Before she was playing the sexy and spying Yellow Rose of Texas on the History Channel’s new mini-series, Texas Rising, Cynthia Addai-Robinson was young stage actress with a dream. Here’s everything you need to know about Cynthia Addai-Robinson, from her British birthplace to her secret talent.
Her First Acting Role was in “Annie”
“When I was in high school I was starting to get into plays. I ended up when I was a sophomore in high school playing Annie, of all roles, in our school’s production of ‘Annie.’ But the big break for me was Spartacus, which I joined in on in the second season. I don’t think I could have anticipated a role like that where I essentially am a female gladiator, and doing stunts and killing people. In some ways it was the dream role I never dreamed.”
She’s a Secret Singer
“I love to sing. I guess for people who know me personally I’m a bit of a karaoke junkie. I love going to karaoke. I love the freedom of that, because it’s a really no pressure situation. I think the last karaoke I did I sang ‘American Boy’ by Estelle. I also sang ‘Dirty Diana’ by Michael Jackson.”
In Fact, She Dreams of Being in a Musical
“I would love to do a movie musical or a music biopic. There was a moment in my performance life that I though I wanted to be on Broadway and do musicals. I have a lot of respect for those performers because that’s a really, really tough environment.”
She’s Been Bitten by the Travel Bug
“I’ve been to New Zealand, and then from there I went to the Cook Islands. I went to Samoa, Australia, that whole part of the world is amazing. I’m definitely hoping to just see some other places. I’ve been wanting to go to Morocco for a really long time. I think if I had a choice probably my next trip, I’m dying to go to Cuba. I just like seeing how other people are living in the world, and like to just move among them and observe. I think it’s all very good information for an actor, just seeing human behavior.”
She’s International
“I was born in London, my mother’s from Ghana so all of the family that I grew up with around me are all African. My mother and I moved to the Washington D.C. area when I was about 4 years old. Then I eventually left that area to go to school in New York. I feel like I identify with a lot of different places that kind of make up who I am.”
She’s (Kinda) Bilingual
“I speak some Spanish which came in handy for Texas Rising because we were filming in Mexico. I studied Spanish in school for years, then you don’t use it and it kind of goes away. Last year I basically lived [in Mexico] for 5 months and I realized that suddenly I was in an immersion situation because I wasn’t filming and I had days off. Well, I still had to go into town. I have to order lunch. I have to drop my laundry off somewhere. Suddenly you’re like ‘Okay. I got to figure this out. Basically have to really improve on my Spanish so that I can basically live here and get around.'”
She JUST Joined Instagram
“I’m trying to build my numbers. It’s been about a month. I was really dragging my feet. I think, for me, the whole Instagram thing and why I was sort of late to the party, is that there’s still this part of me that very much values my privacy. I personally think the less people know the better. At least Instagram kind of seems a little bit friendlier than Twitter. “
Catch Cynthia Addai-Robinson on Texas Rising, Mondays at 9P.M. EST on the History Channel (and follow her on Instagram!).