He’s King Gil-galad and she’s Queen Regent Míriel. Benjamin Walker and Cynthia Addai-Robinson talk about being a part of the epic series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” now streaming on Prime Video.
Benjamin Walker and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (2026)
Host Lori Rosales talks to actors Benjamin Walker and Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who play King Gil-galad and Queen Regent Míriel on the TV series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” They discuss their experiences portraying iconic characters in Tolkien’s universe, as well as explore insights into their acting journeys, the challenges of embodying complex roles, and the collaborative efforts involved in bringing such a beloved series to life.
PLEASE NOTE: This version of the interview differs slightly from the original TV broadcast. Host segments have been rearranged, and all promotional clips have been removed.
Mini-Biographies:
Born June 21, 1982, in Cartersville, Georgia, Benjamin Walker is an actor and stand-up comedian whose diverse career spans major feature films, television, and acclaimed stage productions. A graduate of the Juilliard Actor Training Program, Walker first came to prominence on screen playing a young Alfred Kinsey in the biographical drama “Kinsey” and Harlon Block in Clint Eastwood’s war film “Flags of Our Fathers.” He achieved widespread international recognition starring in the title role of the action horror film “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” followed by prominent film roles in “In the Heart of the Sea,” the romantic drama “The Choice,” and the historical drama “September 5.”On television, Walker has appeared in the Netflix Marvel series “Jessica Jones,” Barry Jenkins’s acclaimed limited series “The Underground Railroad” and as High King Gil-galad in the Amazon Prime Video fantasy series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” A celebrated stage actor, his extensive theater credits include starring in the title role of the Broadway musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” playing Patrick Bateman in the Broadway musical adaptation of “American Psycho,” and earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2019 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”
Born January 12, 1985, in London, England, Cynthia Addai-Robinson is an English-born American actress who achieved widespread international recognition for starring as Queen Regent Tar-Míriel in the Amazon Prime Video fantasy series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Raised in a suburb of Washington, D.C., by her Ghanaian mother and American father, Addai-Robinson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, alongside training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. After early television appearances in various network procedural dramas, she rose to prominence playing Naevia in the Starz’s “Spartacus,” Ramona Garrity on Starz’s “Power,” and government operative Amanda Waller in the CW’s “Arrow.” Her prominent film credits include playing U.S. Treasury Department analyst Marybeth Medina in “The Accountant” (2016) and its sequel, “The Accountant 2” (2025), as well as starring as FBI Special Agent Nadine Memphis in the USA Network thriller series “Shooter.”
About Season 3 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”:
In Season Three, Middle-earth is at war. Five years have passed since the fall of Eregion. Sauron’s armies have marched across the whole of the world, conquering all in their path. Only a few isolated pockets stand between the Dark Lord and total victory – Khazad-dûm, where the Dwarves are now sealed deep within their mountain halls, and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, which are protected by their Three Rings. But deep in the land of Mordor, in his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord toils day and night, obsessed with harnessing a power that will bring the last of his enemies to their knees: One Ring to rule them all... Now, all the free peoples of Middle-earth – Dwarves, Elves, Men, and Wizards alike – must find a way to come together, in a race against time to prevent Sauron from achieving his goal of utter domination of all life…
Interview Credits:
- Recorded: November 11, 2026
- Host / Producer: Lori Rosales
- Editor: Richard R. Lee
- Special Thanks To: Prime Video, Amazon Studios