United Kingdom, April 5 -- Cynthia Erivo channelled her "pride about being a black woman" into her 'Wicked' performance.

The 38-year-old actress had green skin as Elphaba in the hit movie - but she was inspired by her own heritage and feelings of being "othered".

She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "Those braids are on purpose; I asked for the braids. The nails are on purpose, I asked for the nails.

"The green stands for every person who feels othered, who feels different, who doesn't feel as though they're connected or ends up feeling as though they're on the outside.

"They don't feel as though they are welcomed.

"But there's also that other later of, 'Who am I underneath it?', if they know that as black women, we walk into spaces a...