Cynthia Erivo Reveals She Would Go Entire Days without Using the Bathroom on theWickedSet: Here's Why

Mar. 15, 2025

Cynthia Erivolearned to hold it all in when she was in herWickedcostume.

During an appearance on the Nov. 15 episode of the podcastSentimental Men, the actress, 37, said she refused to use the bathroom for up to 12 to 14 hours at a time during long production days forJon M. Chu’s hotly anticipated big screen adaptation of the Tony winning musical.

Erivo, who plays Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) in the anticipated flick, detailed the strenuous process of putting on her costume and harnesses to film stunts.

She revealed that there were “two or three different harnesses for different stunts” and she wore them over her corset and costume when used.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in ‘Wicked’.Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

“Those days were really interesting because once you’re in the harness, you don’t want to come out of the harness because it takes forever to get everything prepped again and wires and whatnot,” the Grammy winner said. “Those days can be really big. They can be really exhausting because your body is being put through the strangest things.”

Erivo went on to say that she didn’t use the restroom during those shooting days, even though they could start as early as 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. and continue well into the evening.

“I don’t go to the bathroom,” she shared. “Once I’m in my costume — and this is probably a terrible idea — and the harness is on, I’m not doing it. I’m not dealing with it. There’s too many layers.”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked’.Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

She casually added: “It is what it is.”

Though, people on set would ask her if she needed to use the bathroom, to which she would refuse.

“No, I don’t need the bathroom,” she recalled of her response. “Let’s go. Let’s go. We’re in it.”

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The work — released in two parts — tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s bookThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozand the 1939 movieThe Wizard of Oz, who is introduced as a college student named Elphaba.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in ‘Wicked’.Universal Pictures

In the story, the gifted woman meets Glinda (future Good Witch) at Shiz University, where they become roommates and then unlikely friends until a brewing evil drives them apart.

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Earlier this month, Grande and Erivo said inan interviewwith content creator Aichark that many oftheir complementing fashionlookswere actually not planned ahead of time.

“Our first day of rehearsal we both wear Balenciaga hoodies. Mine was pink and said ‘gay’ and hers was black and said ‘Balenciaga',” Grande said.

The actresses further revealed that several of the outfits worn during their recent joint appearances also have not been organized.

“It’s never really ever planned. It’sneverplanned. We just turn up and that’s what happens,” Erivo said.

Wickedwill be released in two parts, with the first arriving in theaters on Nov. 22.

source: people.com