Cynthia Erivo reveals the bizarre story behind improvised Wicked scene that had millions bawling

Cynthia Erivo has opened up about what was arguably Wicked: For Good’s most emotional scene, the moment Elphaba and Glinda broke down with only a closet door separating them.

It came after For Good, which was essentially a ballad about the transformative power of love. Moments before that snake Dorothy chucked water over Elphaba, falsely thinking it would kill her, Elphaba ushers Glinda into a closet to hide from the Wizard’s would-be assassin. There’s a brief few seconds where both of them break down, at which point I heard numerous snobs and sniffles around the cinema. The moment was incredibly impactful, as one person poignantly said on Twitter: “I’ll never get over this movie.”

Wicked director Jon M. Chu recently revealed the scene was improvised, explaining: “Cynthia and Ariana sang ‘For Good’ and I didn’t call cut and they just kept acting it because that’s what they do. They just ad libbed this thing: There was no real door, but they pretended to close the door.

“They’re giving each other strength through the difficulty of saying goodbye to someone you love forever […] Oh my god, I was like, ‘This is what the full movie is about, is this moment.’ And then they lean their heads against the door! I felt like I was a witness to some divine moment of intersection, that God wanted to send us a message and these women were channeling it.”

Now, to make the moment even more gut-wrenching, Cynthia Erivo has revealed somewhat odd details about the emotional scene. It’s very Wicked press tour core, and by that I mean slightly bizarre yet wholesome.

Cynthia unpacked Wicked’s closet scene, and I’m tearing up

The closet scene that changed us for good. Stream Episode 5 of Wicked: The Official Podcast tomorrow ✨ pic.twitter.com/2KxjlNywcB

— Wicked: For Good (@wickedmovie) November 27, 2025

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People have translated the tragic spell Glinda was shown at the end of Wicked, and I’m bawling

On episode five of Wicked: The Official Podcast, which is out on November 8, Cynthia Erivo dove headfirst into the closet scene. She expanded on what the director said, saying the moment was born from a rehearsal they’d kept from Ariana Grande.

She explained: “The closet moment that came out of a rehearsal that we did. I knew I had to get her to this closet. And John was like, ‘Don’t tell her why, just say we have to go.’ I’ve got to take her to the closet. And she asked me, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Everything’s gonna be fine.’ That’s just a natural thing that came out of my mouth. And that’s the thing that came out of her mouth. She was, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ I go, ‘Don’t worry about it. Everything’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be fine. And you stay here, and everything’s gonna be fine.”

that scene was already special in and of itself but to hear cynthia and ari talk about it and how it came about — naturally, for that matter — made it even more visceral and special IM NEVER GONNA BE OVER THIS https://t.co/Ol7Hk8J0Tl

— freya 🥞 (@cUrious_blob) November 27, 2025

Not looping in Ariana was a stroke of genius, or evil, but it’s very on brand for the two Wicked leads. The entire press tour has been filled with these intimate moments that feel like we’re intruding on something, and that’s also a theme that runs through the film. Glinda and Elphaba never say “I love you” in the stage show, but Cynthia and Ariana felt that it was needed in the moment.

“And the breakdown, both of us have, neither one of us knew that was happening on the other side of the door,” she added.

Ariana Grande also opened up about the scene, saying it felt “natural” to say “I love you” in the moment.

the fact that the closet scene in wicked: for good was unscripted makes the scene even more heartbreaking i’ll never get over this movie pic.twitter.com/osGPKnAA2e

— m. st spoilers (@lisoomani) November 27, 2025

“I actually forgot that was just something that happened. We were rehearsing the song, and it was heartbreaking. And of course, she’s supposed to bring me to the closet and shove me in the closet. But it was like this natural thing where neither one of us wanted her to close the door,” she explained.

“And it was like so just obvious and to say I love you and to just let that moment happen because that is what would actually happen. I’m grateful that we finally get to hear them say I love you to each other as well because I know that that’s what For Good is saying. But to hear them finally say it, I think feels really rewarding.”

Brb, just going to sob.

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