Erivo had previously portrayed Sister Mary Clarence / Deloris Van Cartier in a UK tour of the stage musical Sister Act, which Goldberg had originated in its film adaptation. In 2013, Erivo played the role of Celie Harris in the Menier Chocolate Factory production of The Color Purple, a role which Whoopi Goldberg had originated onscreen. Her first musical role was in John Adams' and June Jordan's I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Her first stage role was in Marine Parade by Simon Stephens at the Brighton Festival.

Career Career beginnings and theatrical roles (2011–2017)Įrivo first appeared in roles on British television programmes such as Chewing Gum and The Tunnel.

Erivo began a music psychology degree at the University of East London however, a year into her degree, she applied to, and subsequently trained at, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She attended La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School.

Career beginnings and theatrical roles (2011–2017)Įrivo was born to Nigerian parents in Stockwell, South London.

She went on to star in the crime drama miniseries The Outsider (2020), and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her portrayal of American singer Aretha Franklin in National Geographic's anthology series Genius: Aretha (2021). On television, Erivo had her first role in the British series Chewing Gum (2015). She played The Blue Fairy in Disney's live-action remake of Pinocchio (2022). For her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019), Erivo received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress she also wrote and performed the song 'Stand Up' on its soundtrack, which garnered her a nomination in the Best Original Song category. Erivo ventured into films in 2018, playing roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She is the recipient of many prestigious accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.Įrivo began acting in a 2011 stage production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Cynthia Erivo ( / ə ˈ r iː v oʊ/ born 8 January 1987) is an English actress, singer, and songwriter.

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