While the costumes in the upcoming film “Wicked,” may be eye-catching, they’re not the most functional pieces of clothing, according to star Cynthia Erivo.
On a Friday episode of the Broadway Podcast Network’s “Wicked” podcast, “Sentimental Men,” the hosts asked Erivo about the logistics of playing the lead role of Elphaba onscreen.
The floodgates opened.
“I don’t go to the bathroom,” Erivo said. “Once I’m in that costume — and this is probably a terrible idea — and the harness is on, I’m not doing it. I’m not dealing with it. There’s too many layers. I’m not dealing with it. I’m not going to the bathroom. It is what it is.”
Erivo’s iconic costume, which she had to wear for up to 14 hours, went way beyond a black cloak and a conical hat. She also had to wear full body tights and makeup, a corset and a harness for when she performed her own flying stunts.
When others would ask if she needed to use the bathroom, Erivo would just say no.
“Those days can be really big,” she said. “They can be really exhausting, because your body is being put through the strangest things.”
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Erivo also shared that she immediately took to the character of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, because she understood what it was like being different.
“I just thought of all of the times I felt alone. I thought of all of the times when you don’t feel accepted in a crowd,” she said.
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