Cynthia Erivo shaved her head for Wicked, and now she’s finally sharing the emotional story behind that bold decision.
During her appearance at Canva Create at SoFi Stadium in LA on April 10, the Wicked: Part One star opened up about the first time she saw herself bald, and how it became a defining moment for her.
“I remember feeling so open and vulnerable when there was nothing there,” Erivo said, recalling the moment she wiped off Elphaba’s signature green makeup and saw her bare scalp. “I thought I’d really like that. I like how open that is, I like how much of a blank canvas it is.” For Erivo, it was more than a haircut. It was about showing up as her full self, raw and unapologetic. She shared how she wanted to walk into auditions as her true self, not hiding behind her hair.
She even told a story about how her hairstylist initially refused to cut it, thinking she’d regret it. “She was afraid I would miss the length of my hair,” Erivo said. “And then I went back two days later and I cut it all off.”
When it came to bringing Elphaba to life, Erivo didn’t just stop at shaving her head, she put serious thought into every detail, especially the wig work. She teamed up with hairstylist Sim Camps, who helped create the perfect illusion with a micro-braided wig that looked like it was growing straight from her scalp. They even dyed the lace green to match Elphaba’s skin. “We turned the lace on the wig green,” she explained. “So when it was on me, it disappeared.”
Erivo also got real about how she dives into her roles. “I want to know who the character is,” she said. “It’s often nothing to do with the whole project, it’s about who I’m being asked to play.” Even when she doesn’t immediately connect with a character, she finds empathy. That’s how she brings authenticity to every role. And that same energy fuels her music, too. With her new album I Forgive You dropping on June 6, she said, “Is it going to make me work harder than I normally do? Can I move past the boundaries I think I have?”
Talking about Wicked, Cynthia Erivo admitted playing Elphaba was one of her biggest acting challenges yet. “It sort of already has a bible of how to play her,” she said. “But I discovered there’s a little more I might be able to influence. Then the world opened up.”
What do you think of Cynthia’s transformation for Wicked?
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