Sometimes it rains, sometimes it pours. For Cynthia Erivo, it is pouring—spectacularly.
The award-winning actress, singer and producer is reprising her role as Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” the sequel to the 2024 feature film “Wicked,” which earned nearly $750 million at the worldwide box office. That figure marks the highest gross ever for a Broadway musical adaptation.
That is only the beginning. The Nigerian-British star recently published her autobiography, “Simply More.” She is currently the cover star on Britain’s GQ, and her voice remains strained—a result of extensive promotion, singing, and international travel for “Wicked: For Good,” which opens in theaters Friday, Nov. 21.
Erivo appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday, Nov. 19, to discuss her busy schedule.
Erivo, who has won a Tony, an Emmy and now is a two-time Grammy Award nominee for her work in “Wicked,” received nominations this week for “Defying Gravity” (with Ariana Grande) in the best pop duo/group performance category, and for “Be Okay” in the best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella category.
“I didn’t even know we could be nominated for that,” Erivo told Fallon. “I didn’t know we could be eligible.”
Fallon also asked Erivo to rank her favorite songs from “Wicked,” a task she compared to choosing a favorite child. She also explained the origins of a popular meme featuring her—a story involving a lost hat with a happy ending—and recreated the moment during the appearance.
Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” is projected to gross about $120 million or more domestically and upwards of $200 million worldwide over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
If those numbers hold, director Jon M. Chu’s film would achieve the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation. The studio has tried to temper expectations, saying that a North American debut around $115 million would still be a major success.