It’s another bull’s-eye for USA’s conspiracy crime thriller “Shooter,” slated to premiere this fall. “Spartacus” alum Cynthia Addai-Robinson co-stars alongside Ryan Phillippe as Nadine Memphis, a cool and brilliant FBI agent.
On ‘Shooter.’
“The series is based on the film ‘Shooter’ with Mark Wahlberg—and that film and the series are both based on the series of books by Stephen Hunter. So the source material is really interesting and I think anybody who’s a fan of conspiracy thrillers, that’s the genre that we’re playing in. It’s really cool to have an interesting, meaty role in that type of genre.”
On playing an FBI agent.
“To play an FBI agent has been an interesting challenge for me, because it’s a different type of role than I’ve played in the past, but it keeps me on my toes. I want to feel like I have a sense of what that world is like and what it would be like to work in that profession. I do my best to bring as much authenticity and truth as I can.”
On her secret to nailing an audition.
“It’s a mini performance. You have to really give the full performance in that moment. You can’t be halfway about it. You have to really commit to giving it all that you have and let that be enough. Of course you want the job, but it’s not about getting a job; it’s about authenticity and a real focus.”
On working with the USA Network.
“Right now, a lot of the projects that USA [is] putting out there, they’re all very unique and they’re all a take on a different type of genre. I feel like it’s really elevated material…. I’m really proud to be part of the different shows that USA is putting out there, because I think in terms of the quality and the expectations of a bar that’s been set with things like ‘Mr. Robot’ and some of the other long-running shows like ‘Suits,’ we’re in really good company.”
On what roles she looks for.
“For me, what keeps me challenged and interested is just variety—variety of story, variety of character. I guess the recent throughline for me has been a sense that all these characters are really tough and strong. But I think what normally makes a character like that interesting is also a sense of vulnerability, to have those two conflicting ideas present at the same time.”
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