Erivo: 'Wicked' Fame Was a Storm I Barely Survived

Cynthia Erivo described the making of the 'Wicked' film adaptation as an intense, four-year experience where she and co-star Ariana Grande leaned on each other. The global press tours for "Wicked" and "Wicked: For Good" brought immense scrutiny, leading Erivo to feel her humanity was "bastardized." She noted the constant online dissection of her friendship with Grande, stating, "people didn't really believe that we were actually friends."

An incident during the "Wicked: For Good" press tour in Singapore, where Erivo intervened when Grande was physically accosted by an attendee, was particularly harrowing. While many praised her actions, some commentary was dismissive or even mocked her response. Erivo believes this reaction was rooted in racist assumptions about Black women.

This intense pressure contributed to Erivo's reluctance to campaign for an Oscar for her role as Elphaba. She felt her instinctive actions were misinterpreted due to societal perceptions of women who look like her. Despite "Wicked" being a career-changing project, Erivo is now looking towards new opportunities, including a role as Miriam Makeba and her childhood dream of playing Storm from the X-Men.