Wicked
Elphaba could have looked very different inWickedif Cynthia Erivo hadn’t made one crucial decision.
Both Erivo and Ariana Grande were perfectly cast as Elphaba and Glinda.
Therefore, there was a lot of pressure on Erivo and Grande to faithfully portray the iconic characters.
Erivo’s character is especially unique, sinceElphaba has green skin inWicked.
Thankfully,Erivo made one major decision that potentially saved the design of Elphaba inWicked.
Therefore,when she was given the choice between green paint or CGI, Erivo chose paint.
Custom Image by Max Ruscinski
In behind-the-scenes interviews while makingWicked, Erivo expressed that she truly wanted to embody Elphaba.
For Erivo,being painted green allowed her to portray Elphaba more effectively.
Erivo wanted to ensure that her skin still looked textured and detailed in the finished movie.
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Additionally,she also recognized that being painted would make Elphaba look better in the finished movie.
Painting Erivo green also allowed Elphaba to look consistent in every scene.
Additionally,Erivo might have been more restricted in making changes to Elphaba’s appearance if CGI was used.
Since she was painted, how Elphaba looks in the final release is exactly how she looked on set.
