Ariana Grande’s Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo on actors’ 'physical connection'

Cynthia Erivo does have a “physical connection” with Ariana Grande.

Cynthia recently shared insights into her close connection with Wicked co-star Ariana, emphasizing their unique way of communicating through touch.

The 37-year-old actress discussed their bond in a teaser for her upcoming appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, set to air on December 10.

Reflecting on their relationship, Cynthia revealed how their physical connection has become second nature.

“I think I’m sort of used to it now. If it’s not connected, I’m like, what’s wrong? What’s happening? Where are you?” she shared.

She went on to describe how she and Ariana, 31, frequently hold hands.

“We always end up… we walk hand-in-hand very often. Like, if we’re not walking hand-in-hand, we’ll find each other somewhere.”

During the conversation, Drew Barrymore noted her own love for expressing affection through physical gestures like holding hands and hugging. 

Erivo agreed and said that many people are hesitant to start with physical connection.

“I think we assume that physical connection can only be romantic,” she explained. “We don’t realize that sometimes how we communicate is by physical touch.”

The actress elaborated on how these moments of touch help her and Ariana convey emotions or messages, even in situations where words may not suffice.

“Sometimes you’re in a room, and it’s just a squeeze of the hand… that’s sometimes how she and I communicate,” Erivo shared. “It might be a pinch of a finger, a hug, or whatever we need to communicate. That’s how we do it.”

She concluded by encouraging others to value non-verbal communication in friendships.

“I think we don’t give enough credit to how we communicate with our friends physically,” she said.