Cynthia Erivo shared a moving message about her experience so far filming the "Wicked" movie and the flood of emotions she felt after shooting a musical number.
Posting a photo on her verified Instagram page of her long green nails and a movie script for the two-part film, Erivo, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, said her heart "broke open and tears fell" after she finished filming scenes for the song, "I'm Not That Girl."
"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," Erivo said in the caption, adding that she felt proud to sing this song that speaks "to those feelings."
She went on to say that she's "endlessly grateful to play a role that turns the notion of what beauty is on its head."
The two-part "Wicked" movie is a cinematic adaptation of the famed Broadway musical, which is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." It tells an alternate version of events in Oz before Dorothy's arrival and explores the story of how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
Jon M. Chu directs, with Ariana Grande starring as Glinda alongside Erivo's Elphaba. Jeff Goldblum, Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang round out the cast.
Erivo, who's mostly been mum on her experience filming "Wicked" until her post on Saturday, went on to share her "desperate 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."
"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," she added before signing off as "your Elphie."
"Wicked: Part 1" will hit theaters on November 27, 2024, followed by "Wicked: Part 2" on December 25, 2025.
