Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo, the British actress and singer
Credit: “Cynthia Erivo” by Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cynthia Erivo is a British actor and singer whose work spans stage, film and television. She rose to international prominence playing Celie in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2016. She also received major recognition connected to the production beyond theatre, including a Grammy Award for the cast recording and a Daytime Emmy for musical performance. Also, in 2026, Erivo won a Grammy Award with Ariana Grande, receiving Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their rendition of “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. On screen, Erivo starred as Harriet Tubman in Harriet, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and has since continued to take on major roles, including Elphaba in Wicked.

Erivo is vegan. In a 2018 interview, she said she had been vegan for around five years, explaining that cutting out animal products supported her health and helped her protect her voice. She has also spoken about vegan eating more recently on the Dish from Waitrose podcast, discussing how much more creative vegan food has become and sharing her favourite dishes and ways of cooking. In 2025 coverage of her go-to meals, she was again described as a committed vegan.

“Being vegan was the most correct way for me to treat my body.”

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