Cynthia Erivo is "endlessly grateful" for her role in 'Wicked'.
The 36-year-old actress is currently filming Jon M. Chu's two-part adaptation of the hit musical and she told fans she's found it hard to express how she feels about portraying "this beautifully complex being that is Elphaba", but revealed she has been reduced to tears on a number of occasions because she feels "proud" about what her character represents.
Sharing a photo of her hand sporting long green nails on top of a script for the second installment of the story, she wrote on Instagram: “I realize I’ve said very little about my experience on Wicked and that’s mainly because I’ve been keeping my head down and mining this beautifully complex being that is Elphaba, and it’s really hard to put into words.
“It is day 111 and yesterday we finished filming ‘I’m Not That Girl’ when we had come to the end of that moment, my heart broke open and tears fell. (Please know this happens OFTEN).
“I thought of us, the ones who often feel like they’re on the outside. The ones who don’t know that their differences, oddities, quirks are what make them beautiful and special. The ones who, for some reason, believe they can’t be loved and I felt proud to sing a song that might speak to those feelings.
“I am endlessly grateful to play a role that turns the notion of what beauty is on its head, I am endlessly grateful to be working with some of the most beautiful souls on the planet and I’m already grieving for the day our little bubble must come to an end.(sic)"
Cynthia hopes viewers of the movies will find a "little spark of light" that encourages them to find happiness, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
Referring to co-stars Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande, she added: “I desperately hope that when you finally see this film, you’ll see you, you’ll see me, you’ll see Jon and Ari and our hearts laid bare, you’ll see pain and joy and maybe just maybe you’ll see a little spark of light that says, you are who you are for a reason and you are deserving of happiness and even though sometimes it might be hard to find, it is there for the taking.
“I hope all the bumps and scrapes and scars that you’ve picked up along the way, get a little healing when you finally relax in a theater with a snack a drink and hopefully, friends you bring or friends you find when you’re there.(sic)"
