Cynthia Erivo is giving fans a look behind the curtain into the real glamour of Hollywood.

The Wicked star appeared as a guest on a recent episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast for a wide-ranging interview where she shared secrets behind the "glamorous life" of movie making and the importance of giving viewers a look at the real people on the screen.

"When you're in this sort of business... the tendency is to put up the wall and try to protect yourself, and actually, the most wonderful thing you can give anyone who's watching is a little bit of yourself and the revelation that it is a human experience," she said. "It looks fancy when you're running around and you're in the pretty dresses, but when you're on a set, it's as human and as real as you can possibly make it. You're up early, you're exhausted every day, the makeup is coming on and off... It's a vulnerable, very open experience, and you have to sort of learn to get used to that quite quickly."

The Tony winner said being on a set day in and day out allows you to learn about all the people working together to make the project possible.

"You learn people and then you have to let them go. You actually have to say goodbye, so that's a really human experience," she said. "When you promote something, when you're on the road and you're talking about that experience, you do yourself and everyone else a service by making people understand just how human the experience is so that people understand that it isn't just moving pictures and we aren't just people you sort of cut and splice together."

Erivo, who recently showed off her hosting skills at the 2025 Tony Awards, is set to reprise her role as Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande's Glinda in Wicked: For Good when it hits theaters November 21, 2025.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty has a focus on mental health and aims to help listeners feel understood in the challenges and hurdles they face in life. The podcast has new episodes each week and often features special guests to "uncover a side of them we've never seen before." Follow along with On Purpose or catch up on past episodes at iHeart.com.

Brian Fink

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