed due to Tar-Míriel’s lack of sight, but it’s worth bringing up. The blind and visually impaired community must learn how to navigate through not getting to have eye contact with and see facial expressions of those who they are speaking to in conversations, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson had a taste of this through her role. We’ll be curious to learn more about how Númenór reacts to their queen in Season 2, along with how she deals with the fallout of her trust in Galadriel.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that during our chat with Cynthia Addai-Robinson, she expressed her enthusiasm for Charlie Vickers’ Sauron being revealed this season in the upcoming premiere of The Rings of Power, which airs on August 29. Can’t wait!

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2024-08-14 16:37