Cynthia Erivo Admitted Confusing the Way They Shot ‘Wicked’ Left Her ‘Guessing’ 

Cynthia Erivo is the star of Wicked and Wicked: For Good, the joint adaptations of the stage production. While the two films were released a year apart, the actors shot them both at the same time. Those who worked on the film adaptation felt that releasing it in two parts was the best choice. Still, it didn’t make things easy on the actors. Erivo shared the unique challenge of filming both parts at the same time.

Cynthia Erivo said that shooting both ‘Wicked’ parts at once was a challenge

One year after the successful release of Wicked, Wicked: For Good is coming to theaters. Erivo plays Elphaba alongside Ariana Grande in the role of Glinda. Erivo admitted that the schedule for filming led to a bit of confusion on set. At points, she wasn’t sure where her character was in the story.

“There were days where, luckily, you would sort of know where the character was at this point [in the story],” she told NPR. “But there were some times where you’re sort of guessing really, because you hadn’t shot a certain scene, you’re just sort of assuming that the scene is gonna feel this way.”

Cynthia Erivo shared her unique method of preparing for her ‘Wicked’ role

While the unconventional shooting schedule was a bit difficult for Erivo, she grounded herself in her character using a unique method. When she starred as Harriet Tubman in Harriet, she got deeper into her role by creating a signature scent. She did the same for Elphaba.

“So Elphaba, who’s younger, I sort of messed around with big florals, like really deep florals,” she explained. “So tuberose, rose, lilies, and then I mixed it with a tobacco oud.”

Serendipitously, she found a scent that fit the character quite well.

“It was a scent called Witchy Woo,” she said. “When I found it, I thought, there’s no way this is going to work. It will be way too on the nose. … I was staying at a Soho Farmhouse in the UK and they have this little sort of gift shop and in the back they have a few perfumes … I sprayed some on my hand and immediately I wasn’t convinced, but you know how perfume changes? … My body is like, no, this is a really good scent. There was a reason it was there for you, go back for it.”

Why did they split the musical into two parts?

Wicked is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, and Wicked: For Good has a runtime of 2 hours and 17 minutes. If the adaptation were just one film, it would be far too long for all but the most dedicated fans. According to composer Stephen Schwartz, though, this is not the only reason why it’s coming out in two parts.

“We found it very difficult to get past ‘Defying Gravity’ without a break,” Schwartz said, per Variety. “That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic.”

This is the first time that the adaptation of a musical has been split into two installments. Typically, this is a strategy for the final film of a major franchise, such as Harry Potter or Twilight. 

“So, for these two reasons, plus the excitement of doing something that’s never been done before with a musical, we have decided to do two movies,” Schwartz said. “Of course, when it’s all done, if it doesn’t work that way, we’ll have to figure something out. But we strongly believe that this is what’s best for our story, our show, and our fans.”

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on Nov. 21.