Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande attend the European Premiere of “Wicked: Part One” at The Royal Festival Hall on November 18, 2024 in London, England. Source: Dave Benett / Getty
As one of Broadway’s most successful productions, it’s no surprise that Wicked easily drew in excitement after it was announced that there would be a film adaptation for it. Anticipation skyrocketed in 2021 with the casting of Cynthia Erivo as the lead character, Elphaba. But despite starring in the lead role, reports claim that Erivo earns less than several of her co-stars.
Reported by Showbiz Galore in February, rumors started to brew this week after a few TikTokers said that Erivo is only receiving $1 million. Ariana Grande is playing Glinda, and some would consider her character to be co-lead. Others would say hers is the second lead to Erivo’s character. Grande is apparently making $15 million. Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh are respectively playing the supporting roles of The Wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible. Both are reportedly making $2 million dollars.
Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo’s Reported ‘Wicked’ Salaries Sparked Outrage
The news sparked outrage amongst fans causing discussions about pay equity to ensue. Some suggested that Grande may have received a higher paycheck due to her greater fame and recognition as a more established celebrity. But Erivo has received more prestigious awards making her only an Oscar away from being an EGOT winner.
Both ladies did their own wildest stunts and opted to sing live on set for the film. But Erivo’s character required flying, which she did singing live as well. Not only that, but Erivo dedicated extra time and effort to fully embody Elphaba.
According to People, the Harriet star sat through two or more hours of makeup, transforming her brown skin to green. At the end of filming, it took about 45 minutes to get the green off and make Elphaba Erivo again.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend the “Wicked: Part One” European Premiere at The Royal Festival Hall on November 18, 2024 in London, England. Source: Karwai Tang / Getty
As for her hair, Erivo requested that Elphaba wear braids – which ended up being microbraids. The lead of hair and makeup department told Glamour that Erivo and Grande had seven wigs total. But Erivo’s wigs required a team of four braiders and three shades of hair color.
Fans reacted to the shocking news of Erivo’s salary with disappointment and anger.
One person wrote, “Wicked please explain this disparity. A white actor in a supporting role gets paid 15 times more than a black actor in a leading role (for this movie specifically). That seems very shady.”
On TikTok, someone else wrote, “my jaw DROPPED. Are you kidding me????? A 14 million dollar difference is INSANE. There has to be some sort of other compensation she’s getting. They both did AMAZING.”
A third person offered a suggested reason for pay gap. They said, “I wonder if she got back end pay. There’s a specific term for that. They can get a low upfront pay, but get like 5% of all the film revenues for their entire life.”
It’s no secret that Black women have not always been compensated fairly in the film industry.
Taraji P. Henson emotionally talked about it several times during her press run for the film adaptation of The Color Purple. Gabrielle Union has highlighted these issues of pay discrepancy and so has Mo’Nique and Viola Davis.
Davis, who is an EGOT winner, discussed this back in 2018 in an interview with Women in the World. She shared that the industry referred to her as “the Black Meryl Streep” and remarked, “If you think I’m that, you pay me what I’m worth.”
According to the research of the National Partnership for Women & Families, Black actresses are only paid 64 cents to a white actor’s dollar. Black women directors and producers are facing the same problem making just 68 cents to their white counterparts
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