WICKED Film Star Cynthia Erivo Pens Moving Essay On Portraying Elphaba

Theatre and film star Cynthia Erivo took a time out from her busy Wicked filming schedule to share her experiences playing the iconic green girl, Elphaba. 

Accompanied by a photo of Cynthia's witchy green nails draped over a cover page that appears to reveal the title of the story's second part, Wicked, Part Two: For Good, she writes about the emotional journey of creating the character for the screen.

Cynthia shares:

"I realize I’ve said very little about my experience on Wicked and thats mainly because I’ve been keeping my head down and mining this beautifully complex being that is Elphaba, and it’s really hard to put into words. It is day 111 and yesterday we finished filming “I’m Not That Girl” when we had come to the end of that moment, my heart broke open and tears fell. (Please know this happens OFTEN) I thought of us, the ones who often feel like they’re on the outside. The ones who don’t know that their differences, oddities, quirks are what make them beautiful and special. The ones who, for some reason, believe they can’t be loved and I felt proud to sing a song that might speak to those feelings. I am endlessly grateful to play a role that turns the notion of what beauty is on its head, I am endlessly grateful to be working with some of the most beautiful souls on the planet and I’m already grieving for the day our little bubble must come to an end. I desperately hope that when you finally see this film, you’ll see you, you’ll see me, you’ll see Jon and Ari and our hearts laid bare, you’ll see pain and joy and maybe just maybe you’ll see a little spark of light that says, you are who you are for a reason and you are deserving of happiness and even though sometimes it might be hard to find, it is there for the taking. I hope all the bumps and scrapes and scars that you’ve picked up along the way, get a little healing when you finally relax in a theater with a snack a drink and hopefully, friends you bring or friends you find when you’re there."

The film adaptation of Wicked will be released in two parts, the first being released during the 2024 holiday season and the next part being released the year after.

Before Dorothy, before the flying house, and before the yellow brick road, there was Elphaba and Galinda. Born with emerald-green skin, Elphaba is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possesses extraordinary talent. When circumstances force her to room with the bubbly blonde and exceptionally popular, Galinda, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships.

The film will be lead by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Grammy Winner Ariana Grande as Glinda. Jonathan Bailey will play Fiyero, alongside Ethan Slater as Boq, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum as Madame Morrible and the Wizard, respectively, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James will play Shiz University classmates Pfannee and ShenShen, respectively, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Aaron Teoh as Avaric, and Michael Carmichael as Nikidik.

Cynthia 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.