Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande 'holding on by threads' by end of Wicked press tour

Cynthia Erivo has revealed she and Wicked co-star Ariana Grande were "hanging on by threads" by the last leg of their latest press tour.

Discussing the last four years working on and promoting the two-part musical adaptation, Erivo, 39, told Variety she and Grande, 32, "really tried to take care of each other" near the end.

She recalled her experience navigating their whirlwind touring schedule, as well as public opinion surrounding their unique dynamic.

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Erivo detailed the experience of having fans decide "who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing and why" over the course of the press tour.

The pair faced a spate of controversies throughout their time promoting the Wicked films, from discourse surrounding their appearance to marketing missteps.

"It's very interesting, watching what people's perception is versus what the reality actually is," she reflected.

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"I think that people didn't really believe that we were actually friends. But that's also because people don't know me very well. If I'm a friend, then I'm a friend. If I'm not, then I'm not."

Erivo went on to dispel speculation surrounding a rumoured falling out between her and her former co-star, clarifying they "still text nearly every day."

Also elaborating on public perception surrounding her approach to the Wicked press tour, she explained the "nature of the work" she does requires her to "truly embody and be different people."

She admitted she'd been surprised so many people had seemed to take this at face value, rather than recognising she'd been playing a part.

In addition to the intense criticism they both faced over the past four years, Erivo recalled a particularly terrifying incident from Wicked: For Good's Singapore premiere.

Erivo had been making her way down the red carpet with her co-star at the time, but jumped into action to dislodge a red carpet crasher who had jumped the barrier and grabbed Grande.

"Nobody moved. Nobody moved," Erivo recalled. "My immediate reaction was 'Get him away from us.'"

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What the star-studded cast of Wicked looks like in real life

"And what people couldn't see is that he wouldn't let go [of Grande]. He wouldn't let go. So I just kept pushing at him to get him off.

"A stranger is a stranger. Personal space is still personal space. It doesn't belong to anyone, even if you feel you know the person. In that moment, we were all terrified."