Cynthia Erivo began her career on stage. Her outstanding talent in musical theater earned her critical acclaim, accompanied by a Tony Award for playing Celie Harris Johnson in the stage play The Color Purple (2013). Erivo’s versatility was evident in her seamless transition from theater to television and film.
Erivo was born in Stockwell, London, England, on January 8, 1987. Over the years, she has captivated audiences with her powerful performances and remarkable vocal abilities. With over 20 credits to her name, these are Cynthia Erivo’s top 8 performances in film and television.
Widows (2018)
Cynthia Erivo played the supporting character of Belle in Steve McQueen‘s 2018 neo-noir heist thriller Widows. The movie revolves around four Chicago women who plan and execute a $5 million heist to pay back a crime boss the $2 million debt owed by their ex-husbands. Erivo’s character is Linda’s (Michelle Rodriguez) babysitter. She’s asked to join the heist as the getaway driver. Although new to film, fans of Erivo were in no way surprised by her amazing performance. Widows also starred Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, and Robert Duvall.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
In the year of her debut, Cynthia Erivo starred in two films. Interestingly, she co-starred with several Hollywood A-listers in both films. Released about a month before Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) was Erivo’s feature film debut. She was cast as a struggling singer, Darlene Sweet. With the film’s theme centered around right and wrong and faith, Erivo’s character survived to the end of the film. Erivo starred alongside Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Lewis Pullman, and Cailee Spaeny.
Harriet (2019)
Cynthia Erivo’s first lead role in film was portraying Harriet Tubman in Kasi Lemmons‘ biographical film Harriet (2019). The 125-minute movie helped establish Erivo as a formidable actress in the industry, giving her international recognition. Reviews were mostly positive, with Erivo’s powerful and committed performance getting special praise. Harriet was a moderate success at the Box Office but undeniably set a landmark in the British actress career.
For her performance, Erivo received a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards as well as Best Original Song for singing the lead single, “Stand Up,” from the film’s soundtrack. Similarly, she received Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Song – Motion Picture nominations at the Golden Globe Awards. Erivo was also nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards.
The Outsider (2020)
Cynthia Erivo’s first major role in television was a recurring role in the HBO short-lived psychological thriller-horror crime drama series The Outsider. The show only aired for a season, with 20 episodes, from January 12 to March 8, 2020. Erivo portrayed Stephen King‘s fictional character, Holly Gibney. As a private detective with extraordinary perception abilities and memory, she’s requested as a consultant in the series’ Maitland investigation.
Genius (2021)
Unsurprisingly, as an outstanding performer, Cynthia Erivo was cast to portray American singer, songwriter, and pianist Aretha Franklin. Genius is a National Geographic/Disney+ biographical anthology drama series. Erivo joined the cast in 2021, playing the lead role of Aretha. However, she only appeared in 8 episodes of the series.
Pinocchio (2022)
Cynthia Erivo made a surprising appearance as the iconic Blue Fairy in Robert Zemeckis‘ live-action/computer-animated musical fantasy film Pinocchio (2022). With the Blue Fairy’s character being originally white, casting Erivo in the character was one of Zemeckis’ unique approaches to the film. However, unlike in the animated film, Erivo’s character is only seen once throughout the film. Pinocchio is listed as one of Erivo’s top films because of the film’s popularity.
Drift (2023)
Drift is one of two of Cynthia Erivo’s films in 2023. The drama was directed by Anthony Chen, with its screenplay adapted from Alexander Maksik‘s novel A Marker To Measure Drift. Erivo leads the cast, co-starring alongside Alia Shawkat. Erivo plays Jacqueline, a Liberian refugee who forms a close friendship with an American tour guide while on a Greek island. Drift premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023.
Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) was created as a continuation of the British Luther series. It casts Idris Elba as former Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. Cynthia Erivo joined the cast, playing Odette Raine, the new head of the Serious and Serial Crime Unit (SSCU). Suspicious of Luther’s involvement in the serial kidnappings and killings, she leads a hunt to find him. Odette is also after the mastermind of the killings. Also playing a supporting role like Cynthia Erivo, English actor Andy Serkis played the film’s villain, David Robey.
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