Cynthia Erivo talks 'Wicked,' coping with real 'fear and horror' of refugee drama 'Drift'

We’ve all heard the cliché of an actor’s “most personal role yet.”

But that’s actually the case for Cynthia Erivo, who plays a Liberian refugee in the understated “Drift” (in theaters now in New York and Los Angeles, expanding nationwide through February and March). The drama follows Jacqueline (Erivo) as she lives on the streets of a Greek coastal town and warily befriends an American tour guide (Alia Shawkat). As they grow closer, Jacqueline reveals the weight of her devastating past, which is told in a haunting, eleventh-hour monologue.

Based on Alexander Maksik’s 2013 novel “A Marker to Measure Drift,” the story resonated deeply with Erivo, 37, whose mother fled violence as a teenager during the Biafran War in Nigeria.

“That’s one of the things that stuck with me: just how determined my mom was to survive,” Erivo says. “She wanted to be protector of her brothers and sisters, as well as her mother. I wanted that to be part of Jacqueline’s personality: She’s determined to take care of her family. The helplessness comes from when she can’t.”

Cynthia Erivo felt closer to her mom after making new film 'Drift'

Erivo was born in London, after her parents moved from Nigeria to the U.K. in their early 20s. Her mom never spoke about what happened until she was an adult.

“I’m always amazed by how much she went through and dealt with before she got to me,” Erivo says. Making this project “helped me put myself in her shoes a bit. She has not seen the film yet, but I hope she sees a little of herself in it.”

“Drift,” which Erivo also produced, is anchored by a remarkably quiet turn from the actress. “We've seen her do much bigger performances, but this one, it’s very delicate and restrained,” director Anthony Chen says. “She’s got such an amazing face and conveys so much emotion with so little.”

She previously embodied legendary powerhouse Aretha Franklin in “Genius,” and will next play the misunderstood witch Elphaba in “Wicked” (in theaters Nov. 27), a "Wizard of Oz” prequel co-starring Ariana Grande as Glinda. The much-anticipated movie musical unveiled its first trailer during the Super Bowl, and could catapult Erivo to another stratosphere of fame.

“Honestly, I have no idea (how I feel about that). I just have to take it one day at a time,” Erivo says. “I hope people see themselves in the movie and realize that not fitting in is fantastic. For me, that’s the main aim of this. I loved playing (Elphaba). I felt very protective of her.”

She recalls real 'fear and horror' shooting intense scenes

Erivo felt similarly close to Jacqueline, although at times, found the experience of shooting "Drift" to be viscerally upsetting. During one flashback sequence, Jacqueline and her family try to fend off gunmen who storm into their home.

“What most people don't realize is that your body doesn't know you're pretending,” Erivo says. “So when I'm being dragged through the house and I'm watching something horrific, fear and horror are real emotions I was experiencing.”

Erivo has portrayed multiple trauma survivors, from her Tony Award-winning performance as Celie in Broadway’s “The Color Purple,” to her Oscar-nominated role as Harriet Tubman in 2019 film “Harriet.”

“I’m trying to be better at not taking these characters home with me, but I don’t think I am,” Erivo says. “I was really bad when it came to Celie. That line between me and her just got thinner and thinner and thinner. And I may have had acute depression when I did ‘Harriet’ toward the end. I had a mini-breakdown.”

She says having “a really good therapist” helped her through “Drift,” as did physical activity such as yoga, Pilates and running. She also makes playlists for every character she plays: Jacqueline’s compilation included music by Laura Mvula, Yebba and Veronica Swift.

“After I play a character, I try not to listen to that for a little bit, just so I can move away from it,” Erivo says. “Then if I come back to that playlist, I’m not having massive flashbacks of what I experienced.”

How Michelle Yeoh inspired her on the set of the 'Wicked' movie

With “Drift,” Erivo continues to carve out a lane for herself as a producer. Coming up, she’s producing and starring in a film version of Jodie Comer’s one-woman play “Prima Facie.” She’s also curious to try her hand at directing after shooting the two-part “Wicked.” Wandering around the set in head-to-toe emerald makeup, she would always stop to observe crew members and learn about their jobs.

Chatting between takes with co-star Michelle Yeoh, “she asked me randomly, ‘So when are you going to start directing?’ “ Erivo recalls. “My head blew off because I hadn’t mentioned anything; I’m green at this moment. And she was like, ‘I can see it.’ So if Michelle Yeoh thinks that of me – and she’s worked with everyone – I might have to start considering it seriously.”