Cynthia Erivo admitted that she and Ariana Grande had a series of “tough” and “vulnerable” conversations before they started working together on Wicked.
The actress, 37, who plays Elphaba in the upcoming musical film, looked incredible as Women in Hollywood 2024 by Elle cover star
During the session, Cynthia discussed the blossoming friendship between her and Ariana, 31, who plays Glinda, and admitted she “gained a sister” thanks to Wicked.
She said: ‘I have gained a sister. At this point we talk almost every day. We were both blown away by how connected we were immediately.
‘I remember the first day we met. It was at (director) Jon M. Chu’s house, and Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the music and lyrics for Wicked for both the OG Broadway musical and the movie) had finished.
‘He played some songs for us and we sang together for the first time. It worked. It is a very intimate thing to sing with someone. There is a really beautiful dance: I need to follow you, you have to follow me.
Cynthia Erivo, 37, admitted that she and Ariana Grande, 31, had a series of “tough” and “vulnerable” conversations before they started working together on Wicked.
The actress, who plays Elphaba in the upcoming musical film, looked incredible as Elle’s 2024 Women In Hollywood cover star.
During the session, Cynthia discussed the blossoming friendship between her and Ariana, admitting that she “gained a sister” thanks to Wicked.
‘It was one of the most rewarding things to know that there was someone so open and available, because she was, and that meant I could be too.
‘We also had a beautiful relationship off screen. We had some really beautiful conversations, some that weren’t easy, but that’s what makes relationships.
“Those difficult conversations you can have with someone that mean you have to be vulnerable are the things that bring you closer.”
In addition to Cynthia, Danielle Deadwyler, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Saoirse Ronan, Zoe Saldaña and Tilda Swinton were Elle’s 2024 Women In Hollywood honorees.
Speaking about her role as Elphaba and whether she would change anything in the film, she said: “Why would I change that in the film? I couldn’t even dream of wanting it.
‘When you are in this skin and you walk, you are immediately an “other.”
“It was a really wonderful experience to be able to take on this role, outside of my own skin, and inside that of another person, who has also been ‘different.’
‘It’s important to know how you feel. “I hope this changes and changes things at all stages.”
She said: ‘I have gained a sister. At this point we talk almost every day. We were both blown away by how connected we were immediately.’
‘We also had a beautiful relationship off screen. We had really beautiful conversations, some that weren’t easy, but that’s what makes relationships.’
The 2024 honorees grace ELLE’s December 2024/January 2025 covers
In 2021, Ariana and Cynthia were cast in Wicked as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, and quickly formed a close bond.
During an interview with the New York Times, they said they frequently spent their free days together: staying at each other’s houses, going shopping together, and even getting tattoos.
Of their connection and friendship, Ariana told the outlet, “I think that was one of my most treasured parts of this experience: I felt hugged and like I had a friend every step of the way.”
“I’m so proud of us for how sincerely we’ve cared for each other all this time,” she added.
Ariana also said that Cynthia “really inspired her” as she gushed about working alongside her.
“I’m really inspired by her fierce ability to be honest and protect herself,” she said.
“Just by being around her, I’ve become an ally to myself when she used to abandon me a lot, and I really credit that to our friendship.”
Cynthia shared that she had similar feelings towards Ariana and explained that their friendship helped her believe in herself.
“Those tough conversations you can have with someone that mean you have to be vulnerable are the things that bring you closer,” she added.
In 2021, Ariana and Cynthia were cast in Wicked as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, and quickly formed a close bond.
“I don’t think it was until I met her that I thought, ‘Oh, I guess I can have what I want in this life, and I can have it my way.’ She really held my hand the whole time. “I’m over it and she wants it for me as much as I want it for myself.
The upcoming two-part film is adapted from the long-running Broadway musical and is a sequel to The Wizard of Oz.
The cast of Wicked also includes Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle and Marissa Bode.
The film is scheduled to hit theaters with release dates of November 22, 2024 for Wicked: Part One and November 26, 2025 for Wicked: Part Two.