cast of Wicked, which also includes Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The story follows Elphaba and Glinda years before they become known as the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North when they are both students at Shiz University in the world of Oz.

Speaking with Variety, Erivo itted that she was looking for a way to make her version of Elphaba unique after being cast in the movie. She eventually came up with the idea of micro braiding Elphaba's hair because this was a way to honor herself and all Black women. Read Erivo's full quote below:

I asked if we could reimagine that hair as micro braids because I knew you’d still have the movement, and you could still have the length, but there was a texture that was slightly different to what you would normally see on stage, and it was a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady.

What Adding Micro Braids Means For The Elphaba Version In The Wicked Movie

Cynthia Wanted To Make Elphaba Her Own

The Wicked movie is based on a 1995 novel and a critically-Broadway musical that began in 2003. Therefore, many different actors have portrayed Elphaba, making it hard to stand out. However, since Erivo plays the character in the movie version, she will likely be seen by many as the definitive iteration moving forward. This is why it was important for her Elphaba to stand out, and the actor thought adding micro braids to Elphaba's hair was the perfect way to honor not only herself, but also her culture.

Upon its release, Wicked received amazing reviews and has been a smash hit at the box office. The musical movie currently has an impressive score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and has crossed the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office. After watching the film, people have praised Erivo's performance as Elphaba, a deeply complex character who is often viewed as an outcast.

Our Take On Cynthia Erivo Adding Micro Braids To Elphaba's Hair In Wicked

Micro Braids Are a Great Addition To Elphaba In Wicked

In Wicked, Erivo's character is viewed as an outsider because Elphaba has green skin. Since Black people have also been ostracized throughout history, Erivo adding micro braids to Elphaba's hair was a great way to represent her culture. The star was clearly deeply ionate about portraying the iconic role in the movie adaptation of Wicked, so it is great to learn how she wanted to make the character as unique as possible.

Wicked For Good releases in theaters on November 21, 2025.

Source: Variety