Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the Wicked movies, appeared on late-night television amid the release of Wicked: For Good. The film, starring Cynthia, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, and Jeff Goldblum, among others, released in theaters today, on November 21, 2025. During her conversation with Jimmy Fallon, Erivo explained the story behind a recent meme of herself, which Fallon showed the audience during the show.
Cynthia Erivo shares the story behind her viral meme
On Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Cynthia Erivo opened up about an incident that led to the birth of a meme of her. Fallon showed the audience a picture of Erivo looking shocked, in a black leather jacket. “Can I take you right back to the beginning?” Erivo asked when Fallon demanded an explanation of what exactly happened when the picture was taken.
Erivo began to narrate an incident from a premiere of Wicked: Part One. “Okay so, a year ago in London, when we did the premiere, I was wearing this beautiful hat, with this dress,” she began to explain. “I put it down in the theater while we were watching the film, and I left it behind, and then couldn’t find it.” She continued to share how they searched for it but couldn’t find it, and then had to just let it be, accepting that she lost it.
“Cut to a year later, we’re in Paris, and I’m going to this event and I walk out and I see that there’s some really lovely fans,” Erivo continued. “And I think, Oh, I’m gonna sign everyone’s books or whatever they need. And I get to the end of the line and one girl goes, ‘Um, that hat that you wore in London… well, I have it.'”
The Wicked actress then copied the same expression as in the meme, showing how she reacted to the girl who claimed to have her hat. Erivo continued to share that the girl said she has the hat at home, and would trade it for a pair of Wicked: For Good premiere tickets.
In the end, after getting an invite to the premiere, the girl returned it, reuniting Erivo with her lost hat at the Wicked: For Good premiere.
Originally reported by Elton Fernandes on Mandatory
