‘Pink and green goes well together’: Cynthia Erivo just confirmed why ‘Defying Gravity’ really made us sob (and will for the rest of time)

For years, “Defying Gravity” — the triumphant anthem from the Broadway musical Wicked — has been utterly beloved by fans, but Cynthia Erivo has somehow added new meaning to the already empowering track. 

Erivo, who portrays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in the new movie adaptation of Wicked, spoke of the song’s importance in a recent surprise appearance at a London movie theater. There to watch on alongside a cinema full of fans, the actress reflected on the message of Wicked and how her own lived experience sketches new contours of songs like “Defying Gravity.“

For those not familiar with the lore of Oz, Wicked is an allegory for racism and discrimination, so Erivo’s status as a queer Black woman makes Elphaba’s experience of being othered resonate all the more profoundly. When she sings “Defying Gravity” in the movie, it hits even harder in the feels because under all that green body paint is a woman who is also aware of Elphaba’s oppression and the battles against it.

Of course, the tale of Wicked is already a tear-jerker — with legions of fans flocking to social media to share their emotional, post-movie-viewing reactions — but the added layer of Erivo’s casting was enough to send viewers into a puddle of tears, a fact which wasn’t lost on the actress. “I hope it’s a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different,” Erivo told Variety of the film’s message. “Anyone who feels out of place, to all of the Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven’t been welcomed.” 

Erivo went on to express gratitude for “being the conduit through which this character has been brought to the world.” Taking the allegory further, the actress said Elphaba’s journey shows viewers that “all of your difference is what makes you special,” a sentiment also shared by the film’s producer, Marc Platt. “An actor always brings pieces of his, her or their life to characters they create,” Platt recalled of Erivo’s audition for Elphaba. “So it’s hard to separate out her journey as a queer Black woman where she has felt as an ‘other,’ as an outsider, as not being part of the center.. of being outside, looking in.”

Showing just how immersed she is in the character, Erivo referenced one of Elphaba’s most famous lines while chatting to theater-goers in London, reminding them that “pink and green goes well together.” Thankfully, the film’s message of equality extended to the  behind-the-scenes details, with news breaking today that despite rumors to the contrary, Erivo and Grande were paid the same amount for their respective roles in the film. 

Initially, there was chatter online of a supposed salary discrepancy between the two stars — with Grande speculated to have earned $15 million for her role compared to Erivo’s $1 million — but production company Universal quickly dispelled the rumor as “completely false and based on internet fodder.” It confirmed that both leads were paid equally for the film, but stopped short of revealing the exact amount Grande and Erivo were given. 

I know very little about Hollywood salaries, but I imagine they each earned enough to purchase the land of Oz in its entirety, with enough left over to buy gifts for all of Munchkinland. With Erivo’s comments on the added depth she brought to “Defying Gravity,” I think I’ll be “holding space” for the lyrics for the rest of the year.