7 Of Cynthia Erivo's Best Ever TV And Film Roles
She might be most recognisable now to the masses as Elphaba in the movie adaptation of Wicked, but prior to her career-defining role as the Wicked Witch of the West, Cynthia Erivo had a string of lauded performances to her name.
ELLE UK's January cover star, who is quite the triple threat with a Grammy, Emmy and Tony Awards to her name, started her career many years ago with her first television role being a part in Michaela Coel's debut series in 2015, Chewing Gum.
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It was her role in the Broadway adaptation of Alice Walker's seminal novel, The Color Purple, from 2015 to 2017 though that truly cemented her star. From the instantly-recognisable to the less-so-familiar, these are seven truly outstanding roles in both TV and film that you may have forgotten Cynthia Erivo played.
Chewing Gum, 2015
Of course, Michaela Coel's breakout TV debut, Chewing Gum, needs little introduction but what you might not know already is that Erivo had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role as an earnest schoolfriend of Coel's character in the first season of the show.
Erivo isn't the only member of the Wicked cast to have appeared in Coel's hit series. Jonathan Bailey also appeared in one very memorable season two storyline, too.
Broad City, 2017
Having at this point made a name for herself on Broadway, Erivo starred in yet another hit TV show on the small screen, too. Her small role in the sitcom, Broad City, was as the manager of an Anthropologie where Abbi (Jacobson) got herself a job. That wasn't all: Erivo's character appeared once again in the final season two years later, too.
Bad Times At The El Royale, 2018
Erivo made her film debut in 2018 in neo-noir thriller, Bad Times at the El Royale, in which she played the soul singer Darlene Sweet, alongside an ensemble cast that featured the likes of Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny and Nick Offerman.
Widows, 2018
2018 was absolutely the year of Erivo; a few months after the release of Bad Times At The El Royale, the actor had another starring role, this time in Steve McQueen's Widows. In the film, which also starred The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez and Liam Neeson, Erivo played Belle, the babysitter of Michelle’s character’s children, who ends up being swept up into a mysterious heist.
The Outsider, 2020
In the midst of the pandemic, Erivo was back on the small screen once again in the HBO adaptation of the bestselling Stephen King novel of the same name. In the 10-part miniseries, Erivo starred as Holly Gibney, a private detective with the ability to detect otherworldly creatures.
Strictly Come Dancing, 2021
No, you're not imagining things, Erivo starred in an episode of Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021. Her appearance came after her casting in Wicked, when she was drafted in to fill in for Craig Revel Horwood during the show’s yearly Musicals Week special.
Pinocchio, 2022
Clearly entering her live-action remake era, just two short years ago, Erivo starred in Disney’s 2022 remake of Pinocchio, in which she starred as the Blue Fairy, alongside Tom Hanks as Gepetto and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket.
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