The “delectable” scene that gives Cynthia Erivo chills: “It’s so good, so good”
You’ve probably not been able to escape Cynthia Erivo if you’ve logged onto social media even once in the past year. As the star of Wicked, and now its highly anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good, Erivo has been everywhere promoting the movies alongside Ariana Grande, their close friendship the subject of endless memes.
Whether Erivo is tapping her bald head with her incredibly long fingernails, trying to process ‘the concept of’, holding space for god knows what, or offering one finger for Grande to grasp onto, she has become one of the most fascinating stars of recent years. No other film has had a press circuit quite like this.
Erivo’s role as Elphaba, empathetically playing the Wicked Witch of the West, earned the actor her second ‘Best Actress’ nomination from the Oscars following Harriet in 2020, in which she played Harriet Tubman to widespread acclaim. It’s her performance as the green-skinned witch, who struggles in the face of difference, that has really cemented her place in Hollywood, though. Who else could deliver that ‘Defying Gravity’ vocal riff so effortlessly?
That final scene in Wicked, with Erivo singing the track as she shoots across the sky, is considered the most powerful in the movie. Judging by Erivo’s filmography, the actor likes movies that leave a proper impact on you, which is why she once picked out an epic superhero film as one of her all-time favourites, specifically highlighting a scene that left her mind blown by its power.
Talking to Rotten Tomatoes, Erivo selected Black Panther as one of her top five favourite movies, and it’s surely one she wishes she could’ve starred in if she’d had the chance. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film marked a step up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it became the first of its kind to win – not just one – but three Academy Awards.
MCU films have always divided critics, but Black Panther was widely praised, with emphasis placed on its African American representation. There is one moment in particular that Erivo loves the most, however, which she couldn’t help but gush about.
Explaining, “My favourite scene of Black Panther – it’s not really even a scene, but it’s towards the end when they’re at the United Nations, and just the image of Danai Gurira in that beautiful, black dress, that’s got that crazy neckline, and she just looks regal. And then, obviously, there’s the scene in the big battle, where a rhinoceros that comes towards Danai, and it stops right in its tracks, inches from her face.”
She continued, “There’s just something. Oh, it’s so powerful, it’s so good, so good. And such a delectable moment. I can’t even tell you how much I loved that film.”
When a movie makes you feel like that, you know you’ve stumbled upon something that you’re going to rewatch over and over again. It doesn’t seem far-fetched to imagine Erivo taking on a role in the MCU in the near future, too, what with the superhero-like way that Elphaba launches through the air at the end of Wicked.
