Childhood
English actress, singer and songwriter Cynthia Onyedinamanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo was born in Stockwell, London, England, on January 8, 1987. Both of her parents were immigrants from Nigeria and separated when Erivo was very young. Her mother, Edith, worked as a nurse and raised Erivo and her sister, Nicolette, in a single-parent home. Erivo performed for the first time at a school Christmas play when she was 5 years old and sang “Silent Night” as a solo. At the age of 11, Erivo had a role in the play The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and later appeared in the British TV show series Trust Me, I’m a Teenager.
Education
Erivo graduated from La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School in Lambeth, England, in 2004, and enrolled at the University of East London to study music psychology. After her first year, she dropped out and began her professional training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, graduating with her bachelor’s in acting in 2010. Fresh out of school, Erivo landed roles in several local plays as well as touring productions. She was cast as Delores Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence in a UK theater version of Sister Act, and in 2013 she was cast as Celie Harris in the Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre version of The Color Purple.
Career
Erivo made her American performance debut in the 2015 Broadway reprisal of The Color Purple. For her performance, she was awarded the 2016 Grammy Award for best musical theater album, a Tony Award for best actress in a musical, and a Drama Desk Award for outstanding actress in a musical. In 2017 she won an Emmy Award for outstanding musical performance in a daytime program, The Today Show, on NBC. Erivo performed during the 59th Grammy Awards (2017) and continued acting on several British TV shows and plays. She made her major film debut in 2018 in the movie, Bad Times at the El Royale and had a starring role in the movie Windows.
In 2019, Erivo portrayed abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic, Harriet. She also performed an original song, “Stand Up,” and for both her role and the song, Erivo won numerous awards throughout the U.S. and in the U.K. While Erivo continued her acting career, she launched a production company called Edith’s Daughter in 2020. She also signed a deal with the media company, MRC, to develop television projects for the company. In August 2021, Erivo released her debut album, Cynthia Erivo, Ch.1 Vs. 1, with Verve/Universal Music.
In 2021, Cynthia Erivo earned an Emmy nomination for her performance as Aretha Franklin in GENIUS: ARETHA, National Geographic’s Emmy-winning global anthology series, which premiered on March 21, 2021
Cynthia Erivo most recently captivated audiences as Elphaba in Universal’s highly anticipated film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical WICKED, starring opposite Ariana Grande as Glinda. Directed by Jon M. Chu, WICKED: Part Onepremiered on November 22, 2024, debuting at number one and becoming the highest-grossing domestic film ever based on a stage musical. Part Two is set to hit theaters on November 21, 2025. Erivo’s powerful performance has earned widespread critical acclaim, garnering nominations from the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards.
This article was originally published October 4, 2021 and was revised and updated in March 2025 to reflect most recent information for completeness and relevance.
