Cynthia Erivo: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the “Wicked” Star

At this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, Cynthia Erivo will compete for the most prestigious statuette in the Best Actress category. Her role as Elphaba in the musical Wicked brought her international recognition. However, the artist has been active in the entertainment industry for a long time and has already received numerous industry accolades. What was Cynthia Erivo’s path to success? Below, we present some interesting facts about the Wicked star’s life.

1. Early Life and Education

Cynthia Erivo was born in 1987 as the daughter of Nigerian immigrants.

She began her artistic journey with theater roles as a teenager. In 2010, she graduated from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and soon after, she made her West End debut in the musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

2. Prestigious Awards and EGOT Nominations

Erivo is part of an elite group of artists who have received nominations for the so-called EGOT—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, the most significant awards in the entertainment industry. She earned her first Oscar nomination in 2020 for the title role in the film Harriet, and she won a Grammy for Best Song Performance for Stand Up from the same movie. She was nominated for an Emmy for her role in the anthology series Genius: Aretha, and she won a Tony Award in 2016 for her performance in the musical The Color Purple.

3. Cynthia Erivo and dedication to Wicked

For her role in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo shaved her head and eyebrows to make the work of the makeup artists easier. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she stated that she strives to portray strong, independent characters and wants to be recognized as an actress who is unafraid of challenging roles. In 2018, Erivo revealed that her dream film role would be playing tennis star Serena Williams.

4. Friendship with Ariana Grande

On the set of Wicked, Cynthia Erivo formed a special bond with her co-star Ariana Grande. Both actresses describe their deep connection as one of the reasons their on-screen chemistry is so compelling in Jon M. Chu’s film. Interestingly, to commemorate their Wicked experience, they decided to get four matching tattoos symbolizing their friendship.

5. Musical Career

Beyond her success in film, television, and theater, Cynthia Erivo is also actively involved in the music industry. In 2017, she performed God Only Knows alongside John Legend at the 59th Grammy Awards. In 2021, she released her debut album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1.

Cynthia Erivo will compete for the Oscar alongside Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, Fernanda Torres, and Karla Sofía Gascón. You can find the full list of nominees here.