Cynthia Erivo has lived inside Elphaba’s green skin for years, and now she’s finally ready to say goodbye.
In a revealing conversation with Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, mere minutes after the American Film Institute announced its Top 10 films of 2024, the acclaimed actress opened up about the emotional and physical toll of bringing “Wicked: For Good” to life.
What she shared wasn’t just behind-the-scenes trivia—it was a masterclass in commitment, vulnerability, and understanding what it means to be truly misunderstood.
For anyone who’s ever felt labeled, judged, or reduced to someone else’s narrative, Erivo’s insights hit differently.
The Most Devastating Scene Required Days of Physical Torture
“No Good Deed” stands as one of cinema’s most powerful moments of surrender, and filming it nearly broke Erivo—physically and emotionally.
The sequence demanded something extraordinary: performing while suspended diagonally on wires, feet in the air, head tilted toward the Grimmerie, all while channeling explosive grief.
The reason I love this song is I think it’s her greatest moment of vulnerability. I think it’s her surrender. I think it is the explosion of grief and pain and hurt.
Multiple days of shooting stretched across an empty soundstage, blue screens surrounding her, no cast members visible, not even director Jon M. Chu in her sightline.
Opposing Forces, Literal and Metaphorical
Erivo described two versions of filming: one suspended completely in the air at a diagonal angle, another with her feet barely touching the ground while wires pulled her upward and wind machines blasted her face.
That was kind of how it felt to shoot it—loads of opposing forces happening whilst trying to work through the frustration, the pain and all of those things.
The physical constraints mirrored Elphaba’s emotional state perfectly: pulled in different directions, fighting against forces beyond her control, ultimately surrendering to what others believed about her.
The isolation was intentional but brutal. Standing alone in an empty room with only plinths and imagination, Erivo had to generate raw emotion without the energy of scene partners or the comfort of seeing her director.
Does Glinda Know? Erivo Settles the Debate
Fans have debated the film’s ending endlessly, dissecting every glance, every pause, searching for hidden meaning.
Erivo doesn’t mince words about whether Glinda discovers Elphaba survived.
I don’t think she knows. I don’t think she knows at all. In fact, I would put my money on it that Glinda does not know that Elphaba is alive.
According to Erivo’s interpretation, when the Grimmerie opens for Glinda, it’s not revelation—it’s confirmation of worthiness. Elphaba prepared her friend for this magical inheritance, telling her she possessed untapped power that now needed cultivation.
The Grimmerie as Living Connection
Most people view the spell book as an object, but Erivo sees something deeper—a living entity with consciousness and connection.
That moment when Elphaba pauses with the Grimmerie before handing it to Glinda? That’s not hesitation. That’s a silent goodbye to something that lives, feels, and has shared her journey.
I think that book is living. It listens, it hears, it feels, and they have a connection to it. And she has to say goodbye to this thing that lives, that feels and has a connection to her, to give it away.
Meanwhile, Elphaba no longer needs the book—her magic is unlimited, intrinsic, already part of her being.
Personal Parallels: When Being Misunderstood Becomes Familiar
Erivo doesn’t just play a misunderstood character. She’s lived that reality herself.
When discussing how others perceive her versus who she actually is, the actress draws directly from experience rather than imagination.
I’ve had my ‘No Good Deed’ moments, and I have learned that you cannot please everyone. Everyone is not going to understand who you are, and everyone won’t get that, and some people won’t want to understand who you are. And that’s okay.
The acceptance in her voice is hard-won. Not resignation, but wisdom—understanding that changing every mind isn’t possible or even necessary.
Her job, as she sees it, is simple: keep growing as a human being and maintain her own definition of goodness, regardless of external narratives.
Impact Beyond Entertainment
One moment during the press tour crystallized why representation matters so profoundly for Erivo.
A young cancer survivor appeared on a talk show, sharing how seeing Elphaba—seeing Erivo—without hair made her feel okay about her own appearance post-treatment.
People meeting themselves again through this character. That’s what shifts everything for Erivo, transforming “Wicked” from a box office phenomenon into something resembling a cultural movement.
The Tony Awards Vision Nobody Wanted (At First)
Before “Wicked” consumed her life, Erivo hosted the Tony Awards with a specific creative vision that required fighting for complete control.
I knew I wanted to do it a couple of years ago, and it wasn’t the right time.
When the opportunity finally arrived, she demanded something unusual: total creative authority over writers, choreographers, and musical collaborators.
Her critique of award shows was pointed. They lacked narrative structure, often ending with someone simply wandering off stage—what she called “a weak ending.”
Erivo envisioned a “Pippin”-style ringmaster experience, recording all voiceovers herself so her presence permeated the entire broadcast, even during off-stage moments. Beginning, middle, end—proper storytelling architecture applied to live television.
Physical Commitment Borders on Masochism
Fourteen-hour days in harnesses. Shooting in relentless movie rain for “Bad Times at the El Royale.” Refusing warming padding that might restrict movement, choosing authentic discomfort over convenience.
I’m a glutton for punishment.
Erivo admits this with a laugh, but the commitment is deadly serious—physical authenticity translates to emotional truth on screen.
What Comes After Oz
As Erivo potentially makes Oscar history as the most-nominated Black woman in Best Actress, her slate remains ambitious and diverse:
- David Oyelowo’s “Othello” adaptation brings her back to Shakespeare
- “Karoshi,” a samurai thriller requiring her to learn Japanese and kendo
- Voicework for “Bad Fairies” showcases her versatility
- London’s West End production of “Dracula” returns her to stage roots
She dreams of an “Aida” film adaptation, though acknowledges the challenge: recreating Egypt would be monumental.
Saying Goodbye to Green Skin
At the London premiere, young Karis Musongole—who plays little Elphaba—jumped into Erivo’s arms after months apart.
That embrace captured something essential about this journey: connection across generations, representation creating space for young performers to see themselves in heroic roles.
I’m grateful to have been the vessel through which this character could be brought to life. She’s definitely going to have a big chunk of my heart.
Elphaba ushered Erivo into an unimaginable chapter—not just a popular film, but a cultural moment where people found pieces of themselves reflected in green skin and unlimited power.
The work was isolating, physically punishing, emotionally devastating. But standing alone in that empty soundstage, suspended between opposing forces, Erivo channeled every moment of being misunderstood, every experience of watching others project their narratives onto her reality.
That’s not just acting. That’s alchemy—transforming personal pain into universal truth, giving voice to everyone who’s ever been called wicked simply for refusing to be what others demanded.