Video: Cynthia Erivo Recalls Her Initial Reaction After Watching WICKED Movie

With Wicked arriving in theaters in one short week, the stars of the film are making their talk show rounds. On Thursday, Cynthia Erivo visited Late Night with Seth Meyers to discuss her experience with the new movie, and recalled her reaction when she saw the finished product for the first time. 

"The first time I saw it, I think I was so overwhelmed by it that I erased myself from the movie," Erivo shared. "I didn't see myself at all. So much was coming at me that I was like, 'Was I in that?' But then the second time I was actually able to see it, I just wept. I just cried and cried and cried...This thing we spent so long working on, worked."

During the interview, the Elphaba star also described the painstaking process of her green makeup and prosthetic ears, which were applied every morning before filming. "If it was just head, hands, and neck, it would be 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours," she explained. "If it was full body, 4 hours and 30 minutes." 

The Wicked film adaptation stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. The first part will be released on November 22, 2024, with Part Two hitting theaters on November 21, 2025.

Photo credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC