Wicked 2 star Cynthia Erivo recently shared the post-movie ritual she follows to decompress. She said that she “holds on” to all of the “emotions” from the role she’s playing, and can only let it all go once it’s all “finished.”
Cynthia Erivo says she likes to sleep and go for ‘a therapy session’ after a movie
Cynthia Erivo appeared alongside Hugh Jackman on Variety’s Actors on Actors. During their conversation, the X-Men actor asked her, “Do you have any rituals at the end of either a performance or a movie?”
“Sleep and then a therapy session,” the Wicked actress responded. “That’s what happens usually. Through the process, I’m often holding onto emotions I find. I think once I’m able to get past all of the [process] and once the [movie] is released, I really allow myself to just let it all go,” she explained.
The Harriet actress continued, “So like, the last time, I think the end of the road really was the Oscars. I was on a plane to South Africa to start a new movie, and I just cried the whole way. I just let myself be.”
The Oscar nominee then explained the reasoning behind her post-movie ritual. She said, “I think it’s just release of all of the things I’ve seen and the things I’ve experienced. It’s just all emotions that sort of crystallize when you hold onto them because there’s no time. And then when you do, when you’re alone for a second, you can let them go.”
Erivo reprised her role as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, a sequel to 2024’s musical blockbuster Wicked, and an adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical of the same name. The original movie gained massive critical acclaim and earned her her third Oscar nomination.
Wicked: For Good debuted in cinemas on November 21, 2025, and is currently running in theaters worldwide.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on Comingsoon.
