Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is a Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress, singer and producer, as well as an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and SAG nominee. Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages in “The Color Purple” and has since taken the world by storm.
Erivo is set to star as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Universal’s highly anticipated film adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked,” from director Jon M. Chu. Part 1 of “Wicked” will be released on November 27, 2024, with part 2 released on November 26, 2025.
Erivo recently starred in “Drift,” which she produced with her production company, Edith’s Daughter. “Drift” follows a young Liberian refugee named Jacqueline (Erivo) who has barely escaped her war-torn country to a Greek island. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023 and opened to rave reviews. Erivo also wrote and recorded an original song for the film, entitled “It Would Be.”
Erivo was nominated for an Emmy for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning global anthology series “Genius” Aretha.” The season is the first-ever, definitive, and only authorized scripted limited series on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul. The series premiered on National Geographic in March 2021.
In addition to her illustrious acting career, Erivo is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer, often headlining sold-out shows, symphonies, and music spaces, including the Kennedy Center Honors, the 2020 Academy Awards, the 2017 Governor’s Ball and the 2017 Grammy Awards. Erivo released her debut album, “Ch. 1 Vs. 1,” with Verve/Universal Music Group in September 2021.
Erivo released her first children’s book, titled “Remember to Dream, Ebere” in September 2021. The book follows a young girl named Ebere whose mother encourages her to dream as big as possible. Erivo wrote the book as an ode to a child’s imagination, a parent’s love and the big dreams shared by both.
Erivo recently starred opposite Idris Elba in the Netflix feature film installment of “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” continuing the story of the acclaimed crime series. Erivo plays a detective who is also Luther’s nemesis while Andy Serkis is the story’s criminal villain. “Luther: The Fallen Sun” premiered on Netflix on March 10, 2023.
In 2022, Cynthia appeared in Disney’s live-action retelling of “Pinocchio.” Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Erivo took on the iconic role of the Blue Fairy. She also starred in Apple’s “Roar,” an anthology series of darkly comic feminist fables. It was also announced that Erivo will produce and star in a biopic about Sara Forbes Bonnetta, a 19th-century Nigerian princess who was “gifted” to Queen Victoria after being liberated from slavery.
In August 2020, Erivo launched her production company, Edith’s Daughter, and announced her first-look deal with MRC Television & Civic Center Media. Edith’s Daughter focuses on projects that express the beauty in the stories and people who are often overlooked and underrepresented. Erivo named Solome Williams as Vice President of the company.
Erivo recently starred in the HBO series “The Outsider,” which premiered on January 12, 2020. The series is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The series follows an unorthodox investigator and a seasoned cop investigating a gruesome murder of a local boy.
In 2019, Erivo starred in Kasi Lemmons’ “Harriet,” where she brought the legacy of Harriet Tubman to the big screen. Focus Features released the film in theaters on November 1, 2019, and Erivo’s performance was met with critical acclaim. Additionally, Erivo lent her voice to the movie’s title song, “Stand Up,” which she co-wrote. “Stand Up” won “Best Original Song” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Both Cynthia and “Stand Up” were nominated for two Academy Awards as well as two Golden Globe Awards in the categories of “Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Original Song,” respectively. Additionally, “Stand Up” received a nomination for a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Song Written for Visual Media.”
The film also garnered ten NAACP nominations, as well as AAFCA and Society of Composers & Lyricists Award wins.