‘The biggest dream is never too big. I feel like I’m living proof of that’

Published

3 years ago

August 12, 2021

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Cynthia Erivo is still on a high. It’s five days after a performance at the Hollywood Bowl when we speak, and the sense of occasion of singing at such a famous, “bucket list” venue, coupled with the emotion of seeing thousands of people coming together to hear live music – her music – after so much time away, means she will never forget it.

“I don’t know if I could even find the words to really, truly describe what I experienced,” she says. “Having 7,000 people being brave enough to come out and listen… being in front of that amount of people, seeing people react the way they did. I still can’t believe it happened.”

Now, the actress and singer is “looking forward to continuing that, getting back to audiences and performing live, because it’s definitely the lifeblood for me”.

At 34, British star Erivo is already an Emmy winner, a Grammy winner and a Tony winner, achieving all three in 2016 and 2017 for her starring role in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple. The treble means she is *just* an Oscar away from the rare EGOT status of having all four; and she’s halfway there, receiving a nomination for best actress, for her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet, in 2019.

Most recently, Erivo has played her musical hero, Aretha Franklin, one of the greatest vocalists of all time, in the Genius: Aretha series chronicling five decades of the Queen of Soul’s life. It is a role that could see her add to her trophy cabinet at the upcoming 2021 Emmy Awards.

So hers is already an impressive CV, and she is about to add to it with the release of her debut album. After years of performing in character it is her chance, she tells Sky News, to connect with people “directly as me”.

“It will always feel different when you’re not playing someone else,” she says. “It allows me to show a different part of who I am. The more I can connect honestly, the better, I think.”

Titled Ch 1 Vs 1, it’s clear that Erivo sees this as just the beginning of her story. “My life isn’t over yet,” she says. “There’s lots to come, there’s lots to learn, there’s lots to write. This felt like a new beginning for me when it came to music so I wanted to mark that.”

The record is described as a 12-track journey into the star’s mental and emotional landscape – one marked by heartbreak and sadness, but also triumph and growth.

Erivo says she wants people to know she is a “fully rounded person who has thoughts and feelings just like everybody else”. That she has loved and lost. She doesn’t elaborate, but says: “Life isn’t always black and white, there are definitely grey areas, and there are things I’ve dealt with and have had to come through just like everyone else.”

Is that something people forget when it comes to celebrity?

“I think sometimes they do,” she says. “But that’s not necessarily just for me, I think that’s across the board. I think that celebrity or fame – for me, those words are so strange because I still don’t really associate them with myself. It makes me feel really weird to refer to myself as a celebrity because it’s not what I did this for. I think people often forget that behind all of the glitz and whatnot, is a human who deals with stuff, it’s just that often that stuff is out in the open.”

The star says when it comes to writing songs, there is nothing wrong with letting your emotions show. “I’m not afraid to be as truthful as I can be, you know. It doesn’t scare me. I guess I kind of am thrilled by being able to be vulnerable in front of people. I think the more I can do it, hopefully other people will be encouraged to be just as vulnerable.”

Erivo’s first single, The Good, was inspired by a conversation with a friend in mourning. “The phrase she said was that she just wanted to remember ‘the good’. I realised that it could be attached to both the loss of someone or a relationship or anything that forces you to think of the best of the worst of times.”

In the video, Erivo portrays a woman remembering the positive memories of a relationship with another woman that has come to an end.

“I wanted to pay homage to Black love, but often we see Black love – and most love – heterosexually,” she says. “I wanted to see something that felt normal, that showed two women in a relationship… and it wasn’t voyeuristic and it wasn’t fetishistic. It was just a normal relationship going through the ups and downs that relationships go through.“

Born and raised in London, Erivo now lives in the US, where her profile is bigger, but still has family and friends back here.

As a star of stage and screen, and soon the charts, I ask how she feels about the government’s treatment of the arts and entertainment industry in the UK during the pandemic. The promise of £1.57bn in funding came four months into the crisis, which many argued was too late, while confirmation of a £750m insurance scheme for festivals only came earlier this month – again, too late for many events for the second year running.

Then there is the plan requiring people to prove double vaccination status when entering nightclubs and other “crowded venues” from the end of September – bizarrely announced just as restrictions were lifted in July – which has been condemned as an “absolute shambles” by industry figures.

“I think there seems to be this terrible battle that keeps going on in the UK when it comes to the arts and I don’t know why it’s difficult for the government to see that the arts are worth taking care of,” Erivo says. “Because people gain so much, everybody gains from it, even commerce gains from it. If there’s art, there’s a reason for people to visit, there’s a reason for people to see it, that means people are spending money to come and see these shows, to see the plays, the films.

“For me personally, I don’t know that anyone should be forced to have a vaccine, everyone is individual and it’s up to them.

“I do hope that we’ll finally get to a place where people deem the arts a necessary thing, because it is, and it’s often how a lot of people survive. And right now, there are people I know for sure in London who are only just getting back to work, only just getting back to shows and rehearsals. And they’ve desperately needed to be back at work and haven’t really been taken care of, and that saddens me. A lot. So I hope that that gets fixed.”

Before our time is up, I ask Erivo about another professional accomplishment that cements her status as a true multi-hyphenate in the industry. She is soon to become a published author, with her debut children’s book, Remember to Dream, Ebere, to be published in a few weeks. It tells the story of a mother and child who is encouraged to dream big.

“I am telling that story for anybody who has a dream, who thinks that things are impossible, who needs to be encouraged to keep dreaming – adults or children,” Erivo says. “I wrote it because it was the thing that I can relate to the most, the idea that the biggest dream is never too big. I feel like I’m living proof of that. I have definitely been able to live within the dreams that I’ve wanted for myself and I guess I wanted to share it with everybody else. I wanted other people to feel like they have that possibility, too.”

Cynthia Erivo’s debut album, Ch 1 Vs 1, will be released on 17 September.

Entertainment

Jeff Bridges on The Old Man – and instilling joy on set

Published

1 hour ago

November 2, 2024

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Jeff Bridges on The Old Man - and instilling joy on set

Life in between filming the first and second series of The Old Man has been vastly different for Jeff Bridges.

The Oscar-winning actor led the first season of the action thriller at 70, seemingly healthy and ready to take on the world. However, unbeknown to him at the time, he had undiagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a 9×12 inch tumour in his stomach, which would require intense treatment.

Rather than the often used language of “fighting” the cancer, Bridges described himself as being “in surrender mode” as he not only went through chemotherapy but also contracted COVID-19.

However, he set himself the goal of walking his daughter down the aisle, which he did in 2021, and has since said his tumour has been reduced to “the size of a marble”.

Now, The Big Lebowski actor has returned to the small screen for the second season of Disney+ show The Old Man, which tells the story of a former CIA operative on the run and also stars Conclave’s John Lithgow and Blink Twice actress Alia Shawkat.

Despite a vast career in film, this is Bridges’ first time leading a TV series – a format he saw his father Lloyd Bridges excel in when he was a child.

“With movies, you have a beginning, middle and an end,” he tells Sky News. “You know where you’re going. That’s not the case in the series, it’s exciting.”

The American actor says he makes an effort to instil “joy” and kindness on his sets, crediting his father’s love for the art of acting for why he remains so positive.

“I mean, he taught me all the basics of acting and he, unlike a lot of parents who are in showbiz, wanted all his kids to go into showbusiness. He loved it so much.”

Bridges has appeared on screen since he was just six months old and would leave school to join his father on the set of his series.

“The way he approached his work with such joy [was admirable] and that was the main thing I learned from him… Whenever he came on the set, that joy was kind of contagious and everybody would say, hey, this is kind of fun, what we’re doing to get to play, dance, pretend here with all these great folks and we can have a good time.”

Bridges says he was lucky to work with his father a few times as an adult and that the ability to create a relaxing and fun environment that allowed artists to flourish was something he wanted to replicate in his own work.

On set, he meets with every creative taking part in his films and shows, from costume designers to the production team.

“That’s such an important aspect of my work, getting a perspective from their take… all these things start to come together and they have a cumulative effect on how your character comes off, and they’re thinking of it from a completely different point of view.

“That’s very valuable to me, you know, to hear the history, why the person got that particular piece of clothing and what not.”

Season two of The Old Man is available to stream on Disney+ from 6 November.

Entertainment

Ed Sheeran beats copyright appeal over claim Thinking Out Loud ripped off Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On

Published

10 hours ago

November 1, 2024

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Ed Sheeran beats copyright appeal over claim Thinking Out Loud ripped off Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On

An appeals court has upheld a ruling that Ed Sheeran’s hit song Thinking Out Loud did not illegally copy the Marvin Gaye classic, Let’s Get It On.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, New York, agreed with a lower-court judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns rights to the 1973 Gaye song that previously belonged to the late co-writer Ed Townsend.

SAS had made the allegations against Sheeran, his record label Warner Music, and music publisher Sony Music Publishing.

It comes after a separate copyright lawsuit filed by heirs of Townsend over alleged similarities between the tracks. Sheeran won that case in May 2023, following a jury trial.

SAS sued Sheeran in 2018, four years after the release of his number one hit. US District Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the case following the verdict in the heirs’ case last year – concluding the musical elements allegedly copied were too common to merit copyright protection.

The appeals court has now agreed, saying Thinking Out Loud and Let’s Get It On are not similar enough for Sheeran to have infringed on copyright, and protecting the elements could stifle creativity.

SAS owner, investment banker David Pullman, said the company was reviewing all of its options following the decision.

Gaye, who died in 1984, collaborated with Townsend, who died in 2003, to write Let’s Get It On, which topped the Billboard charts in the year it was released. The track has been used in numerous films and adverts, and garnered hundreds of millions of streams and radio plays in the past 50 years.

Sheeran, who is from Suffolk, is one of the most successful modern music stars in the world. Thinking Out Loud, which won a Grammy for song of the year in 2016, is among his biggest hits.

Sky News has contacted representatives for the star for comment on the latest ruling.

After the result in 2023, he spoke outside court, saying he was “unbelievably frustrated baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all”.

He added: “We’ve spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day, all over the world.”

The British star, 33, also won a similar copyright case in the UK in 2022 – this one relating to Shape Of You, another of his biggest hits.

During that hearing, he was accused by two lesser-known songwriters of ripping off part of one of their songs for his 2017 track. However, the High Court judge ruled that Sheeran “neither deliberately nor subconsciously” copied a hook from the song.

Following that ruling, Sheeran released a video statement hitting out at “baseless” copyright claims that are “damaging” to the industry.

Entertainment

US election: The celebrities backing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris

Published

13 hours ago

November 1, 2024

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US election: The celebrities backing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris

Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?

With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.

Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump‘s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.

According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.

As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Harris.

The Avengers

In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.

Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, Captain America star Chris Evans, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr all feature in the video, along with Don Cheadle and British star Paul Bettany.

Ruffalo cited climate change, education and women’s reproductive rights among the issues voters should consider.

“We’re back,” he captioned the post. “Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts.”

Taylor Swift

The pop mega star confirmed her support for Ms Harris in September, posting a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comments.

Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

In response, Mr Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price” for her comments.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.

However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”

In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.

He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.

He ended by saying the country needs to “close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”

Jennifer Lopez

The actress and singer spoke out during a Democratic rally in Las Vegas, criticising comments made during a Trump rally about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage”.

“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.

Lopez told supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.

Madonna

Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Harris.

Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”

Beyonce

Beyonce appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”

The star said she was not attending the event as a celebrity, but was there “as a mother”.

She added: “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”

Charli XCX

Earlier in the year, Ms Harris embraced the social media trend of a “brat summer”, inspired by British pop star Charli XCX‘s latest album, Brat.

It came after the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, wrote in a post on X: “kamala IS brat”.

She later told New York Magazine: “To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me… I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”

Brat has now been named word of the year by Collins, which said it inspired a lifestyle “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.

Bruce Springsteen

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.

Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.

“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.

Eminem

The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.

The former president joked he had “noticed my palms are sweaty” before rapping several lines from the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song Lose Yourself.

Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.

Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.

Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.

Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.

Elon Musk

The tech billionaire has donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid.

Musk previously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.

At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.

Hulk Hogan

The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.

He told “Trumpamaniacs” at Madison Square Garden that he had won heavyweight titles and body-slammed “giants” there, but the energy at the rally was “something like I’ve never felt”, and “the most powerful force in the universe”.

The retired wrestler, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, has shared several photographs of himself and Mr Trump on social media.

Mel Gibson

Hollywood star Mel Gibson will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.

According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”

He said voting for Mr Trump would be “a pretty good guess”, and reportedly added: “I know what it’ll be like if we let her in and that ain’t good. Miserable track record – appalling track record. No policies to speak of. And she’s got the IQ of a fence post.”

Dennis Quaid

The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.

“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?

“Are we gonna be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders?”

Jon Voight

Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.

In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”

Voight accused Hollywood peers supporting Ms Harris of “putting out videos trying to brainwash the American people to do the most dangerous vote ever”.

Jake Paul

YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul has also shared a video message endorsing Mr Trump.

He captioned the clip, “Who I’m supporting for president and why you should too…” but began by saying he had been “nervous, scared” to make it because of potential repercussions for his career.

Encouraging his followers to do their own research and not just listen to “your favourite pop star”, he said he had rescinded his right to vote after moving to Puerto Rico for his boxing career – but that he wanted to present his millions of followers “with proper facts, numbers and data to encourage them to vote in the proper direction to quite literally save America”.

Things “don’t feel right” in the US at the moment, he said, which shows “that we are more divided than ever”. He added: “What is the problem? Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy… then who is to blame?”

Kelsey Grammar

The Frasier star – who has reportedly spoken of his support for Mr Trump in the past – was asked about being a Republican in Hollywood in an interview with the New York Times in September.

“For me to be anything else would be a problem,” he replied. “I don’t go along with a lot of what is preached in Hollywood. I go along with what is preached in Christianity. I go along with do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

“And I believe in all people: I believe in their desires and their lives and their worth. I want to make shows about that. I don’t want to hate anybody.”

Kid Rock

The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.

In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.

He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.