Cynthia Erivo Delivers Powerful Speech About Being ‘Black, Bald-Headed, Pierced and Queer’
Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Cynthia Erivo may not be a green witch but that doesn’t mean she can’t relate to Elphaba, the sorcerer she plays in the upcoming “Wicked” movies. “As I stand here in front of you: Black, bald-headed, pierced, and queer, I can say I know a thing or two about being the other,” the Tony winner said Saturday night at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala, where she was presented with the Schrader Award by Jada Pinkett-Smith. “Elphaba’s story is… about how a colorful, powerful, magical woman—despite being disparaged, demonized, and discriminated against—becomes a hero.” “Wicked is a reclamation and a reimagining of the labels used against her.