EXCLUSIVE: Unlimited,Cynthia Erivosings, My future is unlimited.
You cant understand what it feels like to be in a room and feel you dont belong.
The people dont want you there.
Cynthia ErivoDeadline
And thats happenedhere, she says firmly.
Thats here, in London.
Painful moments
Cynthia and I are not strangers.
WICKED, from left: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, 2024. ph: Giles Keyte /© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionUniversal Pictures
It was probably 13 years ago that she told me that her father had disowned her.
He rejected me, she states.
He was off, he didnt want to see them again.
WICKED, Cynthia Erivo, 2024. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Until, that is, they met per chance 10 years later at a family wedding.
They havent spoken since.
That was one of those painful moments, she says.
Thank goodness they were there, she says.
There were juicier parts, but they werent offered to her.
I heard Cynthia Erivo long before I saw her.
The Color Purple, directed by John Doyle at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013, was her breakthrough.
In time it transferred to Broadway and Erivo won the Tony Award for Best Actress In A Musical.
Upon her return, golden Tony trophy in tow, she waited for offers.
Two sheets, she exclaims.
Ill never forget that as long as I live, she says.
Rejection comes with the territory of being an actor, she understands that.
But you couldnt blow your nose on the two pieces of paper the National deemed her worthy of.
We learn from it.
And that is painful enough as it is, Erivo says.
In the past Ive definitely had that, she allows.
But I also know the hard work thats gone into it.
Something takes hold when you watch her inWickedagain and again and again.
Each time I seem to like it more than the previous time.
I notice little bits of magic.
Its difficult for her to describe what her own voice sounds like.
I might hear it differently to how you hear it, she explains.
In fact its D sharp and there are four octaves.
But theres something else going on as well.
I can yodel, she laughs.
The yodel, along with everything else, allows her instrument to lure you.
The result is an array of color.
She sings it for me.
Theres a hint of a laugh, of merriment, that coincides with happen.
Its weird, she reflects because now its just second nature.
And now its second nature through practice.
It just happens, she shrugs as she sips her specially prepared green tea brew.
Its like theres a catalog of different textures that make me feel a certain way.
That cry allows me to feel really open.
And the growl is connected to the gut, so it feels guttural.
How does she protect the tiny muscles that produce the honey and lemon qualities?
Hydration, she responds.
Rest when you’re able to get it.
I dont smoke, and she doesnt consume dairy, which usually creates mucus in the voice.
And also metaphysically, I dont let it go to waste, she says.
I use it the way its meant to be used.
Thats down to Simon Purple Haze Hayes, the movies Academy Award-winning production sound mixer.
Erivos a huge fan.
I think he has a deep understanding of what the voice can actually do.
And his raison detre is to provide the space for the voice to exist in.
I want to catch every sound that comes out of her mouth.
I want to catch every breath that leaves her.
Both things are getting captured at the same time, she adds.
Once youve experienced the Purple Haze, you want more.
Its the first time Ive worked with him.
I hope to work with him countless other times, she declares.
On eight other movie sets hes worked on, Ive always ensured that I have a natter with Hayes.
No person talking or whispering when a person is singing.
No one breaks that rule.
Her closest collaboration, however, was with Grande.
The chemistry between the pair is electric.
You cant get that if you dont have it off[screen].
We are friends, she says warmly.
We are in a deeply honest relationship outside of the work.
I talk to her almost every day.
If theres something she wants my opinion on, she sends it to me.
We are always trying to be aligned.
Its because, she insists, because neither one of us is wanting to be selfish.
Were always like, whats the ground you need?, what feeling do you need?
We are looking in each others eyes to see, what does she need?
Wicked has sort of given audiences permission to have conversations about race, gender or even totalitarianism.
She shakes her head.
Thats not going to happen.
Neither one of us has time.
We have anther film [Wicked: Part Two] to put out.
And also there are other ladies who need the chance.
Weve had our chance.
Ive had my chance, and Im very grateful for it.
Doing that would feel a little bit selfish.
I understand where the idea comes from, but weve done it.
We had this [the film].
The future is truly unlimited for Erivo.
She teases that we have an inkling of what were doing next.
I cant say because we cant tell anyone.
There are some really cool things and Im having some really lovely meetings with people.
And Im very excited.I have choice, which is nice.
The choices are cool she adds, because none of them are the same.
Neither gender nor race is a barrier anymore.
They go, actually, Cynthia could do it.
She clasps her hands together, her signature nails criss-crossing.
The world sort of expanded.
The world got really big and its been fun to watch.
But theres definitely a feeling of: How do I navigate this world properly?
And that also I keep expanding it, that it doesnt just end here.
Theres more to do.
The physical embodiment of that is also inThe Wizard and I.
She steps across a lake and keeps ascending, singing as she moves.
But shes proved indomitable, at least on the surface.
Now, Cynthia Erivo is ready to soar, defying gravity.
