From Variety · Angelique Jackson,Matt Donnelly · · 1m 10s
Cynthia Erivo's riskiest role yet lands at TIFF
Erivo took the stage at Toronto with a one-of-a-kind drama, and the room rose to meet her.
In brief
Erivo took the stage at Toronto with a one-of-a-kind drama, and the room rose to meet her. "Prima Facie" is Erivo's hardest swing so far, and the TIFF premiere audience says she connected. Originally reported by Variety.
An actor with a shelf
Cynthia Erivo already holds two best actress Oscar nominations and a Tony, a track record most performers spend a career chasing.
Tubman, then Elphaba
Those nominations came for playing Harriet Tubman and the green-skinned Elphaba in "Wicked," two roles with almost nothing in common.
Before the screen, the stage
Her Tony-winning turn in "The Color Purple" is the foundation under all of it, and it shows in how she handles live audiences.
The hardest one yet
Variety frames "Prima Facie" as a bigger risk than anything before it, a high-wire act rather than another prestige role.
“her latest film, "Prima Facie," might be her most challenging high-wire act yet”
Sunday night at Roy Thomson
The world premiere ran at Roy Thomson Hall during the Toronto International Film Festival, the venue TIFF saves for its biggest nights.
The room stood up
The crowd gave Erivo and her filmmakers a standing ovation for the harrowing drama, the clearest early signal a festival premiere can send.
“the crowed rewarded Erivo and her filmmakers with a standing ovation”
The bottom line
"Prima Facie" is Erivo's hardest swing so far, and the TIFF premiere audience says she connected.
