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Cynthia Erivo Reveals How Margaret Hamilton's Wizard Of Oz Character Inspired Her Portrayal Of Elphaba In Wicked
Cynthia Erivo opened up about her Wicked character and how Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch role influenced her portrayal. Find out what features she picked up from the legendary character!
Cynthia Erivo who portrays Elphaba in the upcoming musical Wicked was inspired by Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch portrayal in The Wizard of Oz. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Erivo admitted that Hamilton's iconic role became a “touchstone” for her while prepping for the film.
The latter played Wicked Witch in the legendary 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel and her interpretation of the witch set a benchmark for the character in the decades to come. Before her portrayal, the character from Baum’s book was often represented in a haggish manner.
It was Hamilton who leaned into the green complexion of the witch’s skin that was the core part of her identity and made her an outcast among her peers. She also donned the signature cackle, black dress, and pointed hat to justify the witch’s look. However, one little but significant feature won Erivo’s heart.
"I didn't realize until I went back. But I always go back to this image of the black and white [silhouette] where she's got her claws. It's the first time I realized, 'Oh, she has nails. That's something I can pull in to the look of her,'" the actress explained. She revealed that as a young girl, she couldn’t pinpoint that feature but loved it when she eventually did.
And Erivo leaned in on that feature and how! The Pinocchio actress flaunted incredible manicures throughout the Wicked press tour and red-carpet appearances. On the Sentimental Men podcast, Erivo spoke about the origins and styles of Elphaba’s nails.
“I was like, 'Where does that come from?’ What do we do to make it feel like it's part of the DNA of her?” she said.
After going through a detailed discussion and exploring different ideas, they settled on “just an extension of the green.” She also teased that Elphaba’s nail shade changes as she evolves in the film. “I had Margaret Hamilton's imagery. It's really nice to find pieces of those things to create something and then add my own thing to it," she added.
Wicked will be released in theaters on November 22.
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