As Elphaba, the actress brought a whole new vision to the role.
The film version of Wicked has taken us on a journey down the yellow brick road and straight into the heart of Oz. What makes the film so transportative is its focus on detail, particularly in how each role is brought to life visually. The most striking of all is Cynthia Erivo’s character, Elphaba. The story takes on a richer significance when considering the connection between her character, who is mocked for her different skin color, and Erivo’s identity as a Black woman. This parallel is also highlighted through Elphaba’s braided hair. “I wanted to show how versatile braids could be, and how much fun you could have with them, and how emotional the hair could be, how much movement it has,” Erivo said in an interview with The British Blacklist.
Over the course of the film, Erivo donned four different wigs crafted in painstaking detail. Each featured a hand-tied, kinky-curly texture that was carefully plaited into micro braids. It was a conscious choice for Erivo, as multitudes of teeny tiny braids lent themselves to a wide array of styling options. "I know the hair that Elphaba has on stage, which is long and black and sort of wavy. I love the effect of that, but I wanted to make it more authentic to me, so I asked if we could have micro braids," she explained. "Because with micro braids, you could still have the wave in it, you could still have that flow, but it's connected. So I needed it to be connected to me as a Black woman."
Sim Camps, the Emmy-award-winning hair and makeup artist behind Elphaba’s look, used different styles to progress Elphaba’s storyline. “Cynthia and I spent time shaping her look to reflect Elphaba’s journey,” Camps shared on Instagram. Elphaba started the film with her braids in a more taut side braid, and her look slowly evolved into less strict, more carefree styles. “Her loose hair symbolized Elphaba beginning to let down her guard, revealing a softer side,” she adds.
A head full of medium box braids—which are significantly larger than a micro braids—can take upwards of five hours. So, braiding four sets of micro braids is all the more time-intensive. According to Allure, it took four braiders over a week to finish the four wigs for Erivo and six additional wigs for her stand-ins and stunt doubles. Each wig is a true work of art.
And trust that hair color was considered just as carefully as style. "We knew that we didn't want it to be black. But, you know, that nearly black—1B," says Erivo. "And we went through different highlights; there's like a light brown in there, and as she gets older, it becomes a little darker."
Erivo’s wigs look so natural because she took her signature barely-there buzz cut down to a fully shaved look for the film—even shaving her eyebrows off. This allowed for her scalp to be painted green as well. Wig maker Samuel James took advantage of this, creating a full, hand-tied lace wig with custom green lace, allowing Erivo’s green skin to show between the braids. “Particular attention [was also paid] to the texture and presence of the frontal baby hair as well,” says James on Instagram, “a request from Cynthia, herself, achieved by a mix of mohair and textured hair.”
The green hue of Elphaba’s skin was a very specific shade that was reached after many rounds of trial and error. “Some greens really didn’t work,” Erivo shared with Vanity Fair. “We had alien-esque ones that were just too far.” Eventually, the team landed on a green with “highlighter-yellow undertones” to complement Erivo’s natural complexion.
In addition to embodying her character’s aesthetic, Erivo also got into character with fragrance, leaning on Krigler’s Monsieur Dada 18, English Promenade 19, and Topaze imperiale 213. The three scents are warm yet complex, allowing Erivo to use all of her senses to step into Elphaba. Erivo also used deodorant from AKT London, an aluminum-free brand founded by stage actors who know intimately how important a good deodorant is during long days spent performing.
Erivo's Wicked transformation is a masterclass in storytelling—showing that it's the small details that add up to make a beautiful and evocative statement. With a sequel confirmed for November 2025, we're eager to see the ways Erivo and the rest of the Wicked team continue to bring Elphaba to life.