Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s visible emotions during the Wicked press tour have sparked debate online, with many expressing frustration over their frequent tears.
Over the course of the film’s promotional tour, the two actresses, who portray Glinda and Elphaba in the musical film, have been mocked for their teary appearances on social media.
While their tears have sparked some hilarious and light-hearted memes online, Ariana and Cynthia have also faced harsh criticism for being so emotional – and here’s why I think we should cut them some slack.
We have to remember that the filming of Wicked faced multiple setbacks, including delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Ariana and Cynthia have both spoken about how these interruptions made the process much more intense and emotional.
Both actors invested years of their lives to the project, forming close bonds with the cast and crew, as well as their characters.
Their tears, as they’ve explained, are a mix of joy, relief, and pride in what they’ve accomplished after such a challenging process.
Cynthia recently explained on Heart Radio: “This is the first time we’ve been able to really, like, talk about it so I think that we’re both sort of reliving and rehashing all the things that we’ve been through and journey we’ve been on. We can’t help it, we get very emotional about it.”
As someone who interviews celebrities for a living, I also think their emotional vulnerability in interviews has been really refreshing to watch.
@pookey_bear5 (I’m not trying to mock their tears, It’s obvious there are very real feelings behind them) #wicked #cynthiaerivo #arianagrande #interview #compilation #crying ♬ original sound – Z7duckx_Music
Interviewing exhausted film stars during a global press tour is no easy feat, and more often than not you get the impression that they don’t really want to be there.
To put it bluntly – they don’t really care about you, or your questions.
But in every single interview clip I’ve seen of Ariana and Cynthia, they have been nothing but nice to the person interviewing them.
@darceydorothyedkins I haven’t stopped crying since this moment 🩷💚 Interviewing @Cynthia Erivo and @arianagrande in my first ever junket is an experience I will never forget. I saw Wicked for the first time when I was 8 years old and since then it has always been a huge source of comfort. When I was 10, my parents bought me the Wicked piano book, and I spent the next year learning every single song, belting out Defying Gravity as if I were Elphaba on that West End stage. When I got to see it again with my mum at 16, one of the hardest years of my life, it reminded me that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Fast forward to 24 and sitting in front of these two beautiful and kind women, I feel I have come full circle. This film had me in tears from the first song and I cannot wait to see it again and again. Forever grateful to @PinkNews 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ and @Wicked Movie for everything 💕 #wickedmovie #wicked #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo ♬ original sound – Darcey Edkins
From complimenting their outfit to praising their interview skills, you can tell the person interviewing them left that press junket with a smile on their face.
Whether you believe its genuine or not, its a nice change from the sometimes half-arsed answers you get from film stars who just see you as another number.
Another important thing to remember is the sheer gravity of this project for both of them.
Ariana and Cynthia have both discussed how landing their roles in Wicked was a longtime dream come true for them, and seeing that play out has been inspiring to watch.
For both actors, portraying Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked goes beyond a mere acting job—it’s a realisation of personal and professional dreams.
And last but certainly not least, the memes.
Ariana and Cynthia’s tearful moments have inspired some hilarious memes online – and there’s one in particular that I’m “holding space” for.
In a viral interview last week, reporter Tracy Gilchrist referenced the film’s last song Defying Gravity.
She said: “I’ve seen this week, people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that…”
Cynthia was visibly shocked by her remark, and put her hand on her chest as she said: “Uh, I didn’t know that that was happening.”
“I’ve seen it, yeah,” Tracy replied, as a choked up Cynthia appeared lost for words.
@tracyegilchrist Two days after rhe election I interviewed Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for @Wicked Movie and mentioend I’d seen queer folks finind solace and inspiration in the power of “Defying Gravity’s” lyrics. This was Cynthia’s moving response. #wickedmovie #lgbtq #lgbtqia #queer ♬ original sound – TracyEGilchrist
“That’s really powerful, that’s what I wanted,” Cynthia then said, before turning to Ariana, who reached out and held her finger.
“I didn’t know that was happening,” she added, before Tracy replied: “I’ve seen it on a couple of posts, I don’t know how widespread it is, but I’m in queer media.”
The interview exchange immediately became a meme online, prompting social media users to joke about the things they were “holding space” for.
