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Jay Shetty Podcast

Wicked's Cynthia Erivo REVEALS How To Find Your Passion & Get 1% BETTER Everyday

Today, I sit down with Wicked's Cynthia Erivo to talk about following your passion and having compassion for yourself.

Cynthia ErivoguestJay Shettyhost

May 1, 20231h 8mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Hearing a British Accent in LA
After Jay Shetty's introduction of Cynthia Erivo and her credits, the two bond over hearing a familiar British accent in Los Angeles. They discuss how accents shift depending on who you're talking to and swap anecdotes about American and British words.
- •Hearing an accent from home feels like a warm hug, according to Cynthia
- •Accents are embedded from childhood and come out in comfortable company
- •Cynthia sometimes swaps in American words so she's understood
- •Jay recalls his wife asking for a 'tin' of beans and switching from pounds to dollars
What They Miss About London and Love About LA
Asked what she misses about London but loves about LA, Cynthia names the LA sunshine against London's seasons, family, and British snacks. Jay shares his own love of LA weather and hiking and his missing of football matches.
- •Cynthia loves LA's sunshine but misses the UK seasons and her family
- •British biscuits like McVitie's Digestives, Hobnobs and Rich Tea come up
- •Walkers crisps are not the same as Lay's
- •Jay loves the blue skies and daily hikes but misses live football
Roman Catholic School and Redefining Faith
Jay asks how attending a Roman Catholic all-girls school shaped Cynthia. She describes it as restrictive and rules-based, and explains how she built her own faith around kindness. Jay contrasts it with his strict all-boys school and a teacher who encouraged creativity.
- •Cynthia believes in God but found the upbringing restrictive
- •Her faith now centers on being loving and kind, and she sees good as cyclical like a boomerang
- •A running encounter with two women shows the value of small positive interactions
- •Jay's art teacher helped him blend discipline with artistry
- •Cynthia credits her music and French teachers with fostering creativity and discipline
Running as a Lesson in Discipline
Cynthia describes her running routine, from daily eight-mile runs to long weekend runs, and why she sees distance running as mostly mental. She explains how it teaches discipline and stamina and how pushing through reluctant days often produces the best runs.
- •She runs about eight miles most days and 16 to 18 on weekends, having run since age 20
- •Her first marathon was in 2016
- •Distance running is more mental than physical
- •The days she least wants to run are often the best runs
Just Start: One Step at a Time
Cynthia explains her 'step-by-step' approach, using her closet, learning songs, and running hills as examples. Jay connects it to meditating on beads as a monk, and Cynthia urges anyone wanting to run to simply start, even if only for two minutes.
- •Cynthia reorganized a daunting closet by telling herself to just start
- •She looks at the ground just ahead on hills rather than at the top
- •Jay describes focusing on one of 108 beads at a time during his years as a monk
- •Any amount of running counts, and a little is enough to build on
Little Cynthia and the People Who Believed in Her
Jay asks what young Cynthia would say about her success and who believed in her. Cynthia credits her mom, sister and friends, and describes a younger self who tried everything out of love for adventure. They discuss finding a supportive tribe that both challenges you and lets you have ordinary days.
- •Her mom believed in her from childhood, noticing she hummed while eating
- •Her sister and long-time friends have always supported her
- •Young Cynthia kept her head down and tried many opportunities
- •Jay notes both supported and unsupported upbringings can build strength
- •Cynthia's tribe includes friends who push her and friends for a normal day over tea
Choosing Roles and Playing Holly Gibney
Jay asks about a role she loved that was less well known, and Cynthia names Holly Gibney in The Outsider. She says she picks roles to meet people she hasn't met before, and describes how Holly's way of seeking connection resonated with viewers.
- •Cynthia picks roles to get to know people she hasn't met on screen or in life
- •Holly struggled to communicate but wanted connection
- •A viewer said the role helped him connect with his sister
- •She wants her work to help people connect with each other
How Cynthia Builds a Character
Cynthia walks through her process for meeting a new character: finding their rhythm and heartbeat, how they move and speak, and details like scent, makeup and clothing. She illustrates with Princess Diana's changing voice and costume choices for Holly, Aretha and Celie, and traces her people-watching to childhood and drama school.
- •She starts with the rhythm in the script as the character's heartbeat
- •Walk, pace, pitch and voice reveal emotional state
- •Costume, scent and shoes help make characters three-dimensional
- •She has always been a people watcher, which she calls her cheat code for connection
- •Drama school taught her that what we say is only part of what we mean
Letting Go of a Character
Jay asks whether characters become part of her and how she sheds them. Cynthia explains that a role is infused with part of the actor, that the body doesn't know it isn't real, and that letting go can take months, with Austin Butler's Elvis voice as an example.
- •Characters use your body, voice and mannerisms and take up space in your heart
- •The body treats the performance as real and needs permission to let go
- •Some roles like the Blue Fairy are easy to leave, while Aretha, Harriet and Holly took longer
- •Holly's different walk and posture made her unrecognizable on set
- •A learned voice, like Austin Butler's, doesn't vanish when the film ends
Therapy, Communication and Processing Feelings
Cynthia says a good therapist helps her separate from her roles, and explains she also went to therapy to heal from her father's absence and to communicate better. She and Jay discuss how we run from discomfort and how you can't process feelings by talking only to yourself.
- •Talking about a role helps her find separation from the person she played
- •Therapy helped her release resentment and understand relationships
- •She asks whether a hurtful person might themselves be hurting
- •You can't truly process something by talking only to yourself
- •What we say often isn't what we're actually feeling
Feeling Good Enough and Every No Making Room for a Yes
Asked about limiting beliefs, Cynthia says doubts about being good enough creep in but that what's meant for you will come. She shares her therapist's question about whether a choice is loving yourself, and she and Jay discuss imposter syndrome as an experience crafted for you.
- •What is supposed to be for you will come to you, and you are good enough
- •Her therapist suggests asking whether a choice is loving yourself
- •Every no is room for a yes
- •Your experience is valuable and may help someone else lean in
- •Cynthia got Wicked because another role didn't work out
Collaborating Creatively and Making Safe Space
Jay asks how it feels to work with other highly creative people on Wicked. Cynthia says it's about focusing on what others need, creating a safe space where no idea is wrong, and aligning around a shared purpose.
- •Think less about what you need and more about what others need
- •Build a safe space where any idea can be thrown out
- •Everyone gets behind a shared purpose and the bigger picture
- •Jay says a bad idea can be the seed of a great one
- •Cynthia says to credit the bravery of sharing the idea
Listening to Yourself and Connecting the Dots
Asked what change shaped her life most, Cynthia describes a slow accumulation of trying things and trusting her gut. She recounts leaving university, going to drama school, learning the Wicked score, and The Color Purple reaching Broadway. Jay ties it to Steve Jobs's idea that dots connect only looking backward.
- •Her path came from a slow and steady accumulation of trying
- •She followed what felt right, including leaving university and applying to drama school
- •She learned the Wicked score at school without knowing she'd later do it
- •Listening to yourself lets you take responsibility and pivot faster
- •Jay cites Steve Jobs: dots connect only looking backwards
The Many Sides of Us and Speaking from Love, Not Fear
Jay runs through the many sides of us questions, and Cynthia describes herself as warm, stubborn, open and, to detractors, difficult, and she seeks joy daily. They close discussing how speaking from love means communicating to be understood rather than protecting feelings, followed by Jay's thanks and sign-off.
- •Others describe her as warm, close friends as stubborn, and detractors as difficult
- •She now sits with the 'difficult' label, seeing it as asking for what lets her give her best
- •She seeks joy in small daily moments
- •Speaking from love helps both people understand each other
- •Speaking from fear is protecting yourself and avoiding the other person's reaction

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