Cynthia Erivo’s gravity-defying life when she’s not being painted green for Wicked

It may seem like Cynthia Erivo came out of nowhere to wow us all with her phenomenal performance as Elphaba in Wicked, but that’s not the case at all. Cynthia has been an actor and musical theatre star for years, and she’s only now getting the recognition she so deserves. Here’s a look inside Cynthia Erivo’s very interesting life now that she’s no longer being painted green on the Wicked set every day.

She rose to fame in 2015 after an iconic Broadway stint

Cynthia began her acting career as a child with a role in Caucasian Chalk Circle and Trust Me, I’m a Teenager. She graduated with a BA in acting in 2010 from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and set her sights on Broadway.

She started getting the recognition she deserved when she starred in the hit Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, which won her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

She was cast as Elphaba in 2022

Like Ariana Grande, Cynthia auditioned for Wicked in 2021 and got the role of Elphaba in 2022. It’s now been three years since she first auditioned, which must have been the biggest secret of her life to hide! Her Instagram is full of little easter eggs and green outfit nods to celebrate her legendary casting. Go back and look for yourself!

Her love life

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Cynthia has always kept her personal life out of the spotlight, especially when it came to her relationships. She is reportedly dating actress, producer, and screenwriter Lena Waithe, who previously shared that they first met at the 2018 Met Gala. Cynthia declared the moment that the pair first met a “meeting of minds” on Instagram, which is such a lovely way to describe meeting your other half.

Lena attended the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked in a full green suit, the signature colour of Elphaba, and has been very supportive of Wicked’s huge success. The couple also attended the Paris 2024 Olympics with Cynthia’s new pink bestie Ariana Grande. I’m obsessed!

Cynthia and Ariana are besties forevermore

Cynthia and Ariana have become best friends since starring in the film together, and it’s become a bit of a meme how much they love each other now. Every interview they do together they end up getting really emotional.

The leading ladies cried when asked how the other person “changed them for the better” in a viral moment.

“I think we found a little piece of ourselves in each other. I think there are little pieces of us that, when we got together to do this together, when we first started, each of us was missing a little chunk,” Cynthia told Jake’s Takes.

“And I think we’ve been able to see in each other a bit of a reflection, and so I think I’ve gotten a little bit of her softness, and she’s got a little bit of my strength.” To be honest, I’d be crying too.