Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Amarachukwu Owezuke Echimino Erivo, professionally recognized by the name Cynthia Erivo, is a British actress and singer who has made a name for herself in Hollywood, appearing in various movies, television shows and music performances. The actress started her career working in sitcoms like Chewing Gum and The Tunnel. Her first theater act was Marine Parade by Simon Stephens at the Brighton Festival. She got her big break in the industry through the musical The Color Purple, for which she was honoured with a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical back in 2016.
In the movie industry, Cynthia Erivo has been in projects like Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale (both in 2028), Harriet (2019), Needle in a Timestack (2021), Pinocchio (2022), Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023), and Wicked (2024) among others. She has also made appearances on various television shows like Sunny Day, The Outsider, Genius, Strictly Come Dancing, Blue's Clues & You!, and Strange Planet, among others.
Who are Cynthia Erivo’s parents?
Cynthia Erivo was born on January 8, 1987, and is the daughter of Edith and a father whose name has not been revealed as of 2025. Both her mother and father are of Nigerian descent and have seen tough times before moving into the city of Stockwell, London, England, where the actress was born. It was once mentioned by Cynthia that her father had left their family when she was very young and had disowned her when she was 16. After her father left, it was Edith who took care of her as a single mom.
Cynthia Erivo’s mother has been a huge supporter of her career and has been a role model for the actress. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress talked about how her mother survived through all the hardship and was always supportive of her decisions. The actress said, “She’s not necessarily a refugee, but she, for a short time, had nowhere to be. Her home was ravaged, and they were on the run to find safety. She told me those stories many times, and I intimately understood what it could be like for her as a young girl. This is a bit of an ode to her having to figure out how to be safe and how to live.”
Erivo also said, "I’m really grateful that she’s willing to have the conversations. They aren’t always necessarily the easiest ones to have, but having some of that knowledge and having that information has been really eye-opening for me and helpful in telling the story."
Does Cynthia Erivo have any siblings?
Yes, Cynthia Erivo does have a younger sister who goes by the name Stephanie Erivo. While not much has been revealed about her personal life, it is known that Stephanie has been featured on Cynthia’s social platforms a couple of times. By profession, Stephanie is a podcast host who has her own podcast channel, The Walk Podcast, where she invites various guests and talks about health and trending topics.
Also read about: Cynthia Erivos Net Worth
FAQs
A. No, Cynthia Erivo is not married, but is currently in a relationship with actress and producer Lena Waithe.
A. Yes, Cynthia Erivo has two dogs, Caleb and Gigi.
A. As of February 2025, Cynthia Erivo is 38 years old.
