1987-present
Latest News: Cynthia Erivo Stars in Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande portray fictional friends in Wicked, but their bond appears to be just as strong off camera. The 37-year-old Erivo recently shared with late-night host Stephen Colbert that Grande is “like my little sister” following their collaboration for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical.
“Working with her was a dream, just because we really just understood what we both needed in order to play these characters, to do this film, and I’m lucky because I feel like I wandered away with a person who I love for life,” Erivo said during an episode of The Late Show.
Erivo and 31-year-old Grande play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in Wicked, an unofficial prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel by L. Frank Baum and 1939 film it inspired starring Judy Garland. The new movie also stars Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum and arrives in theaters on November 22.
Who Is Cynthia Erivo?
British actor Cynthia Erivo has won Tony, Grammy, and Daytime Emmy Awards for her leading role in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple. More recently, she has transitioned to movies and TV. Her notable screen roles include playing abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biopic Harriet, for which she earned two Academy Award nominations, and singer Aretha Franklin in the TV anthology series Genius. Erivo stars alongside Ariana Grande in the upcoming movie adaptation of the musical Wicked.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Cynthia Onyedinamanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo
BORN: January 8, 1987
BIRTHPLACE: London, England
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn
Early Life
Cynthia Onyedinamanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo was born on January 8, 1987, and raised in the Stockwell district of South London in England. Her mother, Edith, and her father, whose name hasn’t been revealed publicly, emigrated from Nigeria and separated when Cynthia was a young child.
Largely absent during her childhood, Erivo’s father later severed their relationship entirely. He disowned then-16-year-old Cynthia and her younger sister, Stephanie. “I didn’t see it coming because, you know, what 16-year-old would?” Cynthia told NPR. “At the time, I was heartbroken, because it was in public when it happened as well. So it was just, like, not fun. But, yeah, it was deeply disappointing, deeply heartbreaking.” She and her father no longer speak to each other.
Despite this, Erivo had a loving home environment. According to The Glossary magazine, she lived in London with her mother, who worked as a nurse, and her sister. Seemingly aware of her elder daughter’s star potential at only 18 months old, Edith wrote in Cynthia’s baby book that she would grow up to be an actor and singer because she hummed while eating. When Cynthia was a little older, at age 5, she gave her first public performance: singing the Christmas carol “Silent Night” at a school pageant.
Erivo expanded her skill set by learning to play the clarinet and acting in a stage production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle at age 11. She also appeared on the British reality show Trust Me, I’m a Teenager, in which adolescent mentors counsel families about their relationships.
Meanwhile, Erivo attended secondary school at the La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School in nearby Clapham Park. Despite her mother’s encouragement, she didn’t believe an acting or singing career was feasible and decided to study music psychology at the University of East London.
While at university, Erivo performed in nearby bars and clubs and enrolled in a young actor’s program. However, she grew bored with her studies and dropped out after two years. She applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts at a teacher’s prodding and was accepted.
According to one of her Academy mentors, Erivo initially struggled to fit in because of her unflappable confidence. However, she won her classmates over with a performance in Look Homeward, Angel that showcased her vulnerability. Erivo graduated in 2010, ready to showcase her talent on the professional stage. (Illustrating her legacy within the program, Erivo now serves as vice president of the theater school.)
Tony Award for The Color Purple
Shortly after graduating theater school, Erivo performed in I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in London. She also played Deloris Van Cartier, the role made famous onscreen by Whoopi Goldberg in 1992, in a United Kingdom tour of Sister Act. Her other stage credits include an all-female production of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV (2014) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2015).
Erivo received the most acclaim for her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple, first at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013 and then in a Broadway revival of the musical that’s based on the Alice Walker novel.
Speaking to actor Kevin Hart on his talk show Hart to Heart, Erivo said she first believed it was a joke when a producer told her of plans to bring the musical to the United States. But it was real and, as her departure neared, she started to have second thoughts. “I kid you not, there was a 50/50 chance about whether I’m going to stay in that airport and go back home or get on that plane and go to New York. Because if I go to New York, I’m leaving something behind,” she explained.
Finding her nerve, Erivo did board and made her Broadway debut in December 2015. According to Playbill, the show lasted 33 previews and 450 performances before closing in early January 2017. Also featuring Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2016. Erivo received the award for Best Actress in a Musical, and the show won Best Revival of a Musical. The star then added two more trophies to her collection: a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2017 for the show’s soundtrack and a Daytime Emmy Award shared with the cast for Outstanding On-Camera Musical Performance in a Daytime Program.
Off the production’s success, Erivo was able to take her career from the stage to the screen with a series of prominent roles.
Movies and TV Shows: Harriet, Wicked, and More
Erivo’s first TV credit was an episode of the British sitcom Chewing Gum in 2015. A year later, she followed with appearances on the drama series Mr. Selfridge and The Tunnel. Her more recent TV roles include two episodes of the comedy Broad City, a recurring role in the 2020 crime thriller The Outsider, and voice parts for the animated series Star Wars: Visions, Housebroken, and Strange Planet.
In 2018, Erivo made her movie debut with Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale, the latter a thriller boasting an ensemble cast that included Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Cailee Spaeny, and Chris Hemsworth. However, the rising actor soon drew much more recognition for her performances as two African American icons.
Oscar Nominations for Harriet
While Erivo proved she could hold her own with established Hollywood stars, she had yet to headline a movie. That changed with her breakout role as abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biopic Harriet.
Erivo threw herself into the part, learning about Tubman’s personal life and accomplishments and developing a low-pitched voice to convey strength oncamera. Her casting did spark criticism from some people who felt the legendary figure should be played by an African American actor. “I do want to be able to have a conversation with people, but at the same time, I would say that I put my heart and soul into it, and it means the world to me, and [Tubman] means the world to me,” Erivo told Today. “Hopefully, after watching, I might make some people proud and, hopefully, I might change some people’s minds.”
Upon the film’s release, Erivo drew high praise for her interpretation. She received two Academy Award nominations: one for Best Actress and another for Best Original Song for co-writing and performing the movie’s lead track “Stand Up.”
Two years after Harriet, Erivo portrayed another famous figure in singer Aretha Franklin for the biographical series Genius. She earned Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations for best actress in a limited or anthology series.
Elphaba in Wicked
After appearing in the Disney live-action remake of Pinocchio (2022) and the drama Drift (2023), Erivo landed a featured role as Elphaba in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical Wicked. Based on a 1995 novel and serving as an unofficial prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the two-part movie also stars Ariana Grande as Glinda.
Erivo and Grande have both spoken about the real-life friendship they formed on set. “We needed real connection, and we needed to lead this with love—even in the moments that are supposed to be fraught with tension within the piece,” Erivo told Vanity Fair. The first part of the movie releases November 22, 2024, with the second to follow in 2025.
The actor has also been cast in a Netflix sci-fi movie titled Blink Speed. A release date hasn’t been announced.
Romantic Relationships
Erivo identifies as queer and bisexual and is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights. “I have never felt like I necessarily needed to come out, just because no one ever really asked,” Erivo told The Standard in 2021. “People make assumptions. No one’s ever really assumed that I’m straight!” The next year, she told British Vogue she was bisexual.
Erivo isn’t currently known to be in a relationship and recently told Vanity Fair she prefers to be “very tight-lipped” with her personal life. In a 2019 interview, she revealed she dated actor Mario Martinez for two years and had a previous relationship with British actor Dean John-Wilson.
Net Worth
Erivo’s net worth is estimated around $3 million as of September 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Quotes
- I’ve never followed trends. I don’t believe in them, because every person is very different and everyone needs something different, and each person has an individual beauty.
- I’m careful about how I use it; my voice has given me so much over the years.
- I hope I can create a few less-traveled, less perilous paths, so your journey to out and proud can be clearer and more joyful.
- When I was 15, I didn’t think I was the prettiest at all. But then something happened when I was 20-something—I thought, actually, I really like what I look like. Just because I don’t look like everybody else doesn’t mean that I can’t be just as beautiful.
- You cannot keep living for everybody else. It is impossible to sustain.
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Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
