Who is Elphaba in Wicked​?

Wicked is a superhit American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu, and was released on November 22, 2024. It is the film adaptation of the musical play of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which was loosely based on the 1995 novel of the same name written by Gregory Maguire. Wicked brings a fresh perspective on the classic story of The Wizard of Oz.

The film revolves around two witches of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda, and their friendship. The cast of the film includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The film made $717.7 million at the worldwide box office and became the 5th highest-grossing film of 2024. Let's take a look at one of the main characters of the film, Elphaba, and the actor who plays her.

Who is Elphaba in Wicked​?

Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, is one of the main characters of the film. The film explores the origin of Elphaba. She is the eldest daughter of Munchkinland Governor Thropp. She was an outcast in society as she was born with striking green skin. Her father resented her because of her skin color and favored her sister, Nessarose. Unlike Nessarose, who is physically disabled and seen as more 'acceptable,' Elphaba was insulted for being a racial minority.

She attends Shiz University with her sister and becomes good friends with another witch, Glinda. They had opposite personalities as unlike Elphaba, Glinda was a popular and privileged student. Their friendship helped in Elphaba’s transformation and she discovers her magical potential under the guidance of Madame Morrible, who sees her as a prodigy. At the university, she meets the Wizard of Oz, whom she admires, but soon finds out he is a fraud.

She decides to stand up against the corruption and oppose the policies of the Wizard of Oz. Despite being labeled as wicked, Elphaba wants to protect those who can't defend themselves. Universal Pictures described the character of Elphaba as "A young woman misunderstood because of her green skin who has yet to discover her true power."

Who plays Elphaba in Wicked?

Cynthia Erivo plays the role of Elphaba in the film. She is a British actress and singer, born on January 8, 1987, in Stockwell, London, England. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art with a bachelor's degree in acting in 2010. She made her TV debut with a minor appearance in the show Chewing Gum in 2015. She has performed in many musicals over the years, such as 'Marine Parade' by Simon Stephens and 'I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky' by June Jordon and John Adams.

She made her film debut with the film Widows in 2018. She has worked in many films like Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), Harriet (2019), Needle in a Timestack (2021), Drift (2023), Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023), Wicked (2024), etc. She has also appeared in many TV shows like Mr Selfridge (2016), Broad City (2017-2019), The Outsider (2020), Genius (2021), RuPaul's Drag Race (2021), Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2024), etc. Over the years, Erivo has won many prestigious awards for her work, including a Tony Award, a Grammy Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She has also received 3 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 4 Golden Globe Award nominations, and 4 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.