Cynthia Erivo has just returned from the Toronto International Film Festival, her gloved fingers still tingling from the stage in Phoenix and her mind buzzing with the weight of her upcoming film Prima Facie. The adaptation of Suzie Miller’s one-woman play is landing in UK cinemas on 13 November, and the star is already dissecting the film’s raw themes with a precision that reflects her own turbulent rise through the arts. As Erivo sits down for this conversation in a quiet corner of a west London restaurant, flanked by a plate of perfectly salted Ruffles crisps, the picture is one of disciplined intensity: black attire, elongated nails, and an intensity that seems to demand attention. Behind the polished public face lies a woman grappling with the very subject her new film examines—sexual assault, consent, and the corrosive impact of a legal system that often fails victims like her.
The Film That Challenges the Status Quo
Prima Facie follows Tessa, a rising-star barrister whose career is built on defending men accused of sexual violence. The role is rendered with a ferocity that feels both deliberate and necessary, as Erivo embodies the contradictions of a woman who has spent years navigating a predatory system designed to silence her. The film’s central tension lies not in the courtroom drama itself but in the uncomfortable question of consent—whether true consent can exist when trauma has shattered a person’s ability to recall details clearly. Erivo has been unequivocal about this point, stating that the British legal framework often fails to address the reality of how trauma affects memory and testimony. In one of her most direct statements, she declared: “If a person isn’t conscious, or conscious enough to say yes, they’re not saying yes.”
The film draws direct inspiration from Miller’s original play, but Erivo has transformed the narrative to reflect her own experiences as a working-class Black woman in the British theatre world. She described the journey to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) as feeling like “a deep misunderstanding of what it is like to need money,” a sentiment that resonates with her own history of balancing three jobs while pursuing her training. The contrast between her background and the elite environment of Rada is a recurring theme throughout the interview, one that underscores her commitment to representing authentically the struggles of marginalised artists.
Erivo’s performance is particularly striking in the scene where Tessa, a colleague, rapes her. The moment is rendered with a brutal clarity that forces the audience to confront the systemic failures of the British justice system. Statistics from Rape Crisis are cited to underline the scale of the problem: “women have a one in four chance of being sexually assaulted, while only 2.7% of reported rapes result in charges being brought.” This statistic is not merely data point; it is a call to action that Erivo feels compelled to make through her art. The film does not offer easy resolutions, instead opting for a grim reflection on the realities faced by countless survivors.
A Career Forged in Discipline and Adversity
Beyond Prima Facie, Erivo’s career trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. After her breakthrough as Celie in The Color Purple at Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013, she continued to push boundaries, starring as the dual role of Aretha Franklin and Harriet Tubman in Steve McQueen’s Widows (2018). That role, however, did not go without controversy. The casting of a British-Nigerian actor as two African-American historical figures sparked a backlash from some who argued it was “disrespectful” to assign such roles to Black British performers. Erivo has faced similar scrutiny for her own choices, particularly regarding her representation of Black women in the West End and Broadway.
This sensitivity to representation runs through her entire career. In a candid moment at Rada, when asked whether she was hesitant to take on a role associated with another performer, Erivo bristled at the notion. “I get asked that question a lot,” she said. “The pair actually met at a fashion dinner and spoke about the role—’Not asking any tips or anything’—and Erivo insists she was always going to make Tessa her own. ‘I’m never worried about what someone else has done.’ I try to be respectful.” This statement reveals a creative philosophy that prioritizes authenticity over imitation, a stance that has made her a champion for diverse storytelling in the arts.
The challenges Erivo faced at Rada extended beyond casting decisions. She described a week when she was offered a two-week backing singer gig with Westlife that would have paid enough for two years of tuition. The rejection was not personal but systemic—a refusal to accommodate her need to study while working. That moment has stayed with her, informing her current advocacy work within the institution. She has openly discussed the need for greater support for talented students from backgrounds that may not have access to traditional educational resources, and she has used her platform as vice-president of Rada to push for structural changes. The institution’s 2020 apology for institutional racism, which included the appointment of David Harewood as president alongside Erivo, represents a significant step toward accountability, though the road forward remains long.
Erivo’s musical theatre roots continue to shape her artistry. Her portrayal of Celie earned her critical acclaim and marked a turning point in her career, transforming her from a jobbing actress into a respected artist known for her vocal power and emotional depth. The role demonstrated her ability to convey complex truths through performance, a skill she now applies to her screen work. In a recent appearance, she compared her experience as Celie to hearing the early recordings of Judy Garland—an artist who captured a raw, unfiltered humanity that resonated with audiences. The comparison underscores how Erivo approaches her craft: with vulnerability, authenticity, and a deep connection to the material.
The Ariana Grande Incident and Broader Implications
No interview with Erivo would be complete without addressing the intense media scrutiny that followed her relationship with Ariana Grande during the *Wicked: For Good* press tour. The red carpet encounter in Singapore, in which Grande attempted to force a selfie, became a flashpoint for debates about queer visibility, bodily autonomy, and the treatment of public figures by the internet. Erivo was immediate and assertive, physically confronting the prankster and insisting that Grande be kept away from her. She later described the moment as “terrifying,” emphasizing that nobody else was moving on the carpet, and that her first instinct was to remove the intruder.
The backlash was swift and particularly pointed. Some commentators framed Erivo as a “protector” of Grande—a role that Erivo found reductive and potentially harmful to her own identity. She questioned why she was being seen as a guardian when she, a queer, muscular, bald Black woman, was being expected to manage the boundaries of a friendship. The incident was later recirculated online with thinly veiled praise for Erivo, but the underlying tension between public perception and personal experience remained unresolved. Erivo has since reflected on how such moments force her to reconsider the boundaries of her public persona and the expectations placed upon her as a figure of significance.
This episode has not gone unnoticed in broader conversations about representation and respect. Erivo has spoken about the double-edged nature of being a visible Black woman in the UK and beyond, noting that while Black British actors are increasingly being cast in roles that demand Black American audiences, the underlying power dynamics remain complex. She acknowledges empathy for the systemic disadvantages faced by African American communities, but argues that the experience of being a Black Englishman from London presents its own unique challenges. “A Black English kid from London to also make it” is not an easy proposition, she explains, and the intersection of race, class, and gender creates a landscape few can navigate.
The *Wicked: For Good* experience, with Grande, has left an indelible mark on Erivo’s understanding of friendship and emotional expression. She observed a curious dynamic: the closer the two women became, the more puzzled she was by their visible emotions. “Why are they showing emotion? How dare they cry? And how dare they laugh?” she asked, her voice trembling with what might be genuine confusion. The moment exposed a tension between authenticity and the performative expectations placed on public figures, and Erivo has used it as a springboard for deeper reflection on how we present ourselves to the world.
Why it Matters
The conversation surrounding Prima Facie extends far beyond the confines of a Toronto film festival or a red carpet event. At its core, the film asks difficult questions about consent, legal accountability, and the humanity of those who have been silenced by the very systems meant to protect them. Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Tessa is not merely a dramatic exercise but a call to reckoning with a justice system that often fails to see victims clearly. The statistic that only 2.7% of reported rapes result in charges being brought is a stark reminder of the gap between what is reported and what is resolved. By centering the experiences of women who have been assaulted, Erivo forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable reality that the law does not always serve as a shield for the vulnerable.
Moreover, the film’s exploration of consent as a clear, binary concept—where lack of a “yes” equals no “yes”—is a rare moment of clarity in a cultural conversation that often blurs the lines. Erivo insists that the legal framework needs to be more compassionate and precise, one that recognises the limitations of memory while still affirming the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. This is not a rejection of due process but an demand for a system that truly understands the complex realities of sexual trauma. As Erivo puts it, the potential for lasting impact lies not just in the film’s reception but in the ongoing dialogue it sparks about consent, accountability, and the courage required to speak truth to power.
The broader cultural significance of her work cannot be overstated. In an era where conversations about sexual assault and consent are gaining traction across the globe, Prima Facie offers a British perspective that is both specific and universal. Erivo’s journey—from the Rada theatre training room to the heights of Hollywood, and through the red carpet drama with Ariana Grande—mirrors the trajectory of many artists who navigate multiple worlds while remaining true to their roots. Her story is one of resilience, but also of the ongoing struggle to be seen and heard on equal terms. The film stands as a testament to the power of art to illuminate darkness, and the urgent need for a legal and social framework that can keep pace with the complexities of human experience.
