Cynthia Erivo and the Wicked cast and crew continue to be saturated in their Ozian world successes. That’s largely because those who worked on the film seemed to be passionately involved in giving the Broadway-turned-film adaptation its due, including Erivo. In fact, she had quite a say in Elphaba and her look. Now, a new Elphaba easter egg has been revealed and it confirms to me that the actress behind her more than deserves her place among the 2025 Oscar nominees.
Wicked has continued to defy gravity at the box office and the press circuit. So, the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo sat down to talk about it with The Wrap, and while in conversation they opened up about the Elphaba detail. The In the Heights director shared that the Harriet star probed about the idea of Elphie’s eye color, seemingly pretty early on in production. He noted that he was unsure of the choice at the time, saying:
I remember I got a text from you [Cynthia Erivo] about green eyes. I was like, green eyes, is that a great idea or a bad idea? I don’t know, I don’t know how to respond. And I think I said like, ‘We’ll try some things.’
I’m not surprised the three-time Academy Award nominee would dive into her character this far. She has continually delivered in every role, and the eventual Wicked Witch of the West is no exception. It’s likely one of the many reasons why Chu and production opted to cast the actress, she commits.
Erivo then added why she texted the Crazy Rich Asians director about the emerald eye idea. She noted that she wanted Elphaba’s feelings and literal moments of alienation to be succinct to the Witch’s core. In addition to the green eyes, other physical features came into play, she shared:
I wanted for her to be just a touch more removed from every other human being in that place. That there was something about her that didn’t quite fit. And I thought well if we’re talking about green, how far does the green go? Like, are we talking about just the green skin? Or are we talking about the green runs through her DNA. So, when her nails grow, they grow green. And her eye color is green because it is a part of her being. It isn’t just skin color.
Again, this is why Cynthia Erivo is a heralded and sought-after talent. It’s incredibly impressive that her character work encapsulates both the larger attributes and the smaller, maybe to some, innocuous physical details. Thankfully the conversation produced the eye color change because her green eyes are stunning and add exactly what the 38-year-old mused about, and it helped build the performance that earned her an Oscar nod.
Following the nomination, she shared an honest and heartfelt sentiment about the potential LGBTQ+ Oscar history that lies ahead. Regardless of the outcome, though, Erivo has set her future sights on another witchy role. It’ll be exciting to see what unfolds in the upcoming awards show but we know whatever happens, the singer-actress puts her all into it, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
One thing’s for sure, Elphaba’s character and how she develops in the Ozian movie is special and I, and anyone like me, love Cynthia Erivo and her keen eye for it.
