Hollywood star Cynthia Erivo has described the ‘Wicked’ films as a “cultural movement.” The 38-year-old actress portrays Elphaba in the movie adaptations of the hit musical.
Erivo expressed that the green witch will forever be a part of her. When asked for her final thoughts on the character, she told ‘Variety’, “I would love to thank her for ushering me into another chapter of my life that I could never have imagined. This isn’t just a popular film, it’s a cultural movement. I’m really grateful to have been the vessel through which this character could be brought to life. She’ll always be a part of me. She definitely has a big chunk of my heart.”
Cynthia shared her pride in how Elphaba has provided comfort to individuals facing real-life challenges. She recalled, “I saw a talk show with this young girl who had just come out of cancer. She said seeing me with no hair made her feel like she could be OK too. Those are the moments that really shift things for me, knowing people are meeting themselves again through this character. That, for me, is really special.”
Relating to Elphaba’s experience of being misunderstood, Erivo highlighted her personal growth. She stated, “I think I’ve learned to sort of let that be what it is. I can’t change people’s minds. I’ve had my No Good Deed moments. I have learned that you cannot please everyone. Everyone is not going to understand who you are, and some people won’t want to. That’s okay. I can’t change every single person’s mind in the world, but my job is to keep growing as a human being and being what I perceive to be a good person. That’s all I can do.”
Cynthia also mentioned that filming the song ‘No Good Deed’ was one of the toughest experiences of the production, as she felt completely isolated during that sequence.