Wicked's Cynthia Erivo Explains How Important It Was to Have People See Elphaba's 'Vulnerability' and 'Humanity' in the Film: 'She Is a Very Special Character'

Cynthia Erivo put her heart and soul into the role of Elphaba in Wicked.

The Tony Award-winning actress, 37, revealed what emotions were most important for her to convey when playing the beloved character in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical.

"Elphaba is a challenging character because you want to make sure people see her vulnerability and humanity," she explained in a recent interview.

"You can be distracted by the green. You have to come past that so people can see her as a person, the pain in her eyes and the hurt she feels in her heart. With Elphaba, I had this beautiful challenge of humanizing her and even the green she lives with. She is a very special character to me," Erivo emphasized while adding what a "dream come true" the project was for her.

For The Color Purple alum, one of the biggest parts for her to nail was Elphaba's big "Defying Gravity" moment. "I was flying on a harness, so I had no ground under me. I had to physically find where to put the sound and imagine a ground under me to push against and make the bigger sounds," she revealed of the process. "If you have a corset on, you can’t use your diaphragm, so I had to replace the breath and use this imaginary ground to make the sounds.”

Despite the challenges, Erivo had a strong support system in costar Ariana Grande. "We were going to make sure we protected each other. We were kind to each other, worked with honesty and built a relationship on that," she said of the pop star, 31, who plays Glinda.

"We provided each other with the space, the kindness and the generosity that was necessary to play these roles," the Harriet actress said. "Our voices work very well together. When you get to do something like [a musical], there is a real understanding of how the other person works. To sing with another person is very intimate and it has opened our relationship much more. Both of us were listening and hearing what the other could give and it was very special.”

With Erivo and Grande out in the public eye promoting the hit movie, the two have staunchly defended each other from the "dangerous" cyberbullying they've faced. "It's easy to be behind the computer typing words about a person you don't know anything about," she noted of people's hurtful comments. "Be the person who tells the positive. What a person who has never met you thinks is never more important than what you think of yourself."

Variety conducted the interview with Erivo.