Cynthia Erivo Cites Barbra Streisand as Major Influence, Considering Directing

Cynthia Erivo is looking to follow in the footsteps of an industry legend. With the Wicked movie achieving massive success, Erivo has named actress, singer, and director Barbra Streisand as one of her greatest inspirations in her career, Variety reports.

During a recent appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival, the Wicked star said that she “loved that Barbra was able to transform her career by not just being an actress but a director, which I am leaning towards.” Following years of success on stage and in front of the camera, Streisand made her feature directorial debut in 1983 with Yentl.

Though Erivo has yet to direct a film, the actress founded the production company Edith’s Daughter in 2020. Named after her mother, the company aims to uplift and express the beauty of overlooked and underrepresented communities. The first movie from the company was 2023's Drift, in which Erivo also starred. The company recently signed a first-look deal with Universal.

Erivo made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as 'Celie' in the critically acclaimed revival of "The Color Purple." She first played the role in 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and her performance on Broadway earned her several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, a Grammy award as a Principal Soloist on original cast recording of "The Color Purple" (Best Musical Theater Album), a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Erivo is also a two-time Academy Award nominee for her leading performance and original song for the film Harriet.

Photo credits: Bruce Glikas and Russell James