Cynthia Erivo has described her experience portraying multiple roles in a single episode of Poker Face as "totally insane".
In a recent discussion with Vanity Fair, the Oscar-nominated actor detailed the complexities of playing five distinct sisters during the second season of Rian Johnson's crime comedy-drama. She admitted to feeling overwhelmed, particularly when filming scenes that required her to interact with four of her characters simultaneously.
Despite recognising the inherent challenges, Erivo embraced the opportunity. “I knew that my head would be split into many different spaces, but I was like, ‘Well, if not now, then when?’” she explained. She also said that she is always eager to explore uncharted territory and was determined to see if she could effectively compartmentalise and embody multiple characters at once.
The Harriet star revealed that she relied on each character's wardrobe, hairstyles, and accents to distinguish their personalities. However, she still experienced moments of surrealism while essentially acting against herself.
“I’d play one side, and I’d have a lovely stand-in doing the other side,” Erivo shared. “I would still have to remember what I did on one side so that my reaction would match the other way, so that it would make sense when speaking to each other.”
Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne, centres on Charlie Cale, a woman with an extraordinary ability to detect falsehoods, who solves mysteries as she travels across the United States. The second season is scheduled to premiere on Peacock on May 8.
Erivo also disclosed to Vanity Fair that the filming of her Poker Face episode coincided with her intense Wicked promotional tour alongside Ariana Grande, further amplifying the difficulty.
“We were in the midst of everything, doing everything, going everywhere,” the actor-singer recalled. “I had 11 straight days of shooting this baby in New York…. To say I was mentally exhausted is an understatement. I would get to the end of the day and not even really know my own name. I’d be like, ‘I don’t know where I am.’”
She added that it was a truly frenetic period, but in the most rewarding way possible.
