Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked

Cynthia Erivo was all ears when it came to ways she could commit to her role in Wicked.

The Tony Award winner—who portrays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda the Good Witch in the film adaptation of the Broadway show—is known for her intricate nail art and elaborate ear piercings, but the movie musical called for the actress to make some temporary changes to her style.

“Because my ears are covered in piercings,” Cynthia told her mom in a Nov. 7 behind-the-scenes video shared to the film’s official Instagram, “instead of taking out all the piercings, we put prosthetic over it so that it covers up my ear. So my ear is underneath the [prosthetic] ear.”

And Cynthia was quick to calm her mom’s worries, saying, “It won’t hurt me when I take it off.”

But the fake ears aren’t the only change Cynthia—who also stars alongside Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Ethan Slater in the film—underwent to play Elphaba. The 37-year-old also wore full-body green makeup. 

“It was really comfy!” she told Empire in an interview published Nov. 7. “Depending on what we were doing for the day, it could take anything from two-and-a-half hours to four-and-a-half hours [in the make-up chair]. It felt like a second skin. I was never irritated by it.”

“A lot of research went into what shade would be right,” she continued, “what would sit on my skin in the right way and how I could take care of my skin whilst it was in the makeup.” 

And while comfort was important, Cynthia also valued how the green skin—which plays a part in how Elphaba is treated in Wicked’s plot—allowed her to get into character.

“There was the option to do CGI,” she shared. “I was asked if I wanted to do that, or to do practical [makeup], and I knew I wanted to do practical before I even started, because I wanted to be able to look at my hands and see green hands. I wanted to look in the mirror and see a green face.”

But Cynthia also noted that the benefit wasn’t just for herself. 

“I also wanted to see the reactions of other people seeing me as a green person,” she added, “as opposed to me walking in as myself, because it informed how I performed.”

Keep reading to see more of Cynthia and Ariana’s Wicked-ly good fashion.

(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) 

Presenting together at the 2024 Oscars in March, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were already teasing what was in store from the first installment of Wicked, coming to theaters Nov. 22.

Erivo, who plays green-hued "bad" witch Elphaba, looked ready for both the red carpet and battle in leather Louis Vuitton with reptilian ruffles down the back. And Grande, who costars as "good" witch Glinda, channeled old Hollywood glam in a powder-pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture column gown magically accented with enough fabric to provide a peplum, a stole, a bustle and a train all at once.

The Wicked train chugged into CinemaCon in April with Grande all aboard in a white and pink Oscar de la Renta minidress that resembled a blooming flower, while Erivo sported a green and silver Versace ensemble, including fierce thigh-high satin boots.

Not the colors of dear old Shiz, but she has an open invitation to play Quidditch for Slytherin.

Gold for best dressed went to team Wicked at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the costars were spotted at multiple events.

But first, they kicked off the Games at the July 26 Opening Ceremony, Erivo in a strapless green Louis Vuitton gown with a gravity-defying silhouette and Grande in a drop-waist powder-pink Thom Browne dress that would've made Audrey Hepburn proud.

Erivo, who also performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the event, looked wickedly good in a glittering emerald gown by Naeem Khan at the 2024 Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 4th Annual Gala on Oct. 19.

Another popular choice: Grande's leather-trimmed polka dot ball gown courtesy of Balmain.

Erivo accessorized her T-shirt and cropped jeans with bright-green pumps and a patterned Louis Vuitton coat at an Oct. 28 screening of Wicked at the DGA Theater in New York.

Grande looked ready for her first day of witch university in a cream-colored button-down vest and matching skirt by Atelier Versace.

It's unclear if Grande floated to the WSJ. Magazine 2024 Innovator Awards inside a magical bubble, but her delicately embroidered white Vivienne Westwood gown was fit for such a journey.

Meanwhile, Erivo's Erdem dress—gray pinstripes overlaid with embellished green silk—was Land of Oz meets Wall Street.

Grande went full Glinda at the Nov. 3 Australian premiere of Wicked in a pink Vivienne Westwood ball gown.

Erivo leaned into Elphaba's wicked future at the premiere in a black Louis Vuitton strapless gown, accessorized with a massive lion's head choker and another bedazzled green manicure.

"I love this outfit so much because it speaks to my character," the British actress told Vogue Australia before heading to the red carpet (or, in this case, yellow brick road). "It reminds me of wings and defying gravity." 

Erivo cast yet another spell at the Nov. 5 Wicked photocall in Australia, this time in an emerald and black Marc Jacobs blouse paired with a black embroidered skirt.

And for her last trick: Dividing the eye's attention between her dainty fascinator and the towering multistrap Mary Jane platforms that added at least 6 inches to her 5-foot-1 frame.