Lena Waithe is celebrating Cynthia Erivo and her wickedly successful new movie.
As Wicked: Part One hit theaters this past weekend, Waithe, 40, reposted several photos, clips and articles highlighting Erivo’s acclaimed performance as Elphaba, Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, in the Jon M. Chu-directed stage-to-screen adaptation.
Erivo, 37, has shared behind-the-scenes glimpses of filming the new movie with Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and more via social media. Before and after its Nov. 22 release, Waithe added many of those to her Instagram Stories, as well as glowing film reviews and memes.
On Sunday, Nov. 24, the Master of None Emmy winner reposted on her Stories a choreographed video from members of Wicked’s current Broadway production, Logan Browning posing with a movie poster, and a clip from a BBC interview with Karis Musongole, who plays young Elphaba in the movie. She followed it up with links to Erivo’s profiles in Essence and Ebony Magazine.
Waithe has supported the movie through more than just social media; at its Nov. 9 Los Angeles premiere, she walked the red carpet in shades and a flashy green suit that would fit right in at the Emerald City. “Tonight we defy gravity,” she captioned an Instagram carousel of shots showing off the outfit.
Erivo and Waithe have enjoyed each other’s company in the lead-up to the box office hit’s release, including in September at the US Open Tennis Championships alongside Chu and Grande; at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in October; and at the June 16 Tony Awards, where Erivo presented a category with Wicked’s Broadway originator Idina Menzel.
On her Instagram Stories, Waithe reposted several of the behind-the-scenes shots Menzel, 53, recently shared from filming her cameo appearance in Wicked: Part One with Broadway costar Kristin Chenoweth, plus composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman.
“The first time I met her was at the Met Gala, which is where all the cool kids go to meet each other,” Waithe told Variety in 2020 of meeting Erivo. She and the Harriet Oscar nominee, she said at the time, have “just been vibing ever since.”
Wicked: Part One is in theaters now, with Part Two slated for Nov. 26, 2025. Go behind the scenes of Wicked with PEOPLE’s new special issue, available here.
Source: People
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