Why Cynthia Erivo Wears Micro Braids In Bad Things

Cynthia Erivo there was one request when it came to Elphaba’s hair.

Erivo, 37, opened up about the micro braids she wore while playing Elphaba They are not badwhile talking to Variety on Tuesday, December 17. While other actors who played Elphaba wore their hair in black waves, Erivo chose to braid it to feel “a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady.”

“I asked if we could reimagine that hair as micro-braids because I knew it would still move, and it would still have length, but there was a slightly different texture to what you usually see on stage,” Erivo explained. He added that hair adds a connection to the “underdog [the green paint]me.”

While playing Elphaba, Erivo made her plaids into larger braids, ponytails, centerpieces and more.

Erivo, who shaved off her hair and eyebrows before playing Elphaba so her scalp could be painted green, previously opened up about rocking micro-braids in November. “I wanted to show how versatile braids can be, and how fun you can be with them,” she told British Blacklist. The singer added that “hair can have an impact,” in scenes where a lot of “movement” is needed.

Besides her hair, Elphaba goes through a transformation in her nails as she grows and gains her powers. As Elphaba grows stronger and transforms into the Wicked Witch of the West, her nails grow longer and darker, thanks to her longtime manicurist, Shea Osei.

Erivo gave a shout out to Osei on Instagram after filming the wrap, exclaiming, “Meet my dear friend @shadesofshea_, who I’ve known and worked with since I was 16!! 💚,” she wrote along with the post in Elphaba’s costume. “She was the first person I thought of when we decided to have Elphaba’s nails grow and change throughout the films, in line with her personal transformation.”

Related: Cynthia Erivo Sparkles Like the Night Sky in an Enchanting LBD

Not everyone can pull off Cynthia Erivo’s style. Erivo, 37, looked gorgeous while visiting CBS Studios on Tuesday, December 2. During the visit, she sparkled in a black dress with silver flecks, a high neck, long sleeves and a chrome zipper on the front. The most eye-catching detail of her frock was the front […]

Erivo sported long, green fingernails during the game They are not bad press tour, mixing Elphaba’s signature color with her sparkling personality.