What has Cynthia Erivo said about the 'offensive' fan-made poster for Wicked? The Elphaba actress for the highly anticipated musical expressed disappointment, but has recently addressed her initial response to it.
Cynthia Erivo Addresses 'Deeply Hurtful' Comment on 'Offensive' Wicked Poster
Bona fide Wicked fans openly expressed their criticisms over the main poster of the flick and tried to recreate the iconic Broadway poster by editing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's version.
The Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale star did not take the edited poster well and responded quite harshly.
However, the multi-award-winning actress had recently addressed the attention she had brought to the online drama while chatting with Entertainment Tonight at last night's CFDA Fashion Awards.
"I think I'm really protective of the role," Erivo said, "I'm passionate about it and I know that fans are passionate about it."
She reflected on her actions and added, "I probably should have called my friends but it's fine," all the while explaining how it was a 'human moment' of wanting to 'protect little Elphaba' for her.
What Was the Fan-Made Poster For? Emulating the Iconic Broadway Original
For context, the original poster for the Broadway musical had the illustration of Glinda whispering in the Wicked Witch of the West.
While Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's Wicked version had the same posing, the original poster had the green witch's eyes hidden under the hat, which fans tried to emulate in the live-action version.
However, when a fan took matters into her own hands by editing it exactly the way they imagined the live-action adaptation would be, Erivo couldn't hold back on her Instagram Stories.
Erivo initially addressed that the edit was 'deeply hurtful' to her, which she considered the 'wildest, most offensive thing' ever.
She pointed out how the original poster was an 'illustration', emphasizing that she is a 'real human being who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you' to use her eyes and communicate with viewers.
"None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us." Erivo wrote. Right after, she proceeded to put up the chosen poster, which showed her eyes, 'to remind you and cleanse your palette.'
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Meanwhile, Wicked is slated to premiere on the big screens on November 22.
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