Cynthia Erivo on embracing queerness and artistic authenticity stands at the forefront of her life today, as she navigates immense career milestones while maintaining a sense of self. The multifaceted performer, speaking from a quiet Los Angeles loft above a bustling studio, reflects on her evolving journey, personal boundaries, and her powerful role within the LGBTQ+ community.
Journey from Humble Beginnings to Broadway Fame
Years ago, Cynthia Erivo was able to travel unnoticed across New York and Los Angeles on her Razor scooter, but her growing fame soon made such simple pleasures rare. She laughs at those early days, recalling,
“I’ve been doing it for years!”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress. Director John Doyle once cautioned her,
“Cynthia, you’re not going to be able to do that for very long,”
but she insisted,
“But why? I’m good! It’s fine!”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
As Doyle predicted, Erivo’s path took a dramatic turn with her 2015 Broadway debut in Doyle’s The Color Purple. Since then, she has risen from theater ingénue to global star, nearing the prestigious EGOT status with three Academy Award nominations—all before the age of 40. Her résumé now encompasses acclaimed TV performances in The Outsider, Genius, and Poker Face, memorable tributes at the Kennedy Center, and her lead in Wicked, the highest-grossing musical adaptation ever.
Championing Visibility and Advocacy
Erivo has consistently used her growing platform for advocacy, especially after she publicly came out as queer in 2022, seeking to ensure that
“some young Black queer actress somewhere”
might feel less alone—Cynthia Erivo, Actress. Her impact was recognized with GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award in early 2025. Soon, she will appear at WorldPride celebrations in Washington, D.C., reaffirming her commitment by reaching audiences across the spectrum, including lawmakers threatening LGBTQ+ rights.
A Shift to Personal Artistry through Music
Recently, Erivo has channeled her authenticity into her own artistry, shifting the focus inward rather than performing for or on behalf of others. Rather than returning to the stage or screen, she went into the studio to revive her solo music ambitions, leading to her new album, I Forgive You, released June 6 by Verve and Republic Records.
Her debut album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1, dropped in September 2021, exploring adult contemporary styles but, as she reflects,
“It never quite felt like it was mine,”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress. Though she worked with many “lovely” collaborators, she found the collection disjointed and not fully showcasing her vocal diversity.
“It didn’t feel like it was one uniform story.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
For her next record, Erivo started anew. At Ariana Grande’s suggestion, she met with Republic Records co-president Wendy Goldstein to map a fresh path forward. Goldstein observed,
“Everything fell into place really fast from there.”
—Wendy Goldstein, Republic Records Co-President. Erivo’s unique, dynamic voice became their central focus, building a body of work that foregrounded her vocal power.
Jessica Morgulis, Erivo’s manager, recalls seeing her perform in The Color Purple’s London run, stating,
“Anyone who saw her in that performance knew pretty quickly that she was just a generational talent,”
and,
“In all my days of going to the theater, I’ve never seen the entire audience leap out of their seats mid-song in applause.”
—Jessica Morgulis, Manager.
The Heart of ‘I Forgive You’: Vocal Brilliance and Honest Storytelling
Goldstein pushed Erivo to capitalize on her signature strength.
“When you hear Cynthia’s voice, you’re transfixed. I felt like we needed to lead with that,”
and,
“We spoke a lot about how to really highlight her vocals, using it as an instrument with stacking and layering to create beautiful production.”
—Wendy Goldstein, Republic Records Co-President. This creative realignment gave Erivo clarity.
“Wendy is a very singular human being who just gets it,”
and,
“It was the first time that everything became really clear. To have someone who understands who you are as a musician and a singer and an artist was just a new experience within this space for me as an artist.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
I Forgive You, crafted with executive producer Will Wells, sprawls across genres—pop, jazz, soul, gospel, disco—anchored by Erivo’s voice. Unlike her earlier work, the project is personal, revealing her own story rather than inhabiting roles.
She acknowledges,
“People see a very cookie-cutter version of me, and we do this thing with people where we isolate them or crystallize them in one space and go, ‘She’s just that,’”
and,
“People don’t know me as a musician in the way they’re getting to know me now.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Major Performances and Unwavering Commitment
Shortly before the interview, Erivo delivered high-profile performances at Coachella with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Still, Justin Tranter, an established songwriter, notes,
“I mean, for anyone who likes singers, all of our algorithms were just filled with endless bootlegs of her singing her f–king ass off,”
—Justin Tranter, Songwriter.
Exploring her role as Celie in The Color Purple prompted personal revelations about her identity. She observes,
“I hadn’t really ever explored [my queerness], I hadn’t really ever discovered or understood or really learned about it,”
and,
“I was like, ‘Oh, I get to play this woman who is exploring and learning about her own queerness at the same time as trying to discover what love is.’ This sort of wonderful thing happened at the same time — I got to do the same for myself.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
This experience gradually empowered her to be open publicly.
“It’s like your feet finally hit the ground,”
and,
“Even the work that I started doing, whether I’m on a set or in a studio, I just felt a lot more relaxed.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Success, Recognition, and the Pursuit of EGOT
After The Color Purple, Erivo expanded her film career via Bad Times at the El Royale and Widows, performing alongside Jeff Bridges and Viola Davis. Her role in Harriet brought her first pair of Oscar nominations, placing her on the verge of becoming the youngest EGOT winner ever.
Reflecting on this, she shares,
“How lovely is that? To be in this position at this point in my career is one, a privilege — but two, a massive surprise,”
and,
“To be one of those people that’s on the edge of even looking that in the face is quite wonderful.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Morgulis credits Erivo’s instinctive choices, noting the importance of letting her client remain at the helm of her creative direction.
“Often, the producers of something like that will be leaning one way, because whoever it is you’re paying homage to has some favorite song of theirs they want to hear,”
and,
“But Cynthia knows herself so well and will say, ‘I know I can really give this individual the best performance from me if we do this other song.’ And every time, she nails it.”
—Jessica Morgulis, Manager.
The ‘Wicked’ Phenomenon and Navigating Fame
No project has catapulted Erivo’s visibility like Wicked. Its box office and critical triumphs stunned even its star. She remarked simply,
“And it’s insane while it’s happening, too.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress. The soundtrack debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200—the biggest ever for a stage musical film—and seven tracks landed on the Billboard Hot 100, with her “Defying Gravity” reaching No. 44.
“The cast was like, ‘Oh, so it’s just in the ether now? People are just listening to it on their way to work at this point?’”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
With the second part, Wicked: For Good, due in November, Erivo hints at an even more complex portrayal of Elphaba.
“She’s able to access her rage more,”
and,
“The scent I wore changed. The makeup changed. Little shifts that bring you to a more mature version of who Elphaba becomes. And she is delicious in this next one.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
The fame that accompanied Wicked has at times been daunting, especially regarding privacy.
“I think there is an interesting thing that happens, where it’s assumed that because you’re in the public eye, everything is for everyone,”
and,
“But being in the public eye does not stop you from being a human being — you just have eyes on you now. I am totally OK to share some of my life — whenever you see me on the stage, whenever you hear me sing, whenever you see me act, I am sharing. But that doesn’t mean that everything gets to be yours. I should be able to keep something for myself.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Responding to speculation about her private relationships, Erivo stands firm:
“You also wouldn’t want me to share everything — nobody should have to, because then what’s left?”
and,
“You can be grateful, but you can still have a boundary.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Staying Grounded Amidst Sudden Acclaim
Despite her rapid ascent, Erivo remains calm, crediting years of incremental breakthroughs.
“I’m glad that I had those breakthroughs before — it’s school for what might come, and it means that here and now, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to sweep me up,”
and,
“A lot of us fear that if this happens, you’ll sort of lose yourself. But I still feel like myself.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Breaking Norms and Revealing Layers through Songwriting
“I could run these hands of mine down the map of your spine/Feel how your heat against my fingertips could make the blood in me rush,”
she sings on “Play the Woman,” before the refrain:
“Could you play the woman for me?/Go slow, ’cause I like what I see.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Singer.
Erivo wanted roles that let her explore sensuality, but finding few, she asserted control through music.
“Honestly, you rarely get that opportunity as Black women anyway,”
and,
“So I was just like, ‘Well, if I don’t put it in my own music, I’ll never get to put it anywhere else.’”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Her album is underpinned by vulnerability—addressing self-doubt in “Replay” and longing in “I Choose Love.” She shares,
“It wasn’t scary to write because I really didn’t know how else to write it. It had to come,”
and,
“The scary thing was getting ready to share it. When something is personal, you hope that people understand that your humanity exists and they’re not just listening to random stories that come from nowhere.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Overcoming Industry Resistance and Defining Her Own Path
Songwriter Justin Tranter was impressed by her skill.
“She’s a real visionary in that she knows what the f–k she’s doing,”
and,
“It’s not even that I was surprised, it’s just that the world doesn’t know her that way. You don’t know what to expect when someone like Cynthia hasn’t been able to reveal all her talents yet.”
—Justin Tranter, Songwriter.
Record executives sometimes didn’t know how to market her range.
“You can sing everything, and we don’t know what to do with you,”
she recalls being told. Her response was,
“‘Why don’t we just try everything, then?’…‘If I can do it, then why not try?’”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Morgulis stresses the need for Erivo’s creative agency:
“That conversation of not putting her in a box and, importantly, not allowing others to put her in a box, is happening on every single level of her team,”
and,
“That act alone kind of sends a message to the industry of who she is and what direction she’s going in.”
—Jessica Morgulis, Manager.
Living Authentically and Embracing Public Queerness
In 2022, Erivo appeared on the cover of British Vogue, stepping into the rare public role of a Black queer woman in entertainment—a role she approaches with seriousness. She says her coming out was less about self-actualization than about community care.
“I think I was actively looking for those who were encouraged to be more themselves,”
and,
“I can’t change a person’s opinion of me; if they want to feel some way, there is nothing I can do about that. But I was so excited about being able to at least be one more face where someone could say, ‘Oh, my God, she did it and can still do it. She’s still creating, she’s still making. So maybe I can also do the same.’”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
She did not fear coming out or notice big changes in her career as a result.
“Maybe I’m naive and wasn’t paying attention to it, because I’m sure there was [pushback],”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Industry Backlash and Ongoing Advocacy
An exception to a mostly positive response emerged when Erivo was cast as Jesus Christ in the Hollywood Bowl’s staging of Jesus Christ Superstar, sparking backlash for casting a Black queer woman in the role. Erivo responded lightly,
“You can’t please everyone. It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off. So hopefully they will come and realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth.’”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
She remains active as a voice for the queer community, especially as political threats escalate.
“I’m trying to be a person you can get positive things from, because that is the only way you can balance this stuff,”
and regarding the Kennedy Center,
“I don’t know who gains what from that. I hope that it comes back,”
and,
“It’s really sad to have to watch this happen to it. The Kennedy Center is supposed to be a space of creativity and art and music for everyone.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Looking Ahead and Inspiring the Next Generation
Despite challenges, Erivo refuses to be discouraged and plans to headline WorldPride in Washington, D.C.
“I want to encourage people to not decide to just tuck away and start hiding and not being themselves anymore, because that is exactly what they want,”
and,
“The more yourself you are, the more you are in front of people who don’t necessarily understand, the better understanding starts to happen.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Justin Tranter echoes the importance of Erivo’s position,
“Cynthia being Black and queer, and being one of the most famous people alive in this moment while our community is dealing with what we are dealing with, is no mistake,”
and,
“For someone as talented as her to be a beacon for young Black queer people all over the world, to be in the most successful movie and releasing a gorgeous, poetic album in this moment is no accident.”
—Justin Tranter, Songwriter.
Morgulis describes Erivo’s packed upcoming schedule: finishing filming Children of Blood and Bone, hosting the Tony Awards, and headlining concerts nationwide—testament to her drive. Still, Erivo has learned to let go of perfectionism.
“I used to say, ‘I don’t want to make any mistakes. I don’t want to get anything wrong,’”
and,
“What I’m leaning toward is just trying to be the best version of myself, full stop. And hopefully, the best version of myself is enough for those who want it.”
—Cynthia Erivo, Actress.
Cynthia Erivo’s story, defined by her refusal to confine herself to any single role or label, illustrates the power of authenticity as she forges new ground for herself and for others. Her visibility, commitment, and artistry continue to expand what is possible for queer artists and the broader community alike.
