Wicked star Cynthia Erivo fired back at racist accusations she was a "woke hire" to play the role of Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, in the two-part film adaptation of the musical film.
Since its release in November, Wicked so far grossed over $500 million at the global box office.
But while the origin story of the characters from The Wizard of Oz, based on the Broadway musical Wicked, resonated with international viewers, some conservatives groused about the film's themes of identity and equality and its casting, primarily of its lead.
In response to the backlash, Erivo, a British actor born to Nigerian immigrant parents, set the record straight about her casting not being a result of improving optics of Hollywood discrimination.
The 37-year-old told Elle UK:
‘There have definitely been conversations about me getting this role as a 'woke hire.' "
"I had to audition, just like everybody else. And I’m glad I had to do that."
She added:
"I have the credentials for it. I’ve done the work. But I’m glad they got to be sure about the choice."
"It allows me to take this, and to know that I had to work really hard for it."
Fans rooted for her.
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@elleuk/Instagram
The misunderstood character faces bigotry and is eventually regarded as evil due to her green skin pigmentation.
The book on which the musical was based, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, serves as a cautionary tale about what happens when people are who perceived to be "different" are subject to ostracization.
Because of her appearance, the role of Elphaba on stage in various productions around the world, including Broadway, has been played by actors of all different ethnic backgrounds.
An example of a Wicked boycott from certain moviegoers was a subReddit thread about a friend who refused to see the film because of its "political" message in casting Erivo, because she's Black.
Gina Loudon, a right-wing conservative media personality who was part of President-elect Donald Trump's media advisory board for his 2020 campaign, caused controversy last month after arguing Wicked was racist against White people.
"The racism and the racial appropriation I just thought was offensive, frankly," she said on the far-right streaming channel, Real America's Voice.
During her rant, she objected to the casting of Ariana Grande as Galinda the Good Witch, falsely claiming she was "obviously a Hispanic woman.”
BTW, Gina, Grande is of Italian descent.
Thank U, next.
Here's what social media users have been saying in response to the racist controversy while praising Erivo's stellar performance in Wicked.
Erivo also told Elle U.K. that she didn't want her ethnic identity to vanish completely with Elphaba's makeup during filming.
“I didn’t want to erase the thing that I am underneath the green,” she said, adding:
“For me, it was about using my own experience as the ‘other,’ as someone who exists in that way."
"So, that’s partially the reason why Elphaba has braids, as opposed to straight hair.”
Erivo is currently an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner.
Positive buzz about her performance has ramped up talks that Erivo could win an Oscar for her role, which would make her an EGOT winner.
Despite the conservative gripe, her future is unlimited and nothing can bring her down.
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