“The Best Decision I Ever Made Was To Invest In Myself”- Cynthia Addai-Robinson

For those who see success as setting goals and achieving them, their stories are usually very exciting and inspiring. An example of this is Cynthia Addai-Robinson, an English-born American actress who at 33, has left indelible marks in the sands of time with her wonderful exploits in the world of film and television.

Cynthia was born January 12, 1985 in London of a Ghanaian mother and a father from the United States of America. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series Spartacus and DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series Arrow.

Cynthia moved to US when she was four, and was raised by her mother in a suburb of Washington, DC. After graduating from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD, she studied at the Tisch School of the Arts bagging a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater. To complement that, she trained at Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and in dance forms ballet, jazz, tap. During the filming of Spartacus: War of the Damned, she received Navy Seal and New Zealand Special Forces training.

Both she and her “Spartacus” costar Ellen Hollman, have guest starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) during the 14th season. However, they both were in different episodes.

Cynthia had to take up sword training to prepare for her role as Naevia in “Spartacus”.

She and her “Spartacus” cast-mate Nick E. Tarabay costarred in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013). Both had small roles.

She and her “Spartacus” costars Lucy Lawless, Marisa Ramirez, Nick E. Tarabay, and Katrina Law all guest starred on CSI: Miami (2002). However none were in the same episode.

She and her “Spartacus” costars Brett Tucker, Marissa Ramirez, and Lesley-Ann Brandt all guest starred on CSI: NY (2004).

According to Cynthia, she learned how to be a woman and a good person just by watching and observing my mother and thinks getting to where she is today, training has been helpful, but so has living a well-rounded life full of different experiences. However, perhaps above both, she avers, the best decision I ever made was to invest in myself, both financially and time-wise.” Of course to have come this far and good, that was a sacrifice worth its every sweat.

Not resting on her oars despite her tremendous success, Cynthia looks ahead to achieving more and is inspired right now by a lot of the actors and actresses who are pursuing storytelling outside of just acting.

“They’re writing, producing, they are creating their own material. That’s really exciting to me. It feels like the possibilities are endless as far the things that you can make and even where they can be shown” she says.

“One thing I would love to do in my lifetime is a movie musical. I’ve wanted to do that since I was a kid. That’s what made me interested in acting in the first place. I would do any type of musical, but I love the Harlem Renaissance era.” Apparently, we should be expecting to see other shades of movies from this unique woman with a string of credits to her name; as enumerated below.

• Red Meat— 2018
• Backroads— 2018
• That’ll Be the Day— 2017
• 20 Episodes Nadine Memphis 2017 – 2018
• Texas Rising (TV Show)
• The Rise of the Republic— 2015
• The Rise of the Republic: Part 1— 2015
• The Rise of the Republic: Part 2— 2015

15 Episodes Emily West 2015

Arrow (TV Show)

• Suicidal Tendencies— 2015
• The Return— 2015
• Unthinkable— 2014

5 Episodes Amanda Waller 2014 – 2015

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV Show)

• Last Supper— 2013
• Michelle Rowlands 2013

Spartacus (TV Show)

• Wolves at the Gate— 2013
• Wrath of the Gods— 2012
• Sacramentum— 2012

5 Episodes Naevia 2012 – 2013

FlashForward (TV Show)

• Course Correction— 2010
• The Gift— 2009
• Scary Monsters and Super Creeps— 2009

4 Episodes Debbie 2009 – 2010

CSI: NY (TV Show)

Greater Good— 2009

• Karita Neville 2009

NUMB3RS (TV Show)

Guilt Trip— 2009

• Trisha Moreno 2009

Numbers (TV Show)

Guilt Trip— 2009

• Trisha Moreno 2009

Dirt (TV Show)

Blogan— 2007

2 Episodes Michelle 2007

CSI: Miami (TV Show)

Internal Affairs— 2007

• Courtney Rinella 2007

Justice (TV Show)

Prior Convictions— 2006

• Debra Mortin 2006

The Education of Max Bickford (TV Show)

Murder of the First— 2002

• Susan 2002

Entertainers (TV Show)

Entertainers— 2017

• Entertainers— 2016

2016 – 2017

ES.TV (TV Show)

TV— 2017

• TV— 2016

The Real (TV Show)

• The Real— 2016

Dish Nation (TV Show)

• Dish Nation— 2015

Cynthia also has a few inspiring Personal Quotes

• Surround yourself with good people that keep you grounded, work hard, and be patient.
• I would define success as setting a goal for yourself and then accomplishing it. I think successful people set out to do something and then just do it. They know before they accomplish their goal that they will, in fact, accomplish it.
• Even bad decisions usually result in good lessons learned
• A dream role is a role that you can’t even picture for yourself. Everything I’ve ever played I never pictured I would get a chance to play. It [has] gone beyond my wildest dreams.
• I want to be remembered as someone who tried their best and hopefully succeeded.
• I feel comfortable in the US, the UK and in Ghana. They are all home to me in some way.
• I listen to a wide variety of music of all genres, but sometimes you just need a cheesy pop song.
• All actors have their own unique path when it comes to the development of their training and careers.
• The great thing about really heightened historical dramas is that they can convey much larger themes.
• When I look in the mirror, I see a work in progress.
• Music excites me, inspires me, fuels me! I listen to music every single day.
• I love performing in any medium, and more the opportunities you have to vary things, the more you learn.