Britain’s Oscar hopeful slays the red
lay claim to a Best Actress Oscar two years in a row? It’s looking increasingly likely. One year after Olivia Colman received the golden statuette, we have a new star on whom to rest our hopes. This month sees the release of historical biopic Harriet – about Harriet Tubman, the American abolitionist who helped around 70 slaves escape through the Underground Railroad in the mid-19th century. It is a powerful film, a classic awards contender, completely anchored by the startling performance of Cynthia Erivo. Hailing from London, she’s been storming stages for years but is now ready to take the lead, on the red carpet and beyond.
In the last month alone, she has delivered more wow moments than most A-listers achieve in a year, arriving at a stream of premieres and award ceremonies in Versace, Valentino and Rosie Assoulin. And it’s made an impression. Thanks, in part, to stylist Jason Bolden, the new member of her team.
‘Even though Cynthia’s 5ft 1in, she is able to hold these big gowns and the drama of it all,’ Jason tells Grazia. Drama is imperative. Last week at the Hollywood Film Awards she wore a line of spikes protruding from her head, like a golden mohawk.
‘She loves jewellery,’ Jason explains. ‘Most of the time when you see big celebrities on carpets, a lot of the jewellery is borrowed. Ninety per cent of the jewellery that you see on Cynthia is her own.’ The spikes (left) were by David Webb. ‘We had to add something very Cynthia,’ he explains. ‘She has the internal rock star: that underground, British/lower East Side New York thing lives in her. We wanted to bridge that in.’
Cynthia was born in Stockwell to Nigerian parents, studying music psychology before changing tack and heading to RADA. She appeared in Sister Act: The Musical as showgirl-turned-nun Deloris Van Cartier – the role Whoopi Goldberg made famous – and then appeared in I Can’t Sing! (Simon Cowell’s X Factor musical). The title was not accurate: her voice soars (she contributed to the film’s soundtrack). Her performance on Broadway as Celie in The Color Purple won her a Tony. And she was soon courted for a role opposite Viola Davis in Steve Mcqueen’s film Widows. As the holder of an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, an Oscar win would make her an EGOT, the very rare accolade given to a person who has won all four (only 15 people have ever achieved it – the likes of John Gielgud and Audrey Hepburn).
It is no wonder she was the first and only choice for the role of Harriet. ‘She walks in with her short, blonde hair and a cool dress, and I thought, this woman is a star,’ producer Debra Martin Chase says. ‘Cynthia carries herself with such grace and such confidence.’
Writer-director Kasi Lemmons adds. ‘She’s fierce, and tiny, strong and powerful, and she’s filled with this beautiful energy and humanity. She’s a force of nature.’
Jason says that Cynthia is often the first person to debut looks by brands like Thom Browne or Marc Jacobs. But she refuses to be worn by the dress. Her big smile, her sense of joy, is crucial. ‘I definitely think that’s part of it. It’s happy and it’s fresh. I think that type of stuff resonates with people.’ She is involved in the looks, but also knows when to step back and let Jason work. ‘A lot of the people that I work with allow me to just be,’ he says. ‘They know I have their best interests in hand.’
Clothes are clearly vital for Cynthia, both on the red carpet and on set. ‘These costumes with the full skirts and the corsets and all of that – riding a horse with a corset is an interesting thing to be a part of – it gives me this extra sense of strength and power,’ she says. ‘I loved that with every new costume comes this part of Harriet that you wouldn’t see unless she was in the clothing.’
An Oscar nomination seems, at this stage, inevitable. Critics have praised the performance as ‘valiant and committed’, ‘terrific’ and ‘vivid’. Cynthia is named by The Hollywood Reporter as a frontrunner – alongside Renée Zellweger, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson and Saoirse Ronan. Jason doesn’t want to get too excited about dressing the actress for award season. But he can’t resist.
‘I don’t want to jump the gun, but I’m definitely thinking about it,’ he says. ‘I’ve been looking at archive photos of amazing, glamorous women, collecting and jotting down ideas. I want to keep it fresh.’
Cynthia is ready for the world to take note of her, but also to bring Harriet to modern audiences. ‘I’m excited for young women and older women, and women who are mothers, and women who are daughters and wives, to come and share in her strength.’ These women may be sharing in Cynthia’s strength too, soon enough. ‘Harriet’ is realeased on 22 November