Cynthia Erivo Reveals She Would Go Entire Days without Using the Bathroom on the Wicked Set: Here's Why

Cynthia Erivo learned to hold everything in while she was inside her Wicked costume.

During an appearance on the November 15 episode of the podcast Sentimental menactress, 37, said she refused to use the bathroom until noon to 2 p.m. during long production days for Jon M. Chu’s hotly anticipated adaptation of the Tony-winning big-screen musical.

Erivo, who plays Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) in the highly anticipated film, detailed the grueling process of donning her costume and gear for the film’s stunts.

She revealed that there were “two or three different belts for different stunts” and that she wore them over corsets and costumes when she used them.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in ‘Wicked’.

Universal Pictures

“Those days were really interesting because once you’re in the harness, you don’t want to get out of the harness because it takes forever to get everything ready again, strings and whatnot,” said the Grammy winner. “Those days can be really big. They can be really exhausting because your body goes through the strangest things.”

Erivo went on to say that she did not go to the toilet on those days of filming, although she used to start as early as 7 or 8 in the morning and continue until late in the evening.

“I’m not going to the bathroom,” she said. “Once I’m in my costume — which is probably a terrible idea — and the belt is on, I don’t do it. I don’t deal with it. There’s too many layers.”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked’.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

She added casually, “It is what it is.”

However, people on the set would ask her if she needed to go to the bathroom, which she would refuse.

“No, I don’t need a bathroom,” she recalled her reply. “Let’s go. Let’s go. We’re in it.”

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The film musical, starring Erivo and Ariana Grande, is based on the stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman – based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire.

The work — published in two parts — traces the origins of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wicked Witch of the West. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Ozwho is introduced as a college student named Elphaba.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in ‘Wicked’.

Universal Pictures

In the story, a gifted woman meets Glinda (the future Good Witch) at Shiz University, where they become roommates and then unexpected friends until impending evil separates them.

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Earlier this month, Grande and Erivo said in an interview with content creator Aichark that many of their complementary fashion looks weren’t actually planned in advance.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo embodied theirs Wicked Characters in this full press tour — check out the gorgeous looks

“On our first day of rehearsal, we’re both wearing Balenciaga hoodies. Mine was pink and said ‘gay’ and hers was black and said ‘Balenciaga,'” Grande said.

The actresses further revealed that several of the outfits they wore during recent appearances together were also unorganized.

“It was never really planned. It was never planned. We just show up and it happens,” Erivo said.

Wicked will be released in two parts, the first of which will hit theaters on November 22.

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Source: HIS Education