Cynthia Erivo has revealed she felt “trepidation” about coming out as she shared rare insight into her sexuality in a new interview.
The bad star, 37, said on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast that she feared she would “offend people” when she decided to share that she was bisexual, but that she now feels “very, very good about herself and in her body.”
Cynthia first came out in May 2022 during an interview with British Vogue, and has since said she is “really proud” of the way she shared it.
She said: ‘I feel very powerful. I feel very comfortable in my own skin, in my body. And I love it. And I think it’s really heartwarming to see other young people say, ‘Oh my God, she looks like me.’ She gets it.”
‘There is something very beautiful about watching someone just live, enjoy her life, work, create and just be. I think that’s something that I don’t take for granted at all, but I do think it’s important that other young queer people who are just trying to find their way into themselves can see this.
“It’s also been a really interesting journey because sometimes you approach it with a fair amount of trepidation, like, ‘Are people going to be okay with me?’ What will people be like? If I say the word ‘queer,’ are people going to be offended?” And then you kind of stop doing that, because it’s just who I am. It’s just part of the tapestry of the human being before you.”
Cynthia Erivo, 37, has revealed she felt ‘trepidation’ about coming out as she shared rare insight into her sexuality in a new interview
‘It takes a long time to get to a place like that. It also takes determination to get there. My life hasn’t been perfect, let’s put it that way.
“I’ve had some big blows, big rejections and serious pain and all that. But if you’re willing to let those things grow instead of shrink, different pages of who you are continue to emerge, and those things disappear.
“And when you don’t allow the words that people say to linger and it takes time for them to get away from you, you realize that most of those words are just a reflection of themselves, of other people.
“And once you take off all the stuff that other people put on you, you show up. And hopefully you’ll get to a place where you feel comfortable enough to bring that version of who you see into every room you enter.
“You feel even more confident when you take that version of who you are into a room you walk into and let them stay there. Don’t change them. Don’t shift. Don’t bend. Just be. I’ve learned to really enjoy it and see how people just accept it.”
During the interview, Cynthia also shared that she enjoyed intimate conversations with her Wicked co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Lenah Waithe about being queer while they worked on the highly anticipated adaptation of the 2003 musical.
She continued, “I had some really good conversations with Johnny Bailey. I’ve had some great conversations with Lena Waithe, who’s also a good friend… just thoughtful conclusions about what the world is like and I think that’s what we’re ultimately talking about.
“Johnny and I had a really great conversation about queerness and what that means to us and how we move through the world in our own queerness.
The Wicked star said on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast that she feared she would “offend people” when she decided to share that she was bisexual
During the interview, Cynthia also shared that she enjoyed intimate conversations with her Wicked co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Lenah Waithe about being queer.
“He’s so passionate about making sure there’s room for all of us… I think it was an eye-opening conversation because it was the first time I really got to know him and I really liked that human being. ‘
Cynthia has already received critical acclaim for her performance as Elphaba, starring opposite Ariana Grande who plays the iconic witch Glinda.
It comes after a rumored list of cast salaries for Wicked sparked a frenzy on social media.
While the numbers have not been confirmed and it is unclear who shared the list first, many people are commenting on the reports and sharing their thoughts.
In the alleged salary report, the musical film’s leading star Cynthia was reportedly paid $1 million, while supporting actress Ariana earns more than ten times the same amount.
The pop sensation is reportedly being paid $15 million for her role in the musical film adaptation – which broke opening weekend numbers records for all Broadway films.
Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, who play Madame Morrible and the Wizard respectively, each earn $2 million.
As for the rest of the main cast members, the list claimed that Jonathan Bailey, also known for his role as Prince Fiyero, reportedly earns just under half a million.
His salary is rumored to be $450,000, while Ethan Slater, who plays Boq and met his current girlfriend Grande while working on the film, is reportedly making $350,000.
According to the rumored list, Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang’s salaries are $250,000 each.
Wicked is the origin story of “a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.”
It serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring the story before Dorothy’s arrival and exploring the past friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
The upcoming two-part feature film is an adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical and is a sequel and prequel to The Wizard of Oz.
The film is expected to hit theaters with release dates of November 22, 2024 for Wicked: Part One, and November 26, 2025 for Wicked: Part Two.