Cynthia Erivo, who was born in London in 1987 to Nigerian immigrants, started acting on stage at the age of 11 and went on to have considerable success, starring as Juliet in the Young Vic youth version of “Romeo & Juliet” at the age of 15 and appearing in various commercials. She had intended to major in music psychology in college, but a serendipitous encounter with her Young Vic director convinced her to remain and train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
She starred as Deloris Van Cartier in the UK tour of “Sister Act,” a musical based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, in 2011. Contrary to popular belief, Erivo portrayed Celie Harris in the 2013 London production of “The Color Purple,” a role Goldberg created in the 1985 film adaptation.
Erivo was the only member of the British cast to follow the production to Broadway in 2015, playing the same role as Jennifer Hudson. After making her theatrical debut, she secured a recurring role in the historical drama “Mister. Selfridge” (PBS/ITV, 2013-). Her breakthrough roles include “Bad Times at the El Royale” (2018) and Steve McQueen’s collaboration with Gillian Flynn, “Widows” (2018).
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