Cynthia Erivo unveils subtle changes she brought to Elphaba from ‘Wicked’

Cynthia Erivo, British actress and singer, opened up about the subtle nod she gave to black roots through her character in the movie Wicked.

The Stand Up crooner explained how her role, Elphaba, came to wear braids instead of letting her signature long dark waves down, like in the original Broadway musical.

During her recent interview with Variety, the star opened up about a few things which she brought to the movie.

"I asked if we could reimagine that hair as micro-braids because I knew you’d still have the movement, and you could still have the length, but there was a texture that was slightly different to what you would normally see on stage," he said.

The Harriet star went on saying: "It was a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady."

The change in hairstyle was just one of the ways The Outsider actress ensured her character was "connected to the person underneath" her.

Previously, the 37-year-old actress engaged in a heartfelt conversation with People Magazine and expressed, "I was doing the research for this character, and I noticed that the original Wicked Witch had nails."

"I wanted a progression. How she grows as a witch and a woman. Some people wear makeup, I always have my nails done. It’s like another extended way of expressing myself," the Grammy winner continued.

As Elphaba grows older and powerful, her nails becomes darker and longer something that her makeup artist Frances Hannon explained "came from Cynthia," according to Variety.

Erivo also told the outlet that she hopes her character is "a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different" and to all the "Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven’t been welcomed."

Wicked - which stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba alongside, Ariana Grande as Glinda -  was released on November 22, 2024.