‘National Treasure’: Antonio Cipriano on Riley Poole Moment Fans Will Love in ‘Edge of History’

“Oren’s been a fan of Riley Poole his whole life,” Cipriano says. The character’s love of Riley is hinted as early as the series premiere, coming in the form of quick Easter eggs that fans will enjoy. Oren and Riley will share a bond over their shared obsessions throughout Bartha’s cameos in the series, making for a sweet bromance between the Riley superfan and Riley himself. It all culminates in a line Bartha improvised in the finale that Cipriano says was a “very cute” moment for them both.

Disney/Brian Roedel

Edge of History is Cipriano’s first series regular role (he came from Broadway, and then had guest star roles on The Sex Lives of College Girls and City on a Hill — you may also know him from viral Bridgerton: The Musical duets on TikTok). Growing up a fan of the film franchise, this was a “dream come true” moment for the actor. And he’s always rooted for the sidekicks.

“Riley Poole was my favorite character,” he says, adding, “I was the younger brother to my older brother. I was always the Robin to his Batman, and I always loved the sidekick. I’m always there for them, so Riley’s always been there for me.”

Another fun part of this series is Zeta-Jones campy villain, who kidnaps Oren in the early episodes in exchange for a special ransom payment. Working with the Wednesday star, Cipriano says, was loads of fun.

“It’s funny, she came to set the day before we filmed [the kidnapping scene], and that’s when I met her the first time,” he shares. “And it was early on. I was still getting my bearings. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I was blushing, like, ‘Hey, can’t wait for you to kidnap me!’ [Laughs]. It was the best. She’s the sweetest, and the way she carries herself on set, you know she’s a legend. I learned a lot from her just watching her do her thing. We had a blast.”

Disney/Brian Roedel

As for the core four of the series, Cipriano says their on-screen chemistry as a group of tight-knit, longtime friends reflected behind the scenes as well.

“They’re all my best friends in real life now too,” Cipriano gushes of Olivera, Reed, and Rodrigues. “We had to make up for many years of not being able to hang out with each other. The second we met, we were just instant best friends. It was awesome.”