‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer: Elphaba Defies Gravity Again
Oscar nominees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the musical sequel Wicked: For Good.
Cynthia Erivo has an inventive way of sniffing out her characters.
So how does she do it? While many stars rely on thorough research and method acting to embody their roles, Erivo’s magic secret is perfume. And even she was surprised by how effective the scent was in the captivating blockbuster film Wicked: For Good (released November 21).
In “Wicked: Part One,” which was released last fall, “I wore Le Labo Lys 41,” Erivo told USA TODAY in a recent interview for her upcoming book “Simply More” (on sale Nov. 18). “In Part 2, you may not believe me when I say this name, but it’s true. There’s a scent called Witchy Woo, by a brand called Vyrao. When I first smelled it, I thought, ‘There’s no way it’s going to work. It’s not going to work. I don’t like this. It’s too on my nose.'”
But after applying it to her hands, Erivo continued, “It caught me off guard a lot and it felt really good.” “I couldn’t get it out of my head, and for some reason it affected my body chemistry, so I went back to get it.”
In this fantasy film musical, the three-time Oscar nominee plays the misunderstood Elphaba, who leads a war against the duplicitous Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to save the animals of Oz. Erivo layered the floral scent of Squirrel 41 with the earthy tones of Witchy Woo to capture the different sides of Elphaba, who is labeled an evil witch by Oz’s corrupt government, but is still a caring idealist on the inside.
“I still wanted to get something from the beginning, but I wanted it to grow, and Witchy Woo is how it grows,” says Erivo. “And sometimes I wore real oud. Oud is a part of me and something I wear a lot. So it’s a combination of three perfumes that makes Elphaba.”
How Cynthia Erivo plans to ‘re-center’ her whirlwind ‘Wicked: For Good’ press tour
In her self-help memoir, Simply More, Erivo, 38, reveals small ways to calm herself amidst her chaotic schedule, such as preparing snacks from home to work and wearing a comfortable matching pajama set or robe at home. She also adopted a new self-care routine for the second leg of her grueling two-week “Wicked” press tour, which took in Sao Paulo, Paris, London, Singapore and New York.
“One thing I didn’t do last time was plan a lymphatic massage,” says Erivo. “They help remove toxins and water retention in the body, but at the same time they make me feel really good. It really helps me reconnect. So I’ve tried to plan[these massages]at every place I’m going to go.”
She’s also an avid runner, and “when I’m in these hotels, I basically have a treadmill in my bedroom. I can just roll out of bed and get on the treadmill,” says Erivo, who also keeps her favorite fruit and essential oils on hand. “I don’t want anything because I’m just getting myself together. And this tour I have my best friend (Capri Hakim) with me. Last time I couldn’t bring him, but this time I was allowed to bring my best friend. It’s just someone who can help me refocus and get my focus back. So it’s a small thing.”
As for fragrance, Erivo is currently looking for one to wear in her one-woman play, Dracula, which opens in London’s West End in February. The gothic horror drama will be directed by Kip Williams, who won a Tony Award for Best Actress last Broadway season for her one-woman play “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” starring Sarah Snook.
“There are 23 characters, so we’ve scoured the world to find the perfect perfume for Dracula!” Erivo says. “We’re trying to find something that represents them all.”
