'It’s long hours': Cynthia Erivo talks about why ‘Drift’ was a ‘big experience’ on ‘Today with Hoda & Jenna’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Hollywood’s versatile actress and singer, Cynthia Erivo recently shared insights about her upcoming movie ‘Drift’ and revealed what she learned from filming a refugee movie with ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna.’

During a recent episode of ‘Today’ show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, the British actress and a Tony Award winner appeared on the show and opened up about filming ‘Wicked’ and why she loves singing with Ariana Grande.

Erivo reportedly produced and wrote the movie ‘Drift’, a film about a young African refugee who ends up on a Greek island alone with no money.

Cynthia Erivo opens up about ‘Drift’ with ‘Today with Hoda & Jenna’

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager welcomed Cynthia Erivo to their show and showed a clip of ‘Drift’ to the audience.

Kotb said, “We want to talk about this movie. It’s profound. I’m sure it changed you in probably profound- How did it change you?”

Erivo explained, “It was such a big experience for me. I think when you have to live in a character like that, everything feels close, all the experiences feel really vivid. I had to extend a lot of patience with myself and the process as well.”

She further explained, “You accessing pain that maybe you haven’t accessed before in order to channel it. So, lots of healing had to happen afterwards, and it took a while.”

“But yeah, you find yourself feeling really exhausted a lot when you’re playing someone like her because she is exhausted and I’m exhausted. It’s long hours and you are trying to tell the truth of what she is experiencing and going through.”

Erivo continued, “I think also I had a deep respect for those who exist on the outside of society who aren’t seen, who walk past us and we don’t notice they are there. It just made me switch on in a way that I probably wasn’t switched on before.”

“So now there is a consideration for each person that I meet. I don’t know what anyone’s going through because people aren’t necessarily wearing their circumstance,” Erivo concluded.

Hager chimed in adding, “A film that will help humanity feels like it’s here at the right time.”

She continued, “You produced it, you wrote the music, you star in it, I mean you obviously are a major talent that can do so much. How do you decide what projects?”

Erivo responded, “Usually, once I read a script, the question I ask myself is, ‘Do I care about this person? Do I want to meet this person? Have I met them before? And would I like to meet them?’”

She continued, “Therefore, if I haven’t seen them before, haven’t met them before, would like to meet them, have a conversation, then I want to, yeah.”

Cynthia Erivo opens up about being on The Hollywood Reporter's cover

When Jenna Bush Hager presented Cynthia Erivo’s cover on The Hollywood Reporter alongside Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo, she questioned, “What was that day like? Was that fun?”

Erivo replied, “It was really fun to hang with them. And really informative and I think there is something really beautiful about being in the room with people who create and love creating, who love making music, you know, to be included in that group of people as a musician, as an artist, a songwriter, was really really lovely.”

She continued, “It’s the first time being included in something like that. It felt like a badge of honor almost. But to talk to each of them about what music meant to them and what their process was really interesting. It was really cool.”