Cynthia Erivo Reveals She Would Go Entire Days without Using the Bathroom on the "Wicked" Set: Here's Why
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11/19/2024 07:14 PM
The actress said her complicated costume had "too many layers" to maneuver around
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Cynthia Erivo at the "Wicked: Part One" UK Premiere on November 18, 2024 in LondonCynthia Erivo learned to hold it all in when she was in her Wicked costume.
During an appearance on the Nov. 15 episode of the podcast Sentimental Men, the actress, 37, said she refused to use the bathroom for up to 12 to 14 hours at a time during long production days for Jon M. Chu's hotly anticipated big screen adaptation of the Tony winning musical.
Erivo, who plays Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) in the anticipated flick, detailed the strenuous process of putting on her costume and harnesses to film stunts.
She revealed that there were "two or three different harnesses for different stunts" and she wore them over her corset and costume when used.
Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked'"Those days were really interesting because once you're in the harness, you don't want to come out of the harness because it takes forever to get everything prepped again and wires and whatnot," the Grammy winner said. "Those days can be really big. They can be really exhausting because your body is being put through the strangest things."
Erivo went on to say that she didn't use the restroom during those shooting days, even though they could start as early as 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. and continue well into the evening.
"I don't go to the bathroom," she shared. "Once I'm in my costume — and this is probably a terrible idea — and the harness is on, I'm not doing it. I'm not dealing with it. There's too many layers."
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 'Wicked'She casually added: "It is what it is."
Though, people on set would ask her if she needed to use the bathroom, to which she would refuse.
"No, I don't need the bathroom," she recalled of her response. "Let's go. Let's go. We're in it."
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The movie musical, starring Erivo and Ariana Grande in lead roles, is based on the stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman – which was based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.
The work — released in two parts — tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, who is introduced as a college student named Elphaba.
Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in 'Wicked'In the story, the gifted woman meets Glinda (future Good Witch) at Shiz University, where they become roommates and then unlikely friends until a brewing evil drives them apart.
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Earlier this month, Grande and Erivo said in an interview with content creator Aichark that many of their complementing fashion looks were actually not planned ahead of time.
"Our first day of rehearsal we both wear Balenciaga hoodies. Mine was pink and said 'gay' and hers was black and said 'Balenciaga'," Grande said.
The actresses further revealed that several of the outfits worn during their recent joint appearances also have not been organized.
"It's never really ever planned. It's never planned. We just turn up and that's what happens," Erivo said.
Wicked will be released in two parts, with the first arriving in theaters on Nov. 22.
