for Broadway there's a danger there's a surprise there's a life there are people on set who'd never seen the out of the green oh how interesting when I first sang it was more terrifying than thrilling but you know how good your [Music] voice I'm so happy to be sitting with you looking forward to this I've been like jumping at the bit to get started and chatting and like getting some time together it's nice yeah yeah yeah I look forward to talking to you away from cameras to well okay I can't not talk about the joy
of this film that you've made yeah because I know for musical theater sometimes you look at it and you have a distance from it it's perfect yeah it's amazing but you don't feel the truth as much you don't feel that connection and I really felt that when I when I always when I watch your work but when I watch this work that you did in Wicked it is a stunning piece it's a cinematic piece it's a bigger than life yeah yeah but it felt very honest and just your work was just Exquisite and humble and
I felt somehow you just pulled me in past all of that and it's uh much I'm so excited for people to see it thank you very much for saying that John Chu our director sort of took us off track there were no tracks we just agreed to sing like live on set extraordinary it was needed you know because we can't play in the moment you can't connect in that situation if you don't have the space to sort of Find Your Way in it's a moment to process something that's happened and understand and it doesn't need
to jump right in so he would give us the space there'd be silence in my ears and he'd say you start and The Pianist will come in oh so we would start the song with all of that space hands touch so we could even include all the breaks in the voice if it turns into a whisper then turns into a whisper and then you can build from [Music] there I remembered my daughter when she watched define gravity and I remember that moment because as a mom sometimes we watch things and we think we want art
to have an influence MH and I remembered that moment and I remember remembered catching her and I felt that feeling of oh she needs that she sees this she's feeling this this desire to know that there's endless possibility and something within her she hasn't discovered yet and something you know this was how I was feeling about it at that in that moment I loved it on saying it live I loved loved when it came at the end of this film live theater is wonderful seeing what you've added to this because now you're able to do
what you're able to do on screen so exciting thank you just that piece that particular song or what it means to you singing it um anything that you're you can share before I was going to do it I I knew there was like this huge responsibility because it's such a well-known Song and people know it people love it but to do it I really wanted to mean it you know because you can't say something like time to try define gravity and then to actually fly so the physical work of it was hard because I'm in
a harness and I'm flying and I'm singing at the same time so it's so many things are happening and I that was new for me like to figure out how my body my brain my voice would all sort of come together to work as one I felt really proud of being able to figure that physical practical side of it but I think the Journey of getting to that moment not just in the film but the journey I've taken to get to to here you know being at drama school 20 putting myself through drama school finishing
at 23 the not getting jobs and not really being seen and not really being feeling accepted feel very oddd very different and having to figure out how to make my own way through this cuz this business is hardened I also knew that there are so many people who want to feel seen who want to know that it's possible to exceed people's expectations of them and exceed your own expectations and I kind of even in that moment wanted to exceed my own expectations of what I could do and then there's this other thing that's playing in
my head like there are so many people on this set right now who have been waiting for this moment in this film in this project and we all work towards this one part it's it's how we finished shooting was the last thing we shot was it yeah so I think I just had to channel several different things Lil cythia who didn't know she could do this who who would be here big Cynthia who wanted to make everyone proud and her self proud I wanted it to feel like the complete package that it was surfacing not
just my desires but the desires of everyone who'd actually come together to make this thing happen and the desires of those who need something to say you can do anything you put your mind to even when it's scary I was so ready to do it I was so ready to okay let's let's do this yeah oh that must have been an extraordinary day on set yeah wildly I think you shot it over 3 days cuz all the stunts and the the Practical of it yeah it was and that is a lot to do and to
do that for 3 days but you're used to eight shows a week so yes that's yeah see it's for me I would do one day of full singing and I you have to repair that you have to repair it doesn't matter how accomplished a singer you are that was a challenge too because we're up early to just get ready it took three or hours to all right I foress and you also had you're you're green so you know at the end of the day you do have to put everything back together again what was that
like the transformation and did you I had this a little bit when I did Maleficent like onet when you're in your full and then you'd run into a child did you have that were there reactions from children well it would take about 2 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours depending on how much we were doing before we got on set that's a long time yeah because it was everything so the the green it would be a primer and then the airbrush would be my whole head if my hair moved either side you'd see a
green scalp right um but there are days where I had full body so I was green everywhere and that would take a lot of time and then you add the detail work so my freckles there was such a lovely touch you know and my contacts with with the eyes and my hands and the inside of my hands my nails the whole thing and I wanted to because I I also wanted to see the transformation I wanted to see someone green but there were people on set who'd never seen me out of the green so when
I would walk on set and that would be the first time they met me as alphabet and they but they wouldn't they wouldn't have met me as Cynthia at all oh yeah cuz I would have to start before we rehearse so when I would walk out in my own clothes as a green person as alphaba oh how interesting so the shock was always joining right yeah that's so interesting but I loved that because it meant that when we'd start shooting you were her I was her and they didn't know anything but her so their reactions
were always like my God that's the the staring the looking the oh my gosh scen cuz you made such a full transformation oh I and I love that because it it just added to the experience of her have you done something like that before never before I've never done anything like it I love it kind of there'll be more I hope so I'm sure I want that to play yeah not you you when I watched Maria I wanted to find out what brought you to the project what was the thing that Drew you in ID
wanted to work with paabo Len for a long time I think he's a wonderful director that is very thoughtful about his subject and his work and he's very sensitive to behavior and and actors but also able to shoot a film you know and sometimes those don't always those you you sometimes sacrifice one for the other yeah yeah so I love his work and then he called me we'd been trying to find something for a while and he called me about Maria and I said you have to give me a few days and I spent some
time and looked her up and I knew of her a little bit but I I watched a lot of her work but then I also watched a lot of her interviews and I think what got me the most was towards the end of her life there was a lot of Cruelty and she was very unsupported and a lot of people saying they knew who she was right and I knew that the whole team wanted to approach it with love and respect for her so I thought I thought we'd try yeah we should get your medication
under control it is under control it's under my control and doctors hate that I didn't realize that that was what she had been through towards the end of her life that there was that much cruelty there's a particular scene where she comes out of the Opera house after singing and a photographers there and I felt so heartbroken working for her you know just to watch is someone who's just trying to find her feet again trying to connect with the love of her music I'm sure in many ways you understand her even ways I don't as
singing has been a part of your life you're so serious about your work and you're so unbelievably talented but I know for a little bit I've done to work on this in sing um it's a lifetime commitment it's all the work that's not seen and not understood I think people watch you now in Wicked or have seen you on Broadway and for me to Now understand what it takes sacrifices made the very very difficult work to make it look easy as effortless as you do I have so so much respect for for you and your
work thank you and so yes in in moments like that with Maria the idea that you would have given so much she gave so much of her life and then when she wasn't able to perform at that Lev there wasn't a sympathy or a support for what she was as an older woman as if she just disappointed people for not being able to deliver said I have no intention of Performing again not for you or anyone else so when I was working on Maria and the work to do Opera and then to sing for camera
it was very different this is the stage and this is the camera you are very skilled at both thank you and they are very different could you speak about that a moment because for someone to be such an accomplished Broadway performer to then have the camera this close how is that adjustment to sing that way what what is the process can can you I think with with Broadway you have people who who are only so close and then you have to to perform to the back of the house and so they you want them to
to see everything you want them to be able to read the emotion so you have to send it out I have a terrible habit sometimes of of I will turn my back on when I'm singing on Broadway it's often never the done thing when you're standing on the stage for people but if it feels truthful I'm nine times up to and going to Veer towards whatever is the truth of it so when I was doing the color purple and the song I'm here begins there's a moment where I needed to get upstage and when we
had rehearsed it I didn't feel like pres presenting I felt like I want to discover where to be so I turn my back when on camera I think I took some of that the idea that how intimate how small and close can I get people to to come to me so that you have space I think that was really the joy of being able to to do all of that on Z cuz you could really connect in the moment change your mind in the moment I think that's the way bring that truth yeah resarch for
it yeah will you talk about all of the work that you had done two s one what gave you the bravery to do it and two what was the process like for you to feel comfortable enough to sing in that way I was terrified yeah but I think you know it's a gift as an artist and I know you felt this going into your film as well when you're just not sure you're able to do it you're not sure you're good enough you know the challenge is set and um you feel small it's a gift
for for an artist so I felt that Pablo knows Opera was going since he was a little boy loves the art form takes it very seriously he was very made sure the right teachers Italian classes opera singing body breathing during the filming we had pianos wherever I went and classes day and night and and breaks in between the Aras so all of those things not only did I need but he helped me to take myself seriously as a singer which was very difficult for [Applause] [Music] [Applause] me sometimes people keep quoting me because I made
not the mistake I I admitted it was like a therapy it was the finding my voice and letting my voice out that was really hard for me I was really emotional about it I I I didn't know how much I had lost my voice in maybe when I lost my mother maybe when someone hurt me maybe when I whatever it was the the different things that had made it smaller and kind of locked it away and this other voice that was kind of and so finding it and letting it come out was such a feeling
that I wish for everybody to have I wish everybody could know what you feel when you sing at the top of your beautiful voice and you you know what can come out of your body and and it's not just what you can do for an audience or how you tell a story it's that you can make that sound Maria talks about it as being like the human song you can make that sound and deliver that truth yeah Maria said something she said she doesn't like to hear records because they're perfect yeah I remember that and
for Broadway it's not a film it's every night's different every moment's different there's a there's a danger there's a surprise there's a there's a life yes yes it was like imagine walking into theou right there's a room where all of the different depictions of like Stations of the Cross but if you're in the room the beautiful but then they come to life it was like watching a live painting it was really really beautiful with those moments those intimate moments in the house and she's walking just walking through the house and I just felt like I
was you know with her with Maria in her everyday life I think there was a this this wonderful Fearless way of she never feels sorry for herself thank you for never saying that ever and I think that's what breaks your heart you know cuz she's still fighting and it's really beautiful to watch that cuz we don't get that very often in our in our women characters and there bigger than life women you know we want them to falter a little there's a push to good woman if they're apologizing I think you know this as a
woman I feel you have this it's that I think some people see it as just strength but it's not it's um it's holding your grace yeah as a as a woman it doesn't mean you're not suffering it doesn't mean you're not all of these things but you're not you're not leaning on the uh self-pity and sadly that comes from a lot of people who never got love mhm you don't expect right maybe this is something similar about our characters right Maria didn't have you know a mother that loved her and told her that she was
enough as she was you know so both of our characters come from being alone since they were little yeah feeling a little different for very different reasons and never expecting that anyone will give anything freely love freely nothing no so just no trust yeah a lot of just you and you alone yeah and that at the end of the day it's only going to be you yeah and so any little kindness means everything means everything yeah so for me it's it's having Bruno fuchu but the armor roomy for you it's this I'm sure the the
scene in the dance Linda yeah that's right right yeah and those when you realize there's there's kindness and um compassion yeah I think think there's this wonderful comparison of understanding the loneliness that they both have to experience because of that they somehow have a really big capacity to love yes so when it comes to them they're really open to it however it needs to be reciprocated you know so when Bruno comes you open I think it's true for a lot of strong women yeah I think there's an idea that we don't want want care and
kindness and softness and love and it is so much the opposite it is so much the woman that needs it's just that it has to be proven to be true correct that's right because of the the history she carries right and then when it is no one no one more loving or loyal right than the woman who's you know or the the character who's that's right yeah no definitely can I ask how long were you filming this piece we train I was in training for about seven months and then we filmed maybe it was three
months wow yeah and we sang Live on set yeah yeah there's something quite buring about like getting to do that on the set for you I'm sure it's thrilling cuz you know how good your voice is for me more terrifying than thrilling but when I first sang it was a I asked it to be the tiniest room like whoever needs to be here and please close the doors and and by the end I got used to making big sound in a room full of many many people but quite a feeling yeah it makes the room
a lie everyone's alive cuz it have to be it does and I think it does something with the crew yes I think so too because they're with you they're with you in a different way sometimes our performances on camera for I'm sure when you did Harriet and other films have done there's an intimacy there's a privacy people don't sometimes know it until they see the film all the inner life cuz it's quite yeah so this the they can feel it like everybody and you kind of working with them you're you're responding you need them in
the room you feel them in the room you're yeah yeah you said that you were terrified do you think that feeling is eased now I feel so many emotions when it comes to to this piece because I had someone in my life say that I couldn't sing didn't even say you couldn't sing I kind of was singing something little and they kind of laughed a little bit at me and it really locked me yeah I don't think I would have ever tried had this not come I would have just lived my whole life never finding
my way so yes I went from from being very terrified to being very grateful to having so much I love this music yeah I came to love Opera yeah I love imagine you sing opera yes do you have a favorite ARA sal sal from otell you know I'd love to hear you sing that it's one of the ones I learned when I was at drama school yeah and I only discovered I could sing opera at drama school because it's what my singing teacher would have me sing because of the other things I was able to
do and when I went to do the color purple my singing teacher who worked with me then and my vocal coach was like the way we're going to take care of your voice is to do Opera is to sing ARA yeah and why because it forces you to use your vocal cords in a very different way you are strangely enough using your vocal cause in the safest possible way interesting you're not pushing too hard because you cannot you're not driving in the wrong way because you can't you're not you're not adding rasp or you don't
need to because you're not and because I was singing eight shows a week with like lots of grit it's and it's big to allow my voice to almost reset by singing Arya was the best thing I could have done but having the experience from previous uh experiences I had already fallen in love with it so I love making that sound when I can yeah oh I love I hope to hear you sing it and and a lot and do do many I teach at a drama school I know I and discovered that I love that
so much it's the thing that has come up so often how a person perceives their voice is often very linked to the things they've been through and what other people have said about them to them about their voices and the work of undoing that is really Brave I watch my students have to work I work with them to undo some of it and you can't undo it in a week but if you can unlock some of the things that have been put in the way it really allows sunlight in so that you can actually discover
the real sound that you can make so I guess I want to commend you for doing the brave work of moving some of the blocks out of the way cuz they're not light they can be heavy to find a way through all of those to do something like this is really astounding not easy means a lot from you thank not easy thank you yeah what what are you working on now or nothing just this and music and music lot of music yeah but this your own personal music that you write and that's right that's exciting
yeah it's been like and I was doing it whilst shooting oh it was always really helpful interesting and do you write often is that your process is it like like some people Journal do I Journal um and write songs the songs I I write and I I'm old school so I write pens of paper yeah I like the feel of it yeah and what are you if I may ask what is the next thing for you is there a journey from this I'm hoping to return to direct again one day nice I was very happy
to just return home for the last year nice and so now we're both doing a lot of this but yes where is your family mostly in England yeah my sister and my mom are in London I have friends there as well but friends here as well which is nice everywhere all over I want to ask when you wrapped on Maria what was that last day like my last day was um was her death wow it's you when you play and you've done it tell you play a real person you play Harriet I'm sure you were
you feel so responsible to that person at some point it's not a film it's not about art it's not about you it's you connecting with this other human being that suffered and it was a very heavy day and um and I had trouble cuz I'm not a train singer I I couldn't figure out how to cry and sing at the same time I never thought I'd have that problem but um it's interesting when you say that to sing opera comes from a different place yeah because I think that is why it became so emotional cuz
singing was one thing but how opera comes through your body yeah which then did make it possible to sing yeah and cry cuz it was somehow it was just being so open yeah when I studied acting you know the strawberg and the thing where it's just the relax the body relax the body so it it it was I had to remember that just TR like relax relax let this huge sound and feeling come through you but you it doesn't work if you're starting to push it or tense so yeah so yeah I found that challenging
and emotional and my my director picking me up off the floor in the last shot and you know it was it was a lot and I still think about her during this process yeah I'm sure as you did when you did Harriet you still think of this person that you're you're talking about acting you're talking about a film but you're really talking about a person who a person is yeah I was going to ask about whether it was easy to let go of her or have you let go of her or is she still I
mean imagine because I I'm similar and then I they never really leave you with they like your friends yeah they show up occasionally yeah yeah I wish I met her yeah also her music so I wasn't without her I was hearing her yeah yeah yeah and also I had the experience of which I know you will understand when I would have to perform the operas on stage yeah her TSA or her yes I was not trying to mimic her but I was definitely watching how she did it to make sure I was not doing me
doing anable and I was doing me doing her doing anib right and I was doing her version of whatever I loved her choices yeah it was so I've never played an actor of course so interesting so I would watch and realize that moment that she does this that moment it wasn't just about the technical voice it was the emotional choices she'd made it was her character study it was her work and so I was kind of like I felt like I was following her yeah she did a class actually in New York she she taught
like oh yes she did yes yes I remember that and she talks about that you high based on that too yes there is yes yes yeah she talks about um the you straight jacket she said just when you're learning the music yeah just learn the piece learn not everything yeah do not put your personal thoughts or your emotion into right that was very new for me because that's usually how I start that's how it's strange because that's how we learn this music How I Learned the music to this to the note before you put anything
before you put anything on it and then you add yeah when did we first meet I mean we really haven't had the time we should have had I know it feels like we've we've been in some similar worlds and we're aware of each other but let's hope this is the beginning of more real real time friendship the Tony award goes to the The Outsiders it was lovely to to see you at the T it was lovely to like be in the same space and I was so excited to be it's one of my favorite things
to be at just because there something so busy about it you know yeah performances and the because that's their world I realized you go to the Oscars I know you've been to many you're favorite been in every the actual audience in stage is not what their art is right and so the Tony is the only one really when you get the performance where it really is yeah that's the natural place and what I love too is seeing everyone in the different worlds colliding yes because when I went backstage and you'd see the you know you
see the D Shore it's like what it is to be on Broadway or to be at the tonis but you see these these different here's the sefs coming off stage and here's you know Hill's kitchen and here's and then here's the dirty greasers and here's right in everybody in the same hallway I actually I went to see The Outsiders I was really moved by the work that was going on on stage for me it's probably one it's very different to a musical theater piece that I've seen and Deborah Martin Chase was a producer on Harriet
so it was like a full circle to be able to be at T's On Stage presenting that award with the Dina oh I know how excited everybody was that it was that you presented the Tony everybody was talking about that that that was like the cherry on top you would have that it would be from from you that was just the world's colliding that was just such a gorgeous universe that that would happen you know yeah it does and and so many and really the work there was so many people in The Outsiders it's their
first time on Broadway and I know you both know what that is so for them to be welcomed in the world to be seen by those who really understand how they're working and the process and I know for so many of them it felt like a really warm embrace and they're all so young and I I know it meant a great deal yeah I'm so happy I had the experience to see what it was to make um a musical to produce and work on a musical it is I don't know if I have that stamina
I have that ability it's extraordinary so I can really say I'm really in awe of of a talent like yours and what you're able to do I feel I can do a few things as an artist but I can't do what what musical theater people can do well thank you for saying that and I think what's been really interesting is having to marry both things so getting to take the things I've learned and loved and still love about musical theater and being on stage and then implanting it in something else that I love and putting
it on film and being able to figure out how to oh I can bring that I can make that really intimate I can bring it closer now I think that's what's so interesting about your work because I I think because they are very different yeah and I was very aware of that in doing Maria this the size of something and the intimacy and that you really have to be a technician yeah to really understand the different ways to connect and use your body yes so that's why it makes so much sense to me that you
would turn your back sometimes and you would find your truth even on stage that you're not afraid to find that in whatever way you're working yeah that that's what leads you not the Acoustics and the that makes a lot of sense there and I think for for both of us in in these and I only thought about it just just now I think we're both having like a firsttime experience it's true which is really true cool to still be able to have that of us are very lucky to have this these moments to be able
to do yeah I hope we get to do more I hope we Doo I hope we get to work together me too let's find something good yes [Music] [Applause] [Music]
