Cynthia Erivo

Within a few years of her career getting started, English Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress Cynthia Erivo won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. That left her just an Oscar win away from an “EGOT.” • As a child, Erivo loved theater and was a natural on stage. While studying music psychology at the University of East London, she applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She was accepted—and the rest is history. • Her first onscreen role was in Michaela Cole’s 2015 TV series Chewing Gum. • She made her Broadway debut in the revival of The Color Purple. In 2016, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The following year, the cast recording of The Color Purple won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. • In 2017, she won an Emmy for a performance by the cast of The Color Purple on NBC's Today. • Cynthia was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2019 Hariet Tubman biopic Harriet. She also earned a Best Original Song nomination for “Stand Up,” which she cowrote. • She’s since established the production company Edith’s Daughter and signed a deal with MRC Television to develop her own projects.