‘It Degrades Me’: Cynthia Erivo Slams Wild And ‘Offensive’ Fan-Made Wicked Poster

Cynthia Erivo lashed out over a fan-created Wicked poster which recreated the original and iconic animated poster featuring Elphaba and Glinda. Find out why the actress found the poster offensive!

Published on Oct 16, 2024  |  10:51 PM IST |  50.2K
YouTube
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked (PC: YouTube/Universal Pictures)

Cynthia Erivo apparently cannot tolerate someone making a mockery of her Wicked character Elphaba. A fan-made poster that replicated the iconic animated poster that depicted Glinda (Ariana Grande, in the film) whispering into Elphaba's (Erivo) ear, made it to the actress’s Instagram story. 

"This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful Ai of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘if your ***** green,'" Erivo wrote over her story. The altered poster features a shadow obscuring Erivo's eyes which were visible on the film’s official poster. However, in the Broadway version, Elphaba’s eyes are hidden underneath her hat. 

"None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us," she added. The actress compared the faux poster to AI-generated meme trends, referencing the viral footage of Grande and Erivo punching each other while in costume. Another meme trend includes Glinda (Grande) asking Elphaba (Erivo) whether her genitals match the green color of her skin. 

Cynthia Erivo (Image via: Instagram)

“The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real-life human being,” Erivo continued. She further explained that choosing to look directly at the camera was her decision because she wanted to communicate her character’s emotions through her eyes. “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful," she added. 

Directed by Jon M. Chu Wicked is a two-part film series adapted from the hit Broadway musical. Erivo plays the anomaly witch Elphaba and Grande portrays her foe-turned-friend Glinda, both characters originated from  L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Since the story’s Broadway adaptation in 2003, it became one of the most beloved musicals of all time. 

Advertisement

“After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining two-part cinematic event this holiday season,” reads the film’s official synopsis. 

Wicked which also stars Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, and Peter Dinklage will hit the theaters on November 22.

Pinkvilla Pulse
Subscribe to our newsletter for entertainment exclusives, star interviews, and the latest lifestyle trends. Look No Further!
Subscribe
About The Author

Shreya, a content writer

...

Advertisement

Latest Articles