The Tragic Truth About Cynthia Erivo

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Between her award-winning Broadway performances and her rise as a movie star, there's no question that Cynthia Erivo is hugely successful. However, that's not to say she hasn't had some difficulties along the way. 

We'll start with Erivo's "Harriet" controversy. Even though Erivo was lauded for her performance in the 2019 Harriet Tubman biopic, some may remember that not everyone was thrilled about her casting. One major criticism Erivo received was that she was British and of Nigerian descent, rather than African American. It also didn't help that she had given a shout-out to Luvvie Ajayi after the author seemingly slighted Tevin Campbell, prompting a ton of discussion over whether she should be able to speak about Black American cultural icons. The frustration over Erivo's casting reached a point where a Change.org petition was started. "We will boycott the film "Harriet,' until you hire an actual Black American actress to play the part. Not Cynthia Erivo!" the organizers wrote.

Of course, Erivo remained in the role and was nominated for a number of awards, both for her acting and for the song "Stand Up," which she sang for the film and co-wrote. Nevertheless, she did address the earlier controversy in a since-deleted Instagram post. "I guess there is a bigger conversation to be had about heritage and experience, also about who Harriet really was. That can not be had in an Instagram post, what I will say is that my journey to this woman has been long and detailed and one I have not taken lightly," she wrote (via IndieWire). Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the situation, Erivo also pointed out that while it may have been naïve for her not to expect any backlash, "I'm a storyteller, and my aim is not to slight anyone."

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Four years after "Harriet," Cynthia Erivo starred in "Drift." Centered on the story of a Liberian woman who flees a horrific war situation to Greece, the film garnered a number of award nominations, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Erivo shared that she'd been blown away by just how emotional she was watching it for the very first time. 

That said, Erivo hadn't not been emotional while making the film. In fact, speaking to "Today," she described it as "a big experience." Much of that was down to the kind of pain she needed to tap into to give her portrayal authenticity, but also when it came to witnessing some of the horrific things in the film. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly of witnessing her character's sister's sexual assault, she explained that getting out of character wasn't easy. "I was really lucky because I had people who were paying close attention to where I was and what was going on and how to get out of it and giving me space," she explained. It's no surprise, then, that on "Today," Erivo revealed that she had been completely exhausted by the time the film wrapped. 

In addition to the aforementioned heavy subject matter, one thing people might not know about Erivo is that she had a somewhat personal attachment to the story. As she explained to Entertainment Weekly, her mother had been temporarily displaced during the Nigerian Civil War, so she had long been told stories about what that had entailed. As such, Erivo explained, "This is a bit of an ode to her having to figure out how to be safe and how to live." 

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It's been made clear on several occasions that Ariana Grande got her part in the "Wicked" movie through a grueling audition process, so it's no surprise that Cynthia Erivo's experience was much the same. Sure enough, Erivo shared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" that the lengths she went to to prove she was the best Elphaba for the job ended up making her ill.

Speaking of how she felt after the three-hour audition, Erivo shared, "I was very ill by the end of it. I was in bed for the next week, for like four days, with a 104 fever." It probably didn't help that she'd been super busy with other projects around the same time, too. As she told Fallon, she'd done a Disney Hall concert the night before. Granted, that isn't super out of character for Erivo. After all, speaking to Entertainment Weekly about juggling responsibilities while shooting "Drift," she'd joked, "I'm a glutton for punishment. I want to do all the work I can possibly do, even if it's difficult." Mission accomplished, there!

As an aside, Erivo also joked about her habit of wanting to go all in on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Speaking of the full green makeup she wore in "Wicked" after landing the role, she shared that that (along with the hours of makeup required) had actually been her choice. Again, she chirped, "I'm a glutton for punishment, forgive me!" Hey, consistency is key. 

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Sticking with "Wicked," similar to how Cynthia Erivo was affected by her character's story in "Drift," in a joint interview with Vanity Fair, she and Ariana Grande made mention of the profound effect the Ozdust Ballroom scene had on her. For reference, the scene sees Grande's character, Glinda, set Elphaba up to be humiliated, and by all accounts, Erivo's performance was a powerful one. 

"It's just not a fun thing — if you are doing it as truthfully as possible — to have to do over and over again. By the time we had gotten to the last time ... I had a big old breakdown," Erivo recounted. So great were the emotions, Grande told the outlet, that she and the film's producer told Erivo she needed to get away from the set. Speaking to "Today," Grande said of the experience, "We were just hugging her and saying, 'I think it's time for bed.'"

As with Erivo's role in "Drift," where she'd tapped into past traumas of her own, as well as her mother's experiences, it seems as though she took a very personal route with Elphaba. Case in point: while speaking to Vanity Fair about Erivo's emotional performance, Grande teared up, herself. "We both really took the time to get to know the other person and where we've been. What our little wounds are. What our little things are," she said. Grande isn't the only one getting misty-eyed over that sentiment. 

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While Cynthia Erivo might have seen long auditions and earlier call times for "Wicked" as well worth it, there was one thing she wasn't quite as happy to accept — that would be a fan edit that all but did away with her identity. 

As "Wicked" fans will know, the Broadway poster shows Elphaba with her eyes hidden. It's likely the fan in question made the tweaks to turn the film poster into a closer take on the original, given that the edit saw Erivo's eyes shadowed as well. However, regardless of the intent, Erivo was less than impressed. Taking to her Instagram Story, she wrote, "This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen ... None of this is funny. None of this is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us. The original poster is an illustration. I am a real-life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer" (via Tribute). She added that even though there was a difference between the Broadway poster and the film poster, that had been intentional. With that in mind, she concluded, "To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful."

A few days later, Erivo told "Entertainment Tonight" that her response wasn't intended to shame those behind the edit. She also joked that she probably should have called up one of her friends to vent about it, rather than take it to the internet. Even so, she shared that her response had been a result of how protective she feels over the role she's spent so long bringing to life. Fair enough! No word on whether a fuming Lea Michele fan was behind the edit. 

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Given all that Cynthia Erivo has said about throwing herself into her roles, it's not unthinkable that "Wicked" took a toll on her. Even so, some of the focus on both her and Ariana Grande's physiques after filming wrapped ... well, it's more than a little unkind. 

In response to Erivo and Grande's promotion of the film, a number of critics have suggested that both stars look like they've lost weight. Some have even insinuated that the actors have anorexia, while others still have questioned whether the film's stars would admit to taking Ozempic to lose weight. It's possible some of the commenters have been genuinely concerned for Erivo and Grande.  However, something tells us that a good number of them simply want to pass judgment on the actors. After all, there's been a ton of drama following Grande's relationship with Ethan Slater, so it's not like everyone is in the film's corner. 

Whether Erivo's rumored weight loss has anything to do with "Wicked" or the fact that she shared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" that her prep for the role included "training like a boxer," we'll let her be the one to speak about it. As with her past work, though, we wouldn't be surprised if she channeled the nastiness she's endured into a future role.