Cynthia Erivo sees ‘Wicked’ wish come true

The 37-year-old Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner credits Hollywood for allowing her to dream.

Specifically, Erivo recalls growing up in South London, where her parents convened movie nights each Saturday. “You would sit down, gather, open your eyes and your mind as a family and watch a movie together. The ultimate was always ‘Wizard of Oz.’ I didn’t move when it was on,” she says.

Years later at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Erivo heard of a play called “Wicked.” “A friend of mine would steal away with me to the piano room and we would learn the libretto. By the time I left drama school at 23, I knew the music like the back of my hand,” she says. “And I had never seen the show.”

Now, she is the show. The movie version of the musical “Wicked,” starring Erivo and Ariana Grande, debuted to a $114 million box office last weekend and is poised to be one of the biggest hits of the year.

Erivo portrays Elphaba in the story set before Dorothy’s arrival in Oz. It centers on the women who will be Glinda the Good Witch (Grande) and the Wicked Witch of the West (Erivo). They become frenemies long before Dorothy tumbles into town.

Actress-singer Erivo was a natural for the two-part movie. (The other half of the “Wicked” saga will premiere in December 2025.) She worked in British TV and theater before her big break as Celie Harris in a 2015 revival of “The Color Purple.”

Erivo won a Tony for her Broadway debut and picked up an Emmy and a Grammy for the project. On the big screen, she is also known for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” which earned her an Oscar nomination.

Her good life advice:

From outside in

“I think ‘Wicked’ means so much because it’s about someone who feels like they’re on the outside,” Erivo says. “She’s treated like she’s different. I know what it feels like to not fit in. You just have to remember this: The thing that makes you feel different is also what makes you feel special.”

‘You always have to try’

Erivo initially doubted that she’d even get an audition for “Wicked.” “I didn’t think I’d be seen, but you always have to try,” she says. Once she had her chance, Erivo didn’t wait long before launching into one of the musical’s classic songs, “The Wizard and I.” “I sang from the heart. We talked about anything and nothing. I was just myself. You know things in life are right when they’re just easy.” Equally easy was finding her footing as the iconic Elphaba. “I wanted to explore her vulnerability, so you can see the whole human being and not just the emblem of what she has been in the past,” Erivo explains.

‘A beautiful friendship’

Working with Grande was an instant fit, Erivo says. “When we knew we were cast, Ariana came to my house,” she shares. “We sat on my floor and chatted for five hours. It was really easy and the beginning of a beautiful friendship and partnership. When we first started, each of us was missing a little chunk, and I think we’ve been able to see in each other a bit of a reflection. … We made a pact to really be there for each other. To always be honest. Those friendships stand the test of time.”

Long time coming

Erivo laughs about her new status as a big star and potential Oscar nominee. “It feels like things happened really fast, but the truth is it has taken a long time to get to this point in life,” she says. “You have to go slow to get to that time in your life where it seems like it’s going fast. At the same time, it’s surreal to think about where I was a few years ago. It feels like leaps and bounds apart.”

Mind your words

Erivo knows that words have power. “When you speak something, it comes into your life” she says. “I saw the play in London years ago and always said, ‘If it ever becomes a movie, I want to play Elphaba.’ I did wonder if anyone would think I was crazy to say it … but I kept saying it.”

Keep it new

“I approach each day like it’s a new, fresh slate,” Erivo shares. “I’m always here to learn. You wake up in the morning, open your eyes and recenter yourself every single day.” The rough spots in life also serve a purpose, she observes: “You don’t want to walk on an even floor all of your life. You learn from the tougher times. You learn when you’re on that rocky road.”

Never reach your peak

Erivo’s first film role was in director Steve McQueen’s “Widows.” “I thought that would be the peak of my career, but I was wrong,” she says. “You need to always keep striving. Find that next mountain.”

The bright side

“There are a thousand ways not to make it into a good day … ignore them,” Erivo says.