- Hey, I'm Cynthia Erivo and I'm here with BuzzFeed
and I'm talking about my first times.
(smooth hip hop music)
First thing that attracted you to Harriet, the film?
The fact that the story had never been told
on the big screen,
and I think that it is high time we did tell her story,
so that's why I wanted to be a part of it.
Who was your first real friend in Hollywood,
and do you still speak?
I can't remember who my first was
because I kind of met everyone at the same time.
It was quite a busy couple of years.
You know who I was starstruck by?
Janelle when I first met her,
because I was obsessed with her when she first came out.
It was like the Metropolis album, two of those albums,
and I went to see her in concert in London
when she was in Shepherd's Bush,
and now we're really good friends.
We're in this movie together.
First song you put on when you're having a bad day?
I Am Light India.Arie.
♪ I am light, I am light ♪
Finish this sentence: I want to be the first person
in Hollywood to
have opened a performing arts school
that can communicate both in the UK and here in the US
so it's like interactive.
That could be cool.
Tell us about your first time performing on the west end.
The Color Purple is the first show I did.
It was epic.
And clearly, it changed my life.
'Cause that's why I'm here.
First celebrity crush.
I'm not saying that because I think it's trouble.
'Kay.
First line that pops into your head
when someone mentions The Color Purple?
I think it makes God mad to see the color purple
and notice it.
First time you bombed an audition.
I don't think I've bombed an audition yet.
Have I?
I don't think so.
And I'm really not lying,
I genuinely don't think I have yet.
I don't really want to.
First person you called when you won a Tony Award.
Does it count if you called them out
when you're on the stage.
If it counts, then I called my mum.
She was the first person I told.
Well, she's the first one I mentioned, she was there.
But and then I called my sister.
Describe your first bad date.
Do I say that out loud?
It was bad.
He had braces.
First time you got turned down for a role you really wanted.
What was it?
Well, obviously I didn't really want it
if I can't remember what it was.
Nevermind.
First impressions of Leslie Odom, Jr., Janelle Monae,
and Joe Alwyn.
So, Leslie Odom, Jr. and I know each other very well.
The first time I met him was at a friend's wedding,
and I was like oh, he's nice, he's cool.
Very cool.
He thought I was a child.
He actually literally thought
I was like a 12-year-old cousin for some reason.
Apparently I look young.
Thanks, Leslie.
Janelle was lovely.
Really, really sweet.
She was effusive and kind, and funny,
and I realized that she was as small as me.
She's tiny.
Joe is extremely tall, he's the opposite.
Very, very tall, but very sweet.
And was worried about me once we were on set.
I was very glad that he was the one playing opposite me
because I knew I would be taken care of.
First thing you tell yourself when you feel like giving up.
Take a breath, you'll be fine.
Get on with it.
First time you were starstruck?
I mean it's probably when I met Oprah the first time.
We were (laughing) rehearsing The Color Purple
and actually singing The Color Purple
with the whole cast.
It was towards the end.
Everyone saw her come into the room,
and 'cause I'm me, and stubborn, I refused to stop singing.
So, there is a video of me hugging her
and singing very loudly in her ear.
Because in my head,
I was like we are not stopping this song, people,
we're gonna sing this song.
We're gonna do this song and make everybody proud, okay?
We're going to impress.
First item you ever took from set.
This is gonna get me into trouble.
Sometimes, they let me take my shoes
or an item of clothing
just 'cause I reminds me of a character.
Did I get anything from The Color Purple?
I don't think I did.
Just the cards and stuff that people sent.
First time you realized you wanted to be a performer.
When I was five.
And I did the nativity play.
I was a shepherd
and they made me sing Silent Night by myself.
I liked how people reacted and I thought
well, if this makes people happy, I might as well continue.
So, that's what I've been doing,
trying to make people happy ever since.
First funny memory that comes to mind
when thinking of the Harriet set.
There's nothing particularly funny.
There were some really wonderful moments.
We tell the story all the time because it was epic.
There's a moment when she steps over into freedom
and the sun comes out.
That day was terrible, like the worst day ever.
So, we get to this spot
where we're supposed to be shooting it.
The scene begins with me coming up in a horse and carriage,
and the sun starts to come up.
Now, mind you it had been rainy and dark all day.
Sun starts to come up, I get out of the buggy,
and I walk up to the point, and I do a jump,
and the sun bursts out through the clouds.
It's like orange and reds, and yellows,
and it's blaring at my face
and my face looks amber in the film.
That is not CGI, it's not lighting,
that's the actual sun on my face.
Then I look to the right and there's a double rainbow.
A real double rainbow.
So that was pretty cool.
That's all.
Thank you for watching.
Be sure to check out Harriet, November first, all theaters.
Right now, go get your tickets.
They're on sale.
Bye!
(smooth hip hop music)