Yes, Cynthia Erivo can maintain proper hygiene with her extremely long nails. The Wicked star sat down with comedian Dax Shepard for an episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, where the host asked her how she manages to wipe her butt with her nails.
“Can I ask you a really crazy question that’s inappropriate?” Dax said to the British actress on Monday (November 18). “When you’re wiping your butt…”
Cynthia, who stars as Elphaba in the musical film, interrupted the host, saying, “I knew you would ask that question.”
Cynthia Erivo clapped back at Dax Shepard after the comedian asked her how she manages to wipe her backside with her extremely long nails
Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
The nails don’t make the job more difficult, she pointed out, because they’re not the most crucial part of wiping. “My answer is that nobody uses just their fingers to wipe their backside. You use tissue, correct? And you wipe!”
Dax then became curious about Cynthia’s hygiene practices. When he asked the Tony winner whether she places the toilet paper on the tips of her fingernails, she responded that she uses the “pads of the fingers.”
He also asked the 37-year-old whether she feels a “little tickle of the nails on the crack,” to which she countered, “No, because the tissue is there!”
When the comedian asked if she found the question “offensive,” Cynthia admitted that she was “annoyed,” because she’s a “functioning adult” and has never “walked around smelling.”
Her nail art, done by 19-year-old artist Mycah Dior, doesn’t make it difficult to put on her eye-catching pieces, either. “I’m like, ‘I mean, I’m here! I’m dressed.’”
Mycah’s work is inspired by the Wicked colors—green for the misunderstood Elphaba, and pink for Glinda—created with the OPI x Wicked Nail Lacquer Collection.
“Green and pink colors embody their contrasting personalities, with Elphaba’s vivid green skin and Glinda’s soft, light-hearted aura,” the nail artist recently told Bustle.
“My answer is that nobody uses just their fingers to wipe their backside. You use tissue, correct? And you wipe!” the Wicked actress said
The actress’ larger-than-life nail art also features elements of the film, which hits theaters on November 22. “Hand-sculpted, painted 3D eyes add a bold, mysterious element, while a hand-drawn clock captures the timeless magic of the story,” she said, sharing one of her creations that features sparkles, rhinestones, metallic accents, and different textures that took four hours to make.
Cynthia said her nail art allows her to express “whatever [she’s] feeling at the time.”
“I feel like nails are an extension of the story I want to tell and an extension of who I am. When it comes to fashion or expression or storytelling, there’s something really fun about being able to catch someone’s eye with nails.”
“Nails are an extension of the story I want to tell and an extension of who I am,” the British star previously said
Nail art offers endless possibilities when it comes to experimenting with her looks. “My recent sets have given me feelings of power, strength, and glamor, but I also love how expressive nails can be,” the London-born actress added.
“Nails can also be very extravagant, very fun, and very crazy if you want them to be — the scope of how much you can do with nails is really interesting to me and always has been.”
Cynthia also rocked her extravagant manicure on the big screen while playing the Wicked Witch of the West.
The entertainer mentioned seeing a photo of Margaret Hamilton, the original Wicked Witch, where she’s in a shadow and has her hands raised, sporting long nails.
“When I saw it at the Academy Museum, I was reminded that nails were always a part of the character. I imagined that her nails were almost a part of her genetic makeup, that they just grew long — and like her green skin, she wasn’t sure why. I saw her nails as being part of the magic that she hadn’t discovered yet.”
Cynthia has been sporting super long emerald green nails in honor of her Wicked character, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West
Watch the actress’ interview on the Armchair Expert podcast below
Last week, Cynthia made headlines for a response to a fashion reporter that many netizens labeled as “rude.”
After the reporter, who goes by Mystery Fashionist, asked her and her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande to rate each other’s outfits, he shifted the focus of the interview, asking, “What is a common misconception about y’all?”
“I don’t know what the common misconception is at all. That’s not a fashion question,” Cynthia replied.
A fan complimented Cynthia’s nails, saying they’re obsessed with her “magical” style
