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Cynthia Erivo was forced to skip interviews at the Wicked: For Good premiere in the United States after losing her voice.
The 38-year-old actor joined her co-star Ariana Grande, 32, at the event in New York City on Tuesday but was pulled from chats with the press because she wasn’t“feeling well”.
A representative from Universal told Variety: “Cynthia is not feeling well and has lost her voice, therefore she and Ariana will not be doing interviews this evening.”
It was reported her castmate, who plays Glinda the Good Witch in the musical blockbuster, was also skipping interviews in solidarity, although they did appear on the official E! livestream for a brief chat.
However, Grande told the reporter: “I’m not letting her speak. She has to rest her voice.”
Ariana Grande (centre) also skipped interviews in solidarity with her co-star Cynthia Erivo but appeared briefly on the E! livestream. Photo / Getty Images
At one point she jokingly asked her friend if she was “doing okay” as she plugged her upcoming projects.
Erivo, who plays Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, was seen laughing and nodding but remained silent for most of the interview.
Grande said the pair were excited for the fans to “finally be able to get the full story, the full arc of these women that we love so much, and have spent these years with”.
Her co-star then whispered something, but when Grande couldn’t hear, Erivo leaned into the microphone and spoke in a raspy voice.
She said: “It’s really beautiful that we’re finishing here, where it started.”
The Wicked musical was first performed in New York City’s Gershwin Theatre in 2003 and is still a fixture on Broadway.
Last week, Erivo came to the aid of Grande when Johnson Wen, who is known as Pyjama Man on Instagram, jumped the barrier at the movie’s Singapore premiere and rushed the Thank U, Next singer.
He was seen grabbing her shoulders and jumping up and down, while Grande was visibly shocked.
He was arrested and charged with public nuisance. After pleading guilty, Wren has been sentenced to nine days in prison.
