Cynthia Erivo
Birthdate: Jan 8, 1987
Birthplace: Stockwell, London, England, UK
Cynthia Erivo (birthname: Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo) has emerged as an actor of uncommon power and grace across a wide span of roles from Harriett Tubman to the Wicked Witch of the West and made a potent first impression in her feature debut under Steve McQueen’s direction in the British-made crime revenge movie, Widows (2018), starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall and Liam Neeson, premiering to acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival and earning $76 million globally in a 20th Century Fox release.
Erivo’s next turn was in the California-Nevada border thriller, Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), alongside Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth under writer Drew Goddard’s direction for 20th Century Fox, underperforming with a $32 million return.
Erivo had her breakout role and earned her first two Oscar nominations (for, unusually both Best Actress portraying American slave freedom fighter Tubman and Best Song--as co-writer with Joshuah Brian Campbell) for director/co-writer Kasi Lemmons’ biopic, Harriet (2019), with Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Janelle Monae, and grossing a healthy $44 million for Focus Features/Universal Pictures.
Erivo joined the cast of the troubled Lionsgate sci-fi production, Chaos Walking (2021), starring Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, Demian Bichir, Nick Jonas, and David Oyelowo under Doug Liman’s direction, and tanking at the box office with a $27 million return against $125 million estimated costs.
Cynthia Erivo co-starred in another failed Lionsgate-released sci-fi movie, director/writer John Ridley’s Needle in a Timestack (2021), starring Leslie Odom Jr., Freida Pinto, Orlando Bloom, and Jadyn Wong, and then after playing The Blue Fairy in Robert Zemeckis’ widely dismissed
Disney’s Pinocchio (2022) (pulled from theatrical release and streaming only on Disney+), Erivo was lead and a producer on the Anthony Chen-directed drama, Drift (2023), co-starring Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, and Zainab Jah, and which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and released to little business (in North America) by Utopia.
Erivo co-starred with Idris Elba reviving his London sleuth title role in the big-screen (and streaming) Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023), with Andy Serkis as a wealthy serial killer run amok, produced by BBC Film and Chernin Entertainment and released theatrically and on streaming by Netflix.
Erivo landed the lead role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the two-film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s and Winnie Holzman’s musical, Wicked (2024) and Wicked Part Two (2025), co-starring Ariana Grande (as Glinda the Good Witch of the North), with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang and Peter Dinklage, and budgeted at a combined $300 million.
Cynthia Erivo starred in the Susanna White-directed law drama backed by Participant, Prima Facie (date to be announced), and then Erivo starred in Netflix’s sci-fi thriller written by Eric Matthew Brown, Blink Speed (date to be announced). Erivo also starred as a truck driver in a terrible situation in director/writer Dan Blank’s thriller, Carrier (date to be announced), with James Wellington and produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners.
Personal Details
Cynthia Erivo was born and raised in London, England, United Kingdom to Nigerian-born parents, and while her father left her family at a young age, Erivo was raised by her mother Edith. Erivo has one sister, Nicolette. Erivo attended La Retraite Catholic Girls’ School and later began her studies in music psychology at the University of East London before leaving university and gaining acceptance to London’s renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating with an acting B.A. in 2010. Erivo’s height is 5’ 0½ ”. Erivo’s estimated net worth is $3 million.
Filmography
actor
Upcoming (2)
- 2025 | Wicked: Part TwoasElphaba
Wicked: Part Two
Follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
- 2024 |
Previous (5)
- 2024 |
- 2021 | Needle in a Timestack
Needle in a Timestack
Nick and Janine live in marital bliss until Janine's ex-husband warps time to try to tear them apart. As Nick's memories disappear, he must decide what he's willing to sacrifice in order to hold onto - or let go of - everything he loves.
- 2021 | Chaos WalkingasHildy
Chaos Walking
Two unlikely companions embark on a perilous adventure through the badlands of an unexplored planet as they try to escape a dangerous and disorienting reality where all thoughts are seen and heard by everyone.
- 2019 |
- 2018 | Bad Times at the El RoyaleasDarlene Sweet
Bad Times at the El Royale
1969. Four strangers check in at the El Royale Hotel. The hotel is deserted, staffed by a single desk clerk. Some of the new guests' reasons for being there are less than innocent and some are not who they appear to be.
Some Facts About Cynthia Erivo
Identity: Cynthia Erivo identifies as queer and bisexual.
Alma Mater: Erivo is Vice President of her alma mater, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Theatre Star: Cynthia Erivo has gained great acclaim in the theater, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album for the Broadway revival of The Color Purple.
