Cynthia Erivo has denied claims she is set to perform Wicked songs at the 2025 Oscars, saying the idea felt like “wishful thinking”.
- READ MORE: Oscars 2025 nominations – see the full list
This year’s ceremony will not include live performances for the Best Original Song category, where previously artists nominated in the category would perform throughout the night in the lead-up to the award being presented. Instead, the show is spotlighting “personal reflections” from the songwriters.
While the majority of the Oscar nominations were revealed earlier this year, the shortlist for Best Original Song and Best Original Score were unveiled in December. Among the artists who made the shortlist for Best Original Song are Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Kneecap and more.
Several major blockbusters have had their scored listed in the shortlist for Best Original Score, including Gladiator 2, Challengers, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Alien: Romulus and the Erivo-starring Wicked.
She spoke to Variety on the red carpet of the Critics’ Choice Awards last night (February 7) in light of rumours that the Academy was looking to open its telecast with a medley of Wicked numbers performed by herself and co-star Ariana Grande.
“Why does everyone keep saying that? I don’t know where this has come from,” she said when asked about the reports. “This feels like wishful thinking to me, personally. Why on Earth would we be singing?”
When asked if she’s been in conversation with the Academy about a performance, she quickly denied it. “No!” Erivo responded, adding: “People are asking me if we’re going to be singing at the Oscars. I don’t know why we would be doing that, since our song is not nominated. That doesn’t happen. I don’t know what to tell you.”
Erivo is nominated for Best Actress for her performance as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked. She will compete with Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance) and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here).
The actor admitted recently that she “uncontrollably wept” when she first saw herself on screen in the film, adding that she’s now seen it a total of nine times, both at premieres and before the movie came out.
“The very first time I saw it, there was so much coming at me that I was completely overwhelmed and I think my brain completely blanked out,” Erivo said. “I erased myself from the movie. I was like, ‘I don’t think I was in that. I don’t think I was there’.”
Recently, the Oscar nominee revealed that RADA – the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Central London – once blocked her from taking a job with Westlife because they “looked down” on the backing vocals gig.
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