Cynthia Erivo on the inherent queerness of Elphaba: ‘She is the ultimate other’
Erivo also spoke about her intensely close bond with co-star Ariana Grande, remarking that it feels "so strange"
By Gary Grimes
Cynthia Erivo has spoken about how she believes her Wicked character Elphaba’s green skin to represent a whole umbrella of otherness.
Speaking to AnOther magazine, on which Erivo graces the cover of the latest issue, Erivo explained: “The green skin is like the umbrella under which the ‘other’ lives. So yes, it’s a conversation about racism, but it’s also a conversation about anyone who’s been othered. It’s a conversation about queerness.
“The green sets Elphaba apart from everybody else. She is the ultimate other. And I think there’s this added responsibility because I’m a Black woman underneath that green, so we can also really have the conversation about what it’s like to be a Black woman when nobody wants you there. I mean, you’re gonna have a frank conversation,” she went on.
“And I think the wildest thing is that people are. People are raising their hand, going, ‘I felt like that, I know what that is.'”
Erivo, who identifies as bisexual and has been in a relationship with Master of None actress Lena Waithe since 2020, is due to receive a GLAAD Media Award next month for being “a LGBTQ+ media professional who has made a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.”
The actress also spoke about her intensely close bond with co-star Ariana Grande, remarking that it feels “so strange”.
“It’s like I’ve known her forever,” she admitted. “I don’t think people realise that’s not a natural occurrence on a film set. It doesn’t happen very often. Yes, you make friends on a film, and acquaintances, you get close to people, but this, this kind of connection, doesn’t happen often.”
Both Erivo and Grande received nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards for their performances in Wicked.
“I think some people may think it’s sort of frilly and sweet and saccharine, but actually it’s real,” she lamented. “You know, we can talk about anything. We can talk about nothing. We can sit in silence and be very aware of each other. If I’m feeling insecure about something, I’m worried about something, I can call her.
“If she’s feeling insecure about something or she’s worried about something, she can call me. It’s not the surface stuff – we stopped doing that on day one.”