Cynthia Erivo Just Opened Up About Why It Was So Important For Elphaba To Have Micro Braids In 'Wicked'

© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Cynthia Erivo has opened up some more about why she pushed for Elphaba to have micro braids in the movie adaptation of "Wicked."

As I’m sure you are aware, the hotly-anticipated film was released to huge critical acclaim last month, with Erivo and her costar Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, dominating the headlines with their regular viral moments during their exhaustive press tour.

And while it feels as though we’ve heard everything about the making of Wicked from an acting perspective, Variety has now lifted the lid on all the more understated onscreen nuances in an interview with the movie’s behind-the-scenes crew.

© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

In this interview, costume designer Paul Tazewell detailed how he used Elphaba’s costumes to further reflect her story, which he summarized as: “A young woman who was marginalized because of the color of her skin.”

In case you didn’t know, Wicked is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn was inspired by the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 movie adaptation.

It was turned into a musical stage show in 2003, and has been a hugely successful staple in the theatre world ever since.

© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, Elphaba is first introduced to viewers as a baby who is born with green skin, leading to her being ostracized by her own family as well as the rest of society.

And while there was a whole team who took charge of the vast majority of Elphaba’s appearance in the film, Erivo is the one who pushed for some of the most poignant aspects of it.

© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Speaking to Variety, "Wicked" makeup, hair, and prosthetic designer, Frances Hannon, said of Elphaba: “The green never changed, but the strength of her lips, her eyes, and the nails do. And that came from Cynthia.”

Those who have seen the film will undoubtedly recall that as Elphaba’s magical powers get stronger, she becomes more confident and self-assured. Early in the film, Elphaba’s lips are the same color green as her skin, and her nails are unremarkable.

By the end, her lips are more bold, and her nails have become a distinctive and attention-grabbing part of her overall look — something which is also true for Erivo in her day-to-day life.

And Erivo admitted that she is the one who broached Elphaba’s nails with director Jon M. Chu, noting that not only is this a personal passion of hers, it also seemed to be a homage to the Wicked Witch in The Wizard Of Oz.

After looking at a photo of Margaret Hamilton, who played the witch, that is on display at the Academy Museum, Erivo explained: “I looked closely, and she has a full set of long nails.”

This is what planted the idea of Elphaba’s nails getting darker and longer as her powers get stronger. But even more important than nails was hair.

Kayla Oaddams / FilmMagic

In the stage show, Elphaba traditionally has long and wavy black hair, but Erivo said that in the movie, she “wanted something more connected to the person underneath” the green makeup — herself.

The star wanted to honor not only herself but also Black women everywhere by giving them something meaningful to connect with, which is why she requested Elphaba be given micro braids.

Erivo explained in the new interview: “I asked if we could reimagine that hair as micro braids because I knew you’d still have the movement, and you could still have the length, but there was a texture that was slightly different to what you would normally see on stage, and it was a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady.”

Needless to say, Erivo's request was granted, and — as she anticipated —   Elphaba’s hair has been a huge source of praise for the movie, with her tribute to the Black community not going unnoticed.

and whoever on the wicked team thought it was a good idea to give elphaba micro braids… i love you deeply. pic.twitter.com/k1KAHeAPJL

— scorpio’s groove (@jefferyyjames) November 24, 2024 ">A hugely viral tweet from Nov. 24, which has been seen more than 8 million times and has hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets, reads: “Whoever on the wicked team thought it was a good idea to give elphaba micro braids… i love you deeply.”

“Seeing Cynthia Erivo play Elphaba in #Wicked has had the same effect on me as seeing Brandy play Cinderella as a young girl. Taking up space in a Hollywood musical with braids and it just fills my heart with so much joy,” another popular tweet echoed.

This is not the first time that Erivo has opened up about her decision to request micro braids for her character, previously telling the British Blacklist that she instigated conversations about Elphaba’s hair “at the very beginning” because she wanted to “make it more authentic” to herself.

“I needed it to be connected to me, as a Black woman,” she added at the time, later explaining: “I wanted to show how versatile braids could be, and how much fun we could have with them — and how emotional the hair can be."