Cynthia Erivo Reflects on the “Big, Wild, Crazy Ride” That Led to ‘Wicked’ Golden Globes Nomination
“I am either a glutton for punishment, or I really love my work for sure,” Wicked star Cynthia Erivo joked about her career these last few years shortly after receiving her 2025 Golden Globe nomination. “Maybe a bit of both.”
Monday’s best performance by a female actor in a musical or comedy nomination is the fourth for the British actress and singer, each in a different category. Erivo earned her first nominations in 2020 for best drama actress and best original song for her work in Harriet, following that up with a 2022 best actress in a limited series nomination for her turn as Aretha Franklin in Genius.
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Erivo told The Hollywood Reporter that she’s grateful for the range of roles she’s taken on and for those on her team helping her make choices that “connect with people.” Her latest nomination is something extra special, she said.
“I’m so glad that this time around I got to do it with a musical. I got to sing and do all the things that I love to do in one place,” she said. “This has been honestly the ride of a lifetime.”
Wicked has continued to rise at the box office. The Universal film broke records as the highest opening for a musical adaptation with an estimated $114 million at the domestic box office and dethroning Grease just one week after release to become the top-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time.
Erivo said she, of course, spoke this morning with her co-star Ariana Grande, who nabbed a best supporting actress Golden Globe nomination. “I spoke to her last night, but I called her this morning. Obviously, she was one of the first calls,” Erivo said.
“I’m so proud that we get to do this together. I’m so proud of the journey that we’ve walked to get to this point and how much hard work has gone into it, and how much care, not just onscreen, but offscreen,” she said.
“This is her first Golden Globe nomination as an actress, and I’m so excited for her. I’m so proud of her,” she continued. “I’m so pleased for her that she gets to step into this part of her life, and it’s nice to be a person that gets to bear witness to it and stand by her side as it’s happening.”
In the meantime, Erivo said she hopes to experience Wicked with crowds in L.A. or NY, recounting the her experience with a movie theater crowd in London that were concentrating on and “really locked in” to the film. She also recounted moments of the film that received big reactions during premiere screenings.
“That applause that happens when I lift my head, and it is the moment that the Wicked Witch appears, that took me out. When people applauded to that, I was gone,” she said. “You don’t realize what people see and what connects with people, and when those are the moments that you connected with the most and you felt a lot from, and it also feels that way with other people. It’s really special.”
As Wicked heads into the 2025 award season, Wicked part two will be here in the blink of an eye. “I’ve had to keep reminding myself that there is a second one coming, because we’ve been so into this first one,” Erivo said.
“I’m very excited about sharing the second part of this movie, but I’m really glad that we get to celebrate this first and really do it to the fullest,” she added. “I think that’s the most special thing that we can do.”
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