Cynthia Erivo gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
22 Facts About Cynthia Erivo
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On television, Cynthia Erivo had her first role in the British series Chewing Gum.
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Cynthia Erivo went on to star in the crime drama miniseries The Outsider, and received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of American singer Aretha Franklin in National Geographic's anthology series Genius: Aretha.
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Cynthia Erivo was born to Nigerian parents in Stockwell, South London.
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Cynthia Erivo began a music psychology degree at the University of East London; however, a year into her degree, she applied to, and subsequently trained at, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
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Cynthia Erivo first appeared in roles on British television programmes such as Chewing Gum and The Tunnel.
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In 2013, Cynthia Erivo played the role of Celie Harris in the Menier Chocolate Factory production of The Color Purple, a role which Whoopi Goldberg had originated onscreen.
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Cynthia Erivo is featured on the soundtrack to the musical drama film Beyond the Lights, co-writing and performing the song "Fly Before You Fall".
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Cynthia Erivo starred in the European premiere of Dessa Rose at London's Trafalgar Studios from July to August 2014, for which she was nominated as Best Leading Actress in a musical at the 2015 BroadwayWorld UK awards.
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Cynthia Erivo made her Broadway debut in the 2015 Broadway revival transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory production of The Color Purple, reprising her role as Celie Harris alongside American actresses Jennifer Hudson as Shug Avery and Danielle Brooks as Sofia.
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Cynthia Erivo starred as Cathy alongside Joshua Henry in a one-night benefit concert performance of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years on 12 September 2016.
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In February 2017, Cynthia Erivo performed "God Only Knows" as a tribute to musicians who had died over the past year alongside John Legend at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
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Cynthia Erivo made her film debut in 2018 in the neo-noir thriller film Bad Times at the El Royale.
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In 2019, Cynthia Erivo produced and starred in the scripted science fiction thriller podcast Carrier, voicing the lead role of Raylene Watts, a long-haul truck driver transporting a trailer with "disturbing, mysterious contents".
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Cynthia Erivo portrayed the title role in Harriet, a biographical film about American abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
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In 2020, Cynthia Erivo starred as investigator Holly Gibney in the HBO miniseries The Outsider, a television adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name.
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Cynthia Erivo appeared in the science fiction film Chaos Walking, based on Patrick Ness' novel The Knife of Never Letting Go, which was released on 5 March 2021.
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Cynthia Erivo portrayed singer Aretha Franklin in the third season of the anthology series Genius, which premiered in March 2021.
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Cynthia Erivo released two songs titled "The Good" and "Glowing Up" to promote her debut studio album, Ch.
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Cynthia Erivo played The Blue Fairy in Disney's live-action film adaptation of Pinocchio, directed by Robert Zemeckis.
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Cynthia Erivo is slated to produce and star in a film adaption of the podcast Carrier, reprising the role of Raylene.
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Cynthia Erivo is attached to star in a film continuation of the series Luther and as Elphaba in a two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked.