When it comes to celebrities who gain the title of “voice of a generation,” Cynthia Erivo is one of the first to come to mind. From both her on-screen roles in films like Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royal to her alluring on-stage presence and out-of-this world voice à la The Color Purple on Broadway, Cynthia Erivo is one of the most powerful talents of our time. Not only is Erivo inarguably a master of her craft, she’s also unwaveringly and proudly herself, making her the perfect fit for the role of Elphaba in the upcoming and much-anticipated Wicked movie.
While we can’t wait to hear Erivo and Ariana Grande sing hits like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular,” the themes in Wicked are deeper than just a catchy tune. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Erivo and listening to her panel at the launch event for the OPI x Wicked collaboration (OPI is the official nail sponsor of Wicked), and got to hear from Cynthia herself just how heavily Elphaba’s nails play into her character development.
Cynthia Erivo Talks ‘Wicked’ Nails and Beauty
If you’ve seen Erivo take to a red carpet or stop by a star-studded event, you’ve likely been taken aback by her incredible nails. Almost always rocking a full set in real life, Erivo told the crowd at the OPI x Wicked event that she knew from the get go that Elphaba would need her own acrylics, too. “At the very beginning of the filming process, [director Jon Chu] and I had a conversation about what I wanted Elphaba to look like and what he wanted her to look like, and the first things I asked for were the hair and the nails. I knew I wanted her to have micro braids and I knew I wanted her to have a full set.” Why was Cynthia so steadfast on Elphaba having long, acrylic nails? There are two main reasons, she divulged.
“The first reason I wanted Elphaba to have a full set was because it felt like a nod to the culture that I come from, and also it felt like an homage to the lore of Oz. There’s an infamous picture of Margaret Hamilton—the original Wicked Witch—and she’s in the shadow kind of reaching forward, and her nails are so important in that picture. I saw the picture again at the Academy Museum recently and I was reminded that these nails were always a part of her character, and what I wanted to do was find out how that came to be,” she says, “I felt like her nails were a part of her genetic makeup—that they just grew this long, that it was a part of the magic that she had that maybe she hadn’t discovered yet.”
OPI x Wicked: What to Expect
On October 1, iconic nail brand OPI will be launching a collection of 12, Wicked-inspired nail polishes, inspired directly by the Oz of the 2024 film adaptation. As the official nail sponsor of the film, OPI’s experts visited the Wicked set and created their magical shades based off of the world of Oz around them. The names, of course, are Wicked inspired too, featuring shades like Defying Gravity, Glinda the Good, Oz-mazing and It’s the Shiz.
Upon the launch of the collection, users can expect 12 OPI x Wicked Gel Nail Lacquer shades and nine OPI x Wicked Infinite Shine shades. I’m sure you’re wondering, what shade is Erivo’s favorite from the collection? Oztively Elphaba, of course—a deep, witchy green with hints of chrome and shimmer.
